How is this game honestly?

[Nats]

Been playing a few racing games including Heat 5 recently, was just wanting an upgraded Nascar game and I was wondering what is this game actually like? I mean obviously there are a lot of negative reviews but some people say its a decent game. So is this game playable or not?

[33Tomato]

Incoming long post:

My question to you is, how are you intending to play the game? Full rules, simulation settings, full qualifying, full races? If so, it’s a no from me, the game isn't good enough for any of that.

The AI balance is some of the worse if not the worse, fast some tracks, slow as hell in others, this is a case for other nascar games or just racing games in general but it's particularly bad here.

The Audio mixing is awful, and the spotter is probably the worse in any nascar game too.

The game also just lacks too many basic things, you can't drive as the drivers, you can't even have your name on the car in career mode, it displays the irl drivers etc.

Unfortunately you just can't take this game seriously, I can only have fun in this game doing short distance races and just basically speed running a championship.

If you're looking for immersion with full rules etc, don't bother.

To me it isn't worth full price, get it on sale only if you're ever going to get it. (Doesn't seem to ever go on sale though).

So again, it depends how your going to play the game, if you can treat it as a arcade causal racer, it's playable, but even so I can only recommend you get it for cheap.

Or I guess wait until the next gen car update, don't know if they're going to improve things other than adding the cars but I don't have hopes at all for improvements.

[crazydad8888]

Stay away...best advice I can give. I wasted $60 on it and can not play it.

[Shoestring]

If you can get it on sale and are going to put some time into it, it is decent, though I know people hate me saying that. Once you get the hang of the AI, you can actually race them really good, but you really, really have to get the hang of it which can be extremely frustrating. If I have not played for a while, I just rage quit because I keep wrecking (did it a few times this weekend) But, when I was playing almost exclusively I was having very good races with almost no wrecks. The lack of setup changes is frustrating, as well. Maybe wait and see what the September update looks like. If that update includes a really good AI update, custom set ups, button mapping/calibration for wheels, and maybe things like mirror, it would be a whole different game.

[Brad]

I mean if you like finishing 1st and then getting put in 5th-40th then go ahead and play it otherwise stay away. If you are going to buy it go to cdkeys.com and get it for $12 it's not worth $60 I don't even think it's worth $10 but I took a chance at cdkeys and I'm highly disappointed to have payed that much money for a basic NASCAR game. I'd rather play any NASCAR game from the 2000's than this.

[Nats]

Hmm well that doesnt sound great lol

[drummerJ99]

For the $8 I paid from Cd Keys? And can still be bought for that price. It's fun. It's no sim. And I wouldn't buy it expecting to use a wheel or if you do use a wheel for it to feel great. But as a controller nascar racer I like it over Heat 5. Sure Heat 5's career blows it out of the water but I think the car feels better on 21, especially under braking.

The spotter is useless. No fuel/tire info. No rear view mirror unless in the cockpit and even that one only shows from center to left of the car. The AI is weird. For some tracks their speed is good, for others I'll have to move it to Champion or Extreme to finish where I should be finishing in career.

It's not on par with something like F1 but for an oval racer, I'm having fun with it.

[Rodster360]

Here's my story:

I bought this game on the cheap from CDKeys, Championship Edition for $11.99 and what a joke of a game. So i'm doing practice laps at Homestead before a race. After 20 or so laps what do I see? Two cars driving on the track at around 50 MPH. So I come back and see the same cars driving the same speed.

I can't get a refund from CDKeys and I pretty much I knew that. This game is a joke and will never buy anything from them again.

[Mindzen]

By Upgrade .... If you mean you want a more challenging Nascar experience, Nascar Racing 2003 is better than Heat and Ignition by far.

1) You don't bounce of cars. You are forced to drive responsibly.
2) You can't steer on turns like you are on the straights.
3) The AI is the best I've seen. It does have it's problems though, the main one being if you give the AI an INCH to squeeze in at the bottom, it will do so. When you play the game enough, you learn to compensate for it.
4) When you collide or wreck (with Damage on) you're race is probably over. This (again) forces you to actually drive with caution and CONSEQUENCES.
5) mods, mods, mods
6) Your setup has consequences, such as overheating the engine. You CAN blow an engine in this game, and its not RNG, its setup and driving related.

Also, for those that use a controller, NR2003 is the BEST racing game I have ever played that can be played on a controller. I play by pushing the left stick all the way up and slowly sliding it left or right. With a little Steering Assist, this can be done smoothly and methodically .. no jerkiness, no overcompensating problems.

[Josh B]

Originally posted by thpf77:

I have ever played that can be played on a controller.

Ever better to have a steering wheel for the increased experience.

[country_living]

In all honestly stay away its the worst nascar game i've played in years. I thought heat was bad this is horrible

[Elvis2]

Originally posted by thpf77:

By Upgrade .... If you mean you want a more challenging Nascar experience, Nascar Racing 2003 is better than Heat and Ignition by far.

1) You don't bounce of cars. You are forced to drive responsibly.
2) You can't steer on turns like you are on the straights.
3) The AI is the best I've seen. It does have it's problems though, the main one being if you give the AI an INCH to squeeze in at the bottom, it will do so. When you play the game enough, you learn to compensate for it.
4) When you collide or wreck (with Damage on) you're race is probably over. This (again) forces you to actually drive with caution and CONSEQUENCES.
5) mods, mods, mods
6) Your setup has consequences, such as overheating the engine. You CAN blow an engine in this game, and its not RNG, its setup and driving related.

Also, for those that use a controller, NR2003 is the BEST racing game I have ever played that can be played on a controller. I play by pushing the left stick all the way up and slowly sliding it left or right. With a little Steering Assist, this can be done smoothly and methodically .. no jerkiness, no overcompensating problems.

Seems like these guys at msg are more concerned about how the game looks instead of how it plays. I do think it looks pretty good. Too bad they can't combine the graphics with NR2003's gameplay and community support. That would be an awesome sim / game imo.