The Thrill of the Chase
Published August 6, 2007
No sport has enjoyed such a recent spike of popularity and success as NASCAR, so it's only natural that we welcome a next-gen entry in EA's ongoing NASCAR series. NASCAR® 08 explodes onto Xbox 360™ with all the bells and whistles you would associate with a top-of-the-line EA Sports offering. And the game series maintains its strong focus on gameplay, as well as paying attention to slick presentation and high-def graphics.
You've got work to do, my friend.
It's Not Just Turning Left
NASCAR 08 has the instant accessibility expected of a racing game, but it also has a surprising variety of challenges and races not usually seen. EA recognizes that the prospect of even a short NASCAR race can be formidable at times, so gameplay is broken up into both full races and quick-hitting, easily understood challenges as well, such as successfully slingshotting past six cars.
With the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, you can experience a taste of NASCAR's harrowing intensity.
In fact, you'll find yourself thrust into one of these challenges when you first fire up the game, as NASCAR 08 immediately starts you on your quest to dominate the sport as both driver and owner. The game asks you to rate your own skill level before starting, then you're assigned a comfortable difficulty setting, and off you go.
Licenses and Challenges
Every license you earn unlocks access to a new race type in your chase for the Nextel Cup. Earn your stripes by earning medals in a series of challenges. The mini-game challenges also serve a tutorial purpose by teaching you fundamental NASCAR strategy before you find yourself in 43rd place at Daytona, five laps down.
Some of these challenges are a lot of fun. The Draft Timer challenge requires you to stay tight in the draft behind cars and teaches you the value of conserving your own fuel and energy at the expense of your competitors. The Pitting Strategy mini-game requires you to have a successful pit stop, then finish well in the race, teaching the driver the necessity of new tires, fuel, and repairs, along with the value of proper timing. The Fast Line challenge asks you to hold your car on a designated line throughout a lap, which, in NASCAR, is perhaps the single most important tool for sustained success.
Celebration or wreck? You decide.
Running the Race
Earning contracts allows you to fill your garage with quality sponsored vehicles thanks to the likes of teams such as Roush/Fenway and Robert Yates Racing. Unlike licenses though, you'll net these contracts by completing a series of short races with preset qualifying requirements, such as finishing fifteenth or higher. Once you've secured the proper license and a supporting vehicle contract, you can enact your Owner options and vie for victory at an official race. Like the real sport, you can run practice laps on the track and you must qualify for the race. Then, when the green flag drops, you can race at all of the classic NASCAR tracks like Daytona, Darlington, and Talladega.
Loaded with Features
NASCAR 08 is brimming with other features, game modes and options. The Season Mode allows the hardcore NASCAR fan to bypass the mini-games and garage management, and get right down to the business of professional racing, taking on one event right after the other. And it wouldn't be a NASCAR game if you couldn't tinker with every conceivable aspect of your race car. NASCAR 08 goes well beyond such pedestrian tweaks as gear ratios and tire traction by including manual customization for such features as brake pressure, steering trim, weight distribution, camber degrees, fender flare, grille tape, and other elements that will have gearheads salivating. You can even upload your chosen customizations onto Xbox LIVE for other gamers to use, ponder, and tweak.
While you're customizing your setup, make sure your car looks nice, too. You can design and decal your vehicle from the ground up for any of the supported car types, such as the Car of Tomorrow or a Craftsman Truck.
And as with all EA Sports games, the ESPN license is used to great effect, including the ever-popular ESPN On Demand service, which among other things, allows you to listen to ESPN Radio and even stream highlight videos from the day's sporting events.
Ouch.
Two Hands on the Wheel
If you've ever seen footage of a stock car thundering down the raceway, you know the chaotic, jumbled violence each driver needs to master. With the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, you can experience a taste of NASCAR's harrowing intensity. Braving force feedback in NASCAR 08 will help you to feel every imperfection of the track, every shudder of the car, and the skittering of the wheels. In short, if you're itching for the ultimate NASCAR immersion, you'll want to try it with the racing wheel.
NASCAR 08 introduces the sport on Xbox 360 with the same level of skillful polish you would expect from EA, and perhaps better yet, is an astoundingly accessible introduction to the sport of NASCAR for gamers who've always wondered just what the fuss is all about.
Article by Ryan Treit
