NASCAR SimRacing

NASCAR SimRacing
Game: NASCAR SimRacing
Platform: PC
Studio: EA
Rating: 9/10

GAME STUDIO DESCRIPTION: EA SPORTS presents the new standard in NASCAR PC racing: NASCAR SimRacing. Created by NASCAR veterans and tested by NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers like Ryan Newman, NASCAR SimRacing is the perfect combination of realism, true racing ‘feel’, depth, and advanced EA SPORTS presentation. Thunder down the straightaway at Daytona International Speedway® alongside 42 other live drivers online as Voice Over IP smack talk mixes with the roar of V8 engines in glorious surround sound. Navigate the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway then watch full race replays and analyze your telemetry against that of real drivers to improve your skills as you progress through Career mode. Live the life of a NASCAR driver as you rise through the ranks to Chase for the Cup in the most realistic NASCAR game ever created.

Key Features

* Race Tested, Driver Approved: The all-new racing engine in NASCAR SimRacing is crafted by NASCAR racing veterans from EA SPORTS and previous NASCAR sims, and then tested by top NASCAR drivers including Ryan Newman. So when you brake to enter a corner, you experience the same physics that real NASCAR drivers experience-neither arbitrarily hard or easy, just real.

* Career Mode with Three NASCAR Racing Series: NASCAR Craftsman Trucks, National Series, and NEXTEL Cup competition-work your way up from tough truck racing to the big show in Career mode.

* Cut to the Chase: NASCAR SimRacing is the first PC game to feature the new NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points system-compete to make the field of 10 drivers competing for the championship in the Chase for the Cup.

* EA SPORTS Authenticity and Depth: Over 60 drivers, real teams, 28 tracks, current NASCAR NEXTEL Cup rules, and a full complement of game modes from pick-up-and play single races to Chase for the Cup shootouts and multiple Seasons.

* High Definition Presentation and Cutting Edge Technology

* Online Racing with 43 Live Drivers: Compete with up to 42 other drivers or fill in the field with AI drivers-the largest fields in any racing game. Talk to your opponents with Voice Over IP (microphone and broadband Internet connection required), compete in Hot Lap leagues and Tournaments, and compare your results in online rankings. You can even watch races as a spectator to check out the competition.

* Hone Your Skills with Advanced Telemetry: Novice drivers can access pre-designed car setups. More experienced drivers will be able to analyze car setups and lap times and compare them against those of real NASCAR drivers, or exchange data to compare notes with other sim racers.

* Thundering 3D Audio: Hear the sweet sound of 750+ horses roaring by in Dolby® Pro Logic II audio, so close you can almost smell the hot oil and burning rubber.

* High Resolution, Dynamic Tracks: Race on the tracks featured in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series including Daytona International Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Bristol Motor Speedway. In addition, experience Nazareth Speedway, Milwaukee Mile, Indianapolis Raceway Park , and three exclusive fantasy tracks.

* Relive and Analyze Races with Replay Studio: Replay entire races and save highlights and hot laps to relive later or show to your friends.

PLAY: EA isn’t one to skim on anything and SimRacing is everything you’d expect. The usual oval isn’t just the same thing over and over again. Each track has its unique features; different elevations, width, banking, lines, etc. Thankfully you can race the stock cars, but the Craftsman Truck Series, National Series, along with the Nextel Cup Series.

One of the absolutely most important parts of racing sims are how the cars feel. EA hit it on the head with this release as the cars aren’t loose or so tight that you can’t make a quick and decisive move. Each car has a distinct feel; however each keeps the level of traction so it never feels as if each turns is a inch away from disaster. Sure you’ll be sweating it out, just not as much as you may normally feel with other racing games that have your heart pounding as you have no idea how you were able to keep on the track.

There is a certain amount of detail. For instance, drafting is extremely important if you expect to win at all. Also, the driver is important as the more skilled and intelligent the driver the better your chances of not making some silly mistake mid-race. Aggression is also important as playing timidly will find you racing in the back of the packthat means bumping and nudging here and there.

Each race its important to adjust the car. You can go from basic to advanced adjustments. If you think you’ll get by without tweaking it’ll soon be apparent that your plan will fail.

Career mode is much more approachable. It’s closer to the career mode of the Madden versions of EA Sports where even the small things may matter. Not only is tweaking the car important but setting up a sponsor, but it could have been fun to have a little more rivalries, etc. that would up the ante.

GRAPHICS: EA is king when it comes to the design of games and SimRacing is no different. SimRacing is easily the best looking NASCAR games to date. The tracks are gorgeous. Each environment has its own distinct look and even the lighting is different. What is amazing is the way that everything looks from inside of the cockpit and even how shadows fall on the car and driver. It’s truly breathtaking. Easily the most amazing and exciting is when night fallsbut the pit stops aren’t bad either.

Car damage is a big part of racing and the cars in SimRacing have dynamic collision detection. The damage appears to be delivered accurately right down to a ding in a fender or bent bumper.

SOUND: The chatter is terrificfrom the announcers to the crew chiefs. The car sounds realistic and you’ll know when you’ve banged up against another car.

FRANKLY : NASCAR fans will unite in joy for NASCAR SimRacing. The depth of this release will last from this year’s Daytona to next years. Just make sure you’re computer is beyond the minimum requirements or your experience won’t be as you’d hope.

+ Richie Wright


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