What really delivers now, however, is Elite mode. Forget the needlessly intimidating name; this is shooter-as-sport par excellence, an exquisitely balanced and enormously fun mode unlike anything else in the genre.

A simple, fast and addictive shooter that TrackMania fans will love. It's focused on its community, since there's absolute freedom for mods and sharing users' creation, so it's up to the players shaping the future of this game.

It’s a fabulously designed game with an interface so antiquated that only the most dedicated and nostalgic shooter enthusiasts will stick with it. In the end, maybe that’s for the best. You don’t see a lot of trucker hat-wearing Natty Ice-drinkers in Go parlours either.

ShootMania breathes new life into a crowded genre by taking things back to basics. If you’re a fan of old-style twitch shooters, this is the game for you. However, a lack of progression—bar a leaderboard—and simple map designs may lead to many being turned off in the long run. If you’re after a pure shooter, however, it doesn’t get much better than this.

At its core, Shootmania Storm is a competitive multiplayer shooter, but differs from its competitors via subtle twists. Outside of its gameplay it leaves many opportunities out cold though. The maps are boring, menu's unclear and the arsenal of weapons generic. Fortunately it leans on its followers and user generated content, which will hopefully fill these gaps.

Addictive, fast, balanced gameplay quickly induces the state of total focus which is the most important source of pleasure in ShootMania. [CD-Action 06/2013, p.70]

It's too early to say whether ShootMania's custom maps will boost its staying power, but we're not sure if an inspired community can draw us back into the FPS.