EA needs to ditch the 'gimmicks' and get down to business: making a great racing game (instead of an okay one)...
(A) Either don’t know jack about NASCAR,
(B) Know that since they’re the only company out there with the rights, can get away with making sub-par NASCAR games knowing die-hard fans will more-than-likely purchase it since it’s their only option,
(C) Simply have a team of idiots come up with fresh ‘ideas’ to incorporate into their stockcar franchise instead of focusing on making the game lean towards more of a sim-style (read: authentic) NASCAR game and rely heavily on hype to sell the game to a broader audience instead of aiming it to the audience it should, after all, be aimed at: fans of the sport.
I’ll go with (D) ALL OF THE ABOVE.
Let’s see. You have a field of 43 cars. How many humans can participate in an online race? FOUR. Don’t get me started on how there’s NO cautions online, which can make for a very frustrating experience if one of those four gamers happen to either be a noob or an intentional ‘wrecker,’ all but demolishing chances of catching-up and actually racing … assuming, of course, full damage and tire wear is ON.
I often wonder if EA knows the definition of a “multi-groove racetrack.” There are plenty of them on the circuit. Yet, even with the sweetest of setups, you better run the bottom if you want to be a contender (a few places, especially the plate tracks, if you have drafting-help you can get a run on the outside, or sometimes coming out of turn four at Atlanta if you nail it right).
I say, “EA! Ditch the gimmicks like ‘voice commands,’ ‘grudges and alliances,’ ‘one-groove racetracks,’ and get rid of the Modified and Truck (and maybe even Busch) series’ and make a dedicated, realistic, sim-like Cup Series game that actual NASCAR fans would enjoy because it’s close to the sport we love, and not a game we’ll shamelessly buy and play because it’s our only choice as far as NASCAR videogames on consoles go!”
And whoever designed the online race menus should be fired. 2005’s online mode was decent; 2006’s is horrid at best. What a letdown. I can’t wait until 2009, when EA Sports’ exclusive contract is up with NASCAR. I can only pray that they won’t renew it.
I’m gonna end my review here, because quite frankly, I could go on for about two hours what’s wrong with EA’s NASCAR games. Basically, they should make a game focusing on ONE series (Cup) – maybe two; Cup and Busch – and having two ‘modes’ of gameplay: (1) Simulation, and (2) Arcade. Right now, the game’s somewhere in-between, though leaning more towards arcade.
It’s really disappointing. You have ‘realistic’ things like the somewhat-detailed car setups (that still should be much more in-depth), only to participate in a fairly unrealistic stockcar race. The game itself isn’t all that “bad,” per se, but it could (and should) be so much better. Casual racers – or casual NASCAR fans – will no doubt enjoy this game… it’s just that there’s so much untapped potential that’s been left on the table that would make this a ‘decent’ game a ‘superb’ game…