Nascar 07
Posted October 8, 2006
I'm making a promise to you right now; I will not make a Ricky Bobby joke in this review. While yes, that would be easy to do I just don't feel like it's something that needs to be done. But I can't guarantee that I won't poke fun at NASCAR thanks to my biased feelings about the sport; but I will try.
Everyone knows NASCAR, even those who despise the sport know of it – a race where drivers face a long grueling race while turning left, then left some more. So in the face of other racers like Forza Motorsports and Project Gotham Racing, who outside of die hard NASCAR fans would want to play the game? What does the title bring forth other than a worn out left turn signal? And really, can this be a fun game?
Gameplay:
In this year's iteration of NASCAR, EA has dropped the Total Team Control moniker and has stuck solely to NASCAR in its own glory. When first booting the title you know you're not playing a game which will appeal to urban gamers thanks to the country and southern rock soundtrack, but that's good; EA knows who their target market is and they are aiming for it.
As most sports titles the gameplay modes are the same from one title to another, and NASCAR is no different. Play now lets you choose a track and have at it, Fight to the Top lets you create a driver and work your way up the ranks to take on the best, Season is similar but rather than a custom character to take control of a seasoned veteran, Dodge Challenges lets you recreate some of the best moments from last years NASCAR season, and Chase for the Cup puts you in various scenarios to try and change the outcome.
Each mode has its own set of rewards which amount to Skill Points which you earn sponsorship with and unlock new tracks and cars. One interesting thing is that during a Fight to the Top mode you can wager these skill points against other "real" drivers and predict the outcome of a Nextel Cup race. Skill Points can be used to purchase Chase Plates, which I really didn't find much use for, as well as to upgrade your racer when time permitted.
The mode that most people will play, and the one I'll describe the most, is Fight to the Top. When first starting this mode you have an option to play through the Allstate Qualifiers or to simply start your career. If you choose to attempt the qualifiers and succeed, you will earn the right to larger contracts, better cars and teammates, and different classes of racers. Doing well here will dictate whether you enter the modified series first or start out in the big leagues. Regardless of which series you can enter initially you'll do so as a racer, but earn enough money through wins, merchandising and sponsorships and you can earn a team in one series and race in a different one.
As people assume, a lot of the races are essentially left turns the entire time, but what makes things interesting is the way that different tracks and racers react on each type of course. Some racers excel on the very short tight tracks, while others favor the long straight-aways to make their moves. Each racers style is accurately reflected in this title, so fans of the genre will appreciate that they're going to be racing against guys exactly how they do it in real life.
Naturally, tweaking your car between qualifying laps and the actual race can be done to help get the most thrust out of a corner and to keep drag down, but to my un-mechanical eye, even the slightest adjustments made my car almost un-drivable – so I preferred to leave the CPU in charge of tweaking the parameters before a race. Other items that you can take control of or leave to the CPU is some auto braking to help keep you in the race a little better Some tracks are actually quite complex (NOT a simple left turn) so having the CPU apply brakes and accelerate through the twists and turns does come in handy, at the cost of skill points however.
As a person who does not understand the appeal of NASCAR, I can honestly say that I was genuinely excited from time to time when playing this game. Starting out at the end of the pack or even in the middles makes for some enjoyable racing when fighting to the front of the group, thanks to using skills like drafting for that speed burst when passing to initiating an Intimidator move to help create a rival out on the course. One must be careful not to create too many enemies however as grudges are carried throughout the season and the other drivers have no qualms in trying to take you out in a race.
Standard online play is also included, with the requisite optimatch and custom matches. Unfortunately the number of players in a race is limited so you won't have the large free for alls that real NASCAR gives.
Graphics:
Portions of the graphics impressed me quite a bit, while others left me disgusted and wishing for a lot more. The worst of it is most definitely the way the crowds are rendered; it is essentially a series of multi-colored blobs. And yes, I understand when whipping around the track you really shouldn't be watching what the crowd is doing, but for those times when you do look out and appreciate the graphics, it's sad to see that next to no effort was put into them.
Aside from the crowd things looked quite sharp and crisp, with the cars all sporting their sponsors decals in all the right spots, tracks showing wear and cluing in drivers to the optimal lines. The best thing about the graphics here though is when racing side by side with another car. Some very good motion blur happens which stretches out the cars to really give a great sensation of speed.
Audio:
As mentioned, EA knows their target market with this release; but there are options for other rock tunes in addition to the country. But once in a race you're really not paying attention to the soundtrack as you'll be listening to your teammates calling out plays on the track. They'll let you know who's sneaking up behind you and if they are friend or foe, and telling you to either dive in and be more aggressive to tone it down to keep the car moving nicely.
Racing sounds are pretty much what you'd expect if you've ever happened across a race. Lots of Doppler Effect as cars go whipping past, and gears shifting to get the peak performance out of each car. Nothing too groundbreaking, but definitely adequate for the title.
Conclusion:
I had pretty low expectations for NASCAR 07, but an open mind and its oddly fun gameplay made for a good time. I struggled with the Allstate Qualifiers so I really had to fight to get to the big show of NASCAR, but I had a good time in doing so.
Fans of the sport will gladly shell out the cash for the latest version, and thanks to the enhancements like drivers responding in-game as they would in real life, and track conditions playing a role in the outcome of races, the simulation factor has increased. To the casual gamer definitely give this game a rental to see how you'll enjoy it, you might be surprised; die hard NASCAR fans – pick it up.
Everyone knows NASCAR, even those who despise the sport know of it – a race where drivers face a long grueling race while turning left, then left some more. So in the face of other racers like Forza Motorsports and Project Gotham Racing, who outside of die hard NASCAR fans would want to play the game? What does the title bring forth other than a worn out left turn signal? And really, can this be a fun game?
Gameplay:
In this year's iteration of NASCAR, EA has dropped the Total Team Control moniker and has stuck solely to NASCAR in its own glory. When first booting the title you know you're not playing a game which will appeal to urban gamers thanks to the country and southern rock soundtrack, but that's good; EA knows who their target market is and they are aiming for it.
As most sports titles the gameplay modes are the same from one title to another, and NASCAR is no different. Play now lets you choose a track and have at it, Fight to the Top lets you create a driver and work your way up the ranks to take on the best, Season is similar but rather than a custom character to take control of a seasoned veteran, Dodge Challenges lets you recreate some of the best moments from last years NASCAR season, and Chase for the Cup puts you in various scenarios to try and change the outcome.
Each mode has its own set of rewards which amount to Skill Points which you earn sponsorship with and unlock new tracks and cars. One interesting thing is that during a Fight to the Top mode you can wager these skill points against other "real" drivers and predict the outcome of a Nextel Cup race. Skill Points can be used to purchase Chase Plates, which I really didn't find much use for, as well as to upgrade your racer when time permitted.
The mode that most people will play, and the one I'll describe the most, is Fight to the Top. When first starting this mode you have an option to play through the Allstate Qualifiers or to simply start your career. If you choose to attempt the qualifiers and succeed, you will earn the right to larger contracts, better cars and teammates, and different classes of racers. Doing well here will dictate whether you enter the modified series first or start out in the big leagues. Regardless of which series you can enter initially you'll do so as a racer, but earn enough money through wins, merchandising and sponsorships and you can earn a team in one series and race in a different one.
As people assume, a lot of the races are essentially left turns the entire time, but what makes things interesting is the way that different tracks and racers react on each type of course. Some racers excel on the very short tight tracks, while others favor the long straight-aways to make their moves. Each racers style is accurately reflected in this title, so fans of the genre will appreciate that they're going to be racing against guys exactly how they do it in real life.
Naturally, tweaking your car between qualifying laps and the actual race can be done to help get the most thrust out of a corner and to keep drag down, but to my un-mechanical eye, even the slightest adjustments made my car almost un-drivable – so I preferred to leave the CPU in charge of tweaking the parameters before a race. Other items that you can take control of or leave to the CPU is some auto braking to help keep you in the race a little better Some tracks are actually quite complex (NOT a simple left turn) so having the CPU apply brakes and accelerate through the twists and turns does come in handy, at the cost of skill points however.
As a person who does not understand the appeal of NASCAR, I can honestly say that I was genuinely excited from time to time when playing this game. Starting out at the end of the pack or even in the middles makes for some enjoyable racing when fighting to the front of the group, thanks to using skills like drafting for that speed burst when passing to initiating an Intimidator move to help create a rival out on the course. One must be careful not to create too many enemies however as grudges are carried throughout the season and the other drivers have no qualms in trying to take you out in a race.
Standard online play is also included, with the requisite optimatch and custom matches. Unfortunately the number of players in a race is limited so you won't have the large free for alls that real NASCAR gives.
Graphics:
Portions of the graphics impressed me quite a bit, while others left me disgusted and wishing for a lot more. The worst of it is most definitely the way the crowds are rendered; it is essentially a series of multi-colored blobs. And yes, I understand when whipping around the track you really shouldn't be watching what the crowd is doing, but for those times when you do look out and appreciate the graphics, it's sad to see that next to no effort was put into them.
Aside from the crowd things looked quite sharp and crisp, with the cars all sporting their sponsors decals in all the right spots, tracks showing wear and cluing in drivers to the optimal lines. The best thing about the graphics here though is when racing side by side with another car. Some very good motion blur happens which stretches out the cars to really give a great sensation of speed.
Audio:
As mentioned, EA knows their target market with this release; but there are options for other rock tunes in addition to the country. But once in a race you're really not paying attention to the soundtrack as you'll be listening to your teammates calling out plays on the track. They'll let you know who's sneaking up behind you and if they are friend or foe, and telling you to either dive in and be more aggressive to tone it down to keep the car moving nicely.
Racing sounds are pretty much what you'd expect if you've ever happened across a race. Lots of Doppler Effect as cars go whipping past, and gears shifting to get the peak performance out of each car. Nothing too groundbreaking, but definitely adequate for the title.
Conclusion:
I had pretty low expectations for NASCAR 07, but an open mind and its oddly fun gameplay made for a good time. I struggled with the Allstate Qualifiers so I really had to fight to get to the big show of NASCAR, but I had a good time in doing so.
Fans of the sport will gladly shell out the cash for the latest version, and thanks to the enhancements like drivers responding in-game as they would in real life, and track conditions playing a role in the outcome of races, the simulation factor has increased. To the casual gamer definitely give this game a rental to see how you'll enjoy it, you might be surprised; die hard NASCAR fans – pick it up.