NASCAR 08

"Simulation Nascar has arrived for console owners."

Ea threw out the NASCAR of yesterday and opted for a more Sim experience. Many people are happy about the move, but this comes at a cost. No longer do you have a game that you can just jump right into. This is no longer a arcade style game. To be successful you will have to practice, tweak the setup's, and have determination.

Gameplay = 8
There is a Career mode and Chase mode. This is where you will spend most of your time battleling. You will have to earn licenses and contracts to progress in the game. In Toyota Test and Tune mode, you can practice to fine tune your vehicle/setup to your driving style, to achieve the fastest lap times. You can choose between the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The Car of Tomorrow (COT) is in the game. Some say the AI in the game is a little strong and aggressive, but you can adjust to this. Also many people are having trouble at first, handling the vehicles with the controller, but with practice, are really appreciating the controls. You can adjust the sensitivity in the options. For the best experience you will want to use a wheel if your budget can afford it.

Audio = 8
If you have ever been to a NASCAR race, then you will be appreciate the sound. Turn it up till your ears bleed(Dolby Digital Surround Sound). But the spotter can get repeative and needs more variety for a seamless experience.

Graphics = 8
43 Cars on screen and it looks amazing! Make sure you play this game in HDTV to see all the detail. It's the best looking Nascar to date! There is a some collision issue's during the huge crashes.

Presentation = 9
Ea does a wonderful job capturing the feel of NASCAR. ESPN is on board to offer all the stats you could want to give you that authentic feel. This time around, we have a nice feature that allows you to stream audio and video clips of the latest sports updates.

Replay Value = 8
Get tired of racing offline? Then jump online to race against 11 other players (total of 12). You can even add A.I to the field. It never gets tiring improving your best lap times and getting the most out of a setup. But we need a few more modes of gameplay to match what we had on lastgen.

Overall = 8
Alot of the little features are missing, but this is to be expected with you rebuild a game from scratch (for nextgen). The Graphics, Audio, and Gameplay are great. If EA can add some more features and tweak the controls a bit, then NASCAR fans will have a great game to play for years to come. Remember, patience is key in Nascar.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/31/07