A lot better than what critics and people who don't know how to play a nascar game give it credit for.
Gameplay: 7
Good but not great gameplay. It isn't the sensitivity of the controls that bring the gameplay down, it's some of the occurrences during the races. Sometimes when you spin out, your car goes in reverse and it's hard to spin it back around. Crashes are a bit exaggerated and sometimes during crashes cars seemingly warp into the concrete and completely disappear.... I have thrown myself into walls twice trying to avoid these vanishing cars. The controls and physics are so realistic, it has turned people off and even frustrated me. But that's what makes a game like this great...it isn't easy.
Graphics: 9
Courses and crowd animation looks great. Car detail and gloss effect give one the experience of feeling like you are watching a real race. Car damage looks a lot more realistic than previous generation releases. I can't really give much more than that... it's about what you should get form a next-gen nascar game... and it works great.
Sound: 9
If you lack surround sound you are missing something excellent from this game. True 5.1 surround will give you the feel that you are right in the cockpit manning your own car. The engines, screeching tires, crashes and the voice of your crew chief are all up to par and the attention given to them is experienced when you race your first series race.
Value: 7
It offers a decent ammount of options. Chase for the cup is decent but lacks options that keep it from getting a higher score. I like being able to race almost right away, but it would be nice if there were more options i.e, racing your way up to the nextel cup, but it isn't bare bones like some people want to paint it as. Online is a bit laggy but, like the rest of the game, is fine once you get used to it. The value is worth the buy IMHO.
Tilt: 7
I will say this, I didn't like this game at first... In fact, I was pissed I spent the $60 at first, but once I got used to it, I couldn't put it down. The challenges at the beginning of the chase really help you learn the control sensitivity and courses.. actually they pretty much make you learn.
If you have patience and like Nascar or Nascar games, pick this up... if not, then don't. But remember, just because you aren't good at it, doesn't make it a bad game.