Review — NASCAR 25. Dive into the world of American stock…

Dive into the world of American stock car racing with NASCAR 25.

Five years after the release of NASCAR Heat 5, we are once again being treated to a new NASCAR game. The observant reader will have noticed that, like other modern sports titles, this new game has been given a year reference and omits the subtitle ‘Heat’. This is because the NASCAR license is now held by iRacing Studios, which also means that the previous NASCAR games have disappeared from digital stores and the server has been shut down. While this is unfortunate, the new developer has brought some exciting new features to the table. After all, they are responsible for iRacing, the most realistic racing simulator currently available, where you can race against Max Verstappen, Lando Norris or Shane Van Gisbergen, for example.

The first two names will certainly ring a bell, but the last one probably less so. Van Gisbergen is a NASCAR racer, and this racing discipline is logically less popular with us than global phenomena such as Formula 1 or the World Rally Championship. I associate NASCAR with the typical Americana experience, where American — often southern — patriotism is expressed through roaring engines and high entertainment value. You might wonder what is so interesting about driving around in circles, but NASCAR brings a different kind of excitement to what we see in Formula 1, for example. It is best compared to the chariot races of ancient Rome, but with a redneck twist.

From Rags to Riches​

NASCAR 25 perfectly embodies the feeling described above, thanks to iRacing Studios. When you start the game, you are treated to an impressive montage video of the sport, after which the main menu is accompanied by the song ‘Hypnotize’ by System of a Down, which sets the tone immediately. Here, you can set up a quick race or championship, play online, or customise your own team. The main mode is, of course, Career. After a short amateur race, you progress to the ARCA Menards Series. This is a stepping stone to the three major touring series: the Craftsman Truck Series, the Xfinity Series and, finally, the NASCAR Cup Series. Career mode is well designed and features a podcast by former NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt Jr., short cutscenes for the different stages of the race and a basic management system. You must maintain your cars, purchase new stock parts and try to sign sponsors and hire staff, such as mechanics and PR people.

There is also a reputation system, whereby you only gain access to the other series once you have achieved a certain level of reputation. In the meantime, you can read some social media posts. Personally, I found the added value of this rather minimal; it felt more like a compulsory feature, as other similar titles do this too. Other than that, this mode offers a fun experience, although it’s not as extensive as the F1 games. It’s great that you have quite a few options to customise the races to your liking. You can adjust not only the length of the races, but also fuel consumption and tyre wear. If you set the race length to 25% and the other two to x4, you get a shortened but complete experience, including the number of pit stops. Other options include the types of flags used, the amount of damage and various parameters for your opponents’ AI. All these options are available for the other race types as well, of course.

All About the Speed

Of all the game modes, multiplayer is undoubtedly the most entertaining. With forty players tearing up the racetrack, the excitement levels are high, and racing against real opponents is definitely more entertaining than racing against computer-controlled cars. Admittedly, some players seem to think they’re playing Demolition Derby, but this chaos certainly adds to the excitement. When you’re hurtling along at high speed and a few cars crash right in front of you, narrowly avoiding them gives you an adrenaline rush. That’s what the experience is all about, of course. These are machines that race at high speeds, often just centimetres apart or inches from the wall, along straights and through corners. Finding the right RPM to take corners at the right speed and hit the apex are just as crucial to success as drafting on the straights.

I certainly enjoy the online multiplayer, but it’s a shame that iRacing opted for such a basic implementation. There is only a lobby system, which gives you an overview of all lobbies with single races or championships set up by players. There is a rating system of sorts, but it only takes into account your last five races. The so-called weekly events are currently just a featured circuit where you can earn more points for your rating. This effectively means that sometimes you will only find lobbies with races on this circuit. Overall, the online implementation leaves something to be desired.

Off to a flying start

iRacing’s first NASCAR game offers a solid — albeit fairly rudimentary — overall package. Its career mode and racing action are its strong points. The driving model is good, and you can enable quite a few assists if you prefer a less simulation-like experience. The controller is adequate, but it’s clear that you’ll get more out of the experience with a racing wheel. I had some trouble keeping the car on the track and setting a good time, especially on tracks like Watkins Glen and Charlotte Road Course. In addition to oval tracks, there are also a few more traditional circuits. All of these tracks have been laser scanned to give you an accurate representation, with every turn exactly as it is in real life.

While you might expect state-of-the-art graphics, in this respect NASCAR 25 is a bit disappointing. It’s not that the game looks bad, but the environments look rather flat, especially the grass and the pit lane. Fortunately, there is little to complain about when it comes to the cars, which contain all the necessary details and, of course, a clever damage model. However, I was less fond of the sound of the cars in chase cam, which differs significantly from cockpit cam and often sounds like a turbo vacuum cleaner. As for the music, which consists mainly of heavy rock and metal, I have nothing but praise!

3,5/5

Reviewed on PlayStation 5.
This review originally appeared on BeyondGaming.