NASCAR '08 - Black Flagged

Author's Rating:

Pros: The game looks great, lighting effects.

Cons: Bad physics, hard to control with standard controller, crashing scenes cut way too short.

The Bottom Line: 
Rent it before you buy. Not the game it used to be. Wait for '09.

Author's Review
OH, sure. It looks good. It sounds OK. But, why is NASCAR such a popular sport? Why do most people watch any car race?

Crashing. Thats it. This game does not capitalize on what keeps us entertained. Let me explain.

Your rounding turn one at Talledega 3 wide. The 24 car on the outside drifts sightly into you, you start to get loose. You bang into the 18 car on the inside. Your front end jerks to the right, you see the wall rushing towards you when just before impact......Your at the end of the line during the caution laps.

NASCAR '08 cuts off the crash sequences during a race and cuts to the caution parade. VERY DISAPPOINTING.

The game play isn't bad. But there are some features that are missing from last year's release. The most notable is the relationship building/destroying component with the other drivers. You don't have the opportunity to build alliances/rivalries in NASCAR '08.

The career mode takes you through a series of "training" scenarios that, when completed, awards you with a racing license. You then get the opportunity to race for a team. As you advance through the different track types, you will eventually be awarded with the opportunity to own your own team.

During the actual gameplay, It is VERY difficult to control the car with the standard controller. I played for over 4 hours straight and was never able to work through traffic cleanly. Now, when I switched to my XBOX360 wireless steering wheel, that was slightly better. I could now stay inline with a minimum of "rubbing". But then, as they say, "Rubbin's Racin!"

And you will hear that alot from your crew chief and spotter. But, what is annoying is that your spotter does not always point out when you are clear of traffic. He'll give you the "one high" or "one low" but then he must get distracted looking for his spit cup.

This game actually stepped slightly back from last year. We've all come to expect so much from EA Sports and their releases. Its a shame that this title is so lacking. I'm sure some out there will like it, but if you are looking for a great racing/driving sim stay away. In fact, rent it before you consider buying it. You'll thank me.