NASCAR Racing 4 Preview
We test drive the latest game in Sierra's venerable NASCAR Racing series.
The NASCAR Racing series from Papyrus is one of the most highly regarded racing franchises on the PC. The development team at Papyrus has always made significant improvements to each game in the venerable series, and NASCAR 4 is certainly no exception. NASCAR 4's engine is being completely revamped to support the latest 3D graphics card features, and it certainly shows. Car models feature specular lighting and faint reflective effects, which highlight the edges of the car as it rotates in the options menu and as it races on the track. Smaller details, such as an actual driver model in the arcade chase camera angle, are also visible. Even roof flaps, which pop up to prevent your car from getting airborne during a spin, are clearly visible in the game. Likewise, team sponsor logos are crisp and immediately identifiable on each of the cars. Like previous versions of NASCAR Racing, NASCAR 4 will feature extensive damage models for each of the cars, and because the physics engine has also been revamped, the damage will have a greater effect on your car.
Because the build we played was early, there was a noticeable amount of trackside detail missing. Only one member of the pit crew was present, there were no fans in the stands, and the field was virtually devoid of any peripheral objects. Only a few trees currently populate the outside area of the track. However, the two demonstration tracks, Michigan and Dover, were both accurately re-created with turns and straightaways modeled after their real-life counterparts. Fans of the series will appreciate that NASCAR 4's new engine allows for a complete straightaway into the pit lane; before, the entryway was still slightly angled. If you're familiar with actual NASCAR tracks, chances are you won't be disappointed with the amount of attention Papyrus has paid to the game's courses and the amount of extra detail the development team plans to include.
Getting a closer look at all of that detail shouldn't be too difficult. Papyrus will include a replay mode that will give you an opportunity to look at every single aspect of your race. The game's replays are great for checking out the car models and details from several different angles and are even better for judging your performance during any given race. If you make a mistake during a race that causes you to spin out or slam into the wall, and you're not quite sure why, you can use one of NASCAR Racing 4's 13 replay cameras to dissect the race and learn where you made your mistakes. After finding out what you did wrong, you can jot down some notes within the game itself so that the next time you race you'll remember what to do on a specific turn or what to do while you're in the pack.
- GameSpot Score9.1Editors' Choice
Content you might like…
-
NASCAR Racing 4 Gameplay Movie 2
Take a look at NASCAR Racing 4 in action!
- Jul 23, 2004
Users who looked at this article also looked at these content items.
Images
- Sierra Entertainment
- Papyrus
- Stock Car Racing
- Release: Feb 6, 2001
- ESRB: Everyone
Games you may like…
-
NASCAR Revolution
(PC) -
NASCAR Racing 3
(PC) -
NASCAR SimRacing
(PC) -
NASCAR Racing 2003
(PC) -
NASCAR Heat
(PC)
Users who looked at content for this game also looked at these games.
See More Similar Games
1 Comments