NASCAR 08

"Rent Before You Buy"

Graphics (9/10): The graphics for this game are excellent. Many of the tracks look extremely life-like. The night to day transition is very well done, and the damage on the cars is well detailed. That isn't to say there aren't some problems in this area, though. A few of the tracks (especially the road course at Sonoma) are very poorly done, and the damage, while well detailed, typically looks more severe than it is. For instance, your hood can be completely crumpled, and yet your speeds and acceleration are hardly affected.

Gameplay (9/10): I'm gonna rate this section pretty high, although many will disagree with me. The biggest problem in that most have is that the game no longer plays like an arcade-racer. The driving controls have been made much more realistic, and this creates the large learning curve I mentioned in the title. Unlike previous NASCAR titles from EA, you can't just pop in the game and start winning races. You have to put in some practice time and adjust the in-game "Controller" options to make the game more/less sensitive to movements with the thumbstick or wheel. Everyone will have different settings here, as everyone drives a little differently. You have to tinker with them to get them set well for your particular style. As far as the car setups are concerned, EA has taken a big step here, giving the player control over a massive set of options, including individual pressures for all 4 tires, camber, steering lock, and a host of other settings. And for those who don't want to worry about all those things, the game also has a "dumbed-down" tuning system, where you adjust four sliders and the game automatically adjust the cars setup to your liking.

AI (4/10): Here is where the game has some serious flaws. Many times, the AI controlled cars act as if your car isn't even there. When passing, even if you have the position, the AI car will often come down (or up) into your car as if you weren't there. The AI cars seemed to be glued to the perfect racing line, and if the have to sideswipe to stay on it, so be it. In addition, the AI will regularly bump into you from behind. It seems like the AI was not set up to handle the closing rates afforded by drafting, and rarely slows down when approaching on from behind. The funny thing is you don't see the AI cars doing this to each other, only to you. Like I said, it's like they don't even see you. Another problem I have encountered with the AI is the Black Flag. You can, and will, be blacked flagged for rough driving or for passing below the yellow line at Daytona or Talladega. The problem is the AI doesn't always apply this correctly. I have been black flagged when someone else hit me, and I've also been flagged for passing on the backstretch at Daytona when the OTHER car was below the line, and I was halfway up the track. However, neither of these situations happens that often, and one can only hope we'll get a patch before too long.

Originality (5/10); It's pretty hard to give a franchise game a good originality score. Both the "Race Now" and "Season" modes are back again. The "Career" mode, or, as it's been called in recent NASCAR games "Fight to the Top" is gone. In its place is a mode called "The Chase," where you have to earn 6 licenses, 3 for the standard car and 3 for the Car of Tomorrow, in order to earn contracts. These 6 contracts must then be completed by participating in certain races, in certain car types. Completing a contract will unlock one of six car types: Superspeedway, Speedway, COT Road Course, COT Short Track, COT Speedway, and COT Superspeedway. These are the cars you'll use in the Owner portion of The Chase, and you can't compete in a race you haven't earned the car for. The other new addition is "Toyota Test and Tune" mode, which gives you an opportunity to adjust your race setups, and to run practice laps on an empty track. This mode also features 10 challenges, similar to the tasks needed to earn licenses in "The Chase" mode.

Replayability (9/10): As with any sports game, the level of replayability varies from player to player. In addition, the fact that the handling can be tricky to master may seriously affect the replayability of the game. Overall, if you can master the driving, the game is very replayable. If you can't get the hang of it, though, you may be ready to chuck it fairly quickly.

Overall (7/10): OK, to try to sum it all up, I'd really recommend you rent this game before you buy, to be sure you'll like it. The difficulty involved in learning to drive with the new system can be very frustrating, and many players won't want to take the time to master it. For those who are willing to give it time, though, the game can be a lot of fun and can provide hours of enjoyment in one sitting. For my personal enjoyment, I would rate this game much higher, but I don't want to mislead anyone. If you are looking for a game which places just as much importance in tuning the car as it does on racing it, then you'll probably enjoy this one. If you only want to race, and don't want to worry about setups, you may want to skip this one.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/31/07