Racing gamers have a myriad of choices when it comes to getting their fix, but there is only one (new) option for NASCAR racing fans: EA's NASCAR 08. And while the game lacks the depth you expect from a big budget racing game, the driving is undeniably exciting.
The controls will make or break this game for most gamers, as controlling your vehicle at nearly 200 MPH in a crowd of overly aggressive computer opponents is very challenging. The analog stick is extremely sensitive, and it's hard to hold the line and drive in a pack. Fortunately, the license tests help you learn how to properly navigate a racetrack. Most importantly, there are plenty of game play settings and control options to change the sensitivity of the stick, provide computer-aided assists to casual or newer drivers, reduce the quality and recklessness of the AI drivers, and to tweak the vehicles to respond to your racing style. Also, there are driving aids that can be turned on, like a graphical representation of the appropriate line you should be driving, where to drive to get in the draft of another car, and so forth. With a little trial and error, you should be able to find a balance that suits you. Regardless, the driving is challenging, and somewhat unforgiving, leading to a fairly steep learning curve.
There are four types of basic adjustments you can make to your vehicle. There are sliders that offer balance between acceleration and top speed, tight and loose handling, speed and grip, and a softer or harder suspension. Unlike many EA games, these sliders have a significant impact on your vehicle's performance. Gear heads will appreciate the ability to change gear ratios, tire pressures, and many other minute settings to truly peak performance, but the basic settings will work fine for novices. A nice option is a "test and tune" mode, where you can play with the settings and test them out on a variety of tracks. And, it's very evident that these cars handle much differently depending on the track type, so the test and tune mode is a great way to learn how to drive at the different venues.
NASCAR 08 has three main modes: Race Now, Season, and The Chase. Race Now puts you in the car of your favorite driver on the track of your choice, with the number of laps, pit stops, the AI level of difficulty, and the damage modeling all selectable. Many of the top NASCAR drivers, like Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Jr. must be unlocked because EA apparently doesn’t want you to have the type of fun you want right off the bat.
Driver "badges" can be unlocked by completing certain goals in any of the game modes, including Race Now, like finishing first on a specific track, or have a certain number of top 10 finishes. At the beginning of each race, you have the option to practice, qualify, tune your car, or start to race. All results are saved under the profile you create while beginning the game. Gamers itching to get in and race will enjoy this mode's flexibility, but those that haven't mastered the learning curve will be better served by earning some of the licenses in The Chase mode first.
Season mode allows you to pick your car/driver as indicated above, and race a season of the Nextel Cup, the Craftsman Truck series, the NASCAR National series (the Busch series), or a “car of tomorrow” series. Results and standings are tracked for all races, and races can be simulated. The main drawback is that once the season is over…that’s it. You just stay on the race select screen. There's no cup ceremony, no kind of transition to a new series, or a repeat of the season, with stats reverting back to their original state. And, under your profile, you can only race one season at a time. Any new season you start, whether it's at the completion of an existing season or in a different series, will overwrite your current season. With the capabilities of the Xbox 360, these limitations are puzzling and inexcusable.
The Chase mode is the closest thing to a career mode that NASCAR 08 has to offer. There are six different styles of tracks, like super speedway, speedway, road track, and so forth. In order to race on each type of track, you need a license. Each license requires you to complete a series of tests. For each track type, there are ten tests, except the super speedway for the car of tomorrow, which has five tests, for a total of 55 tests to complete! The license tests do a very good job of teaching you about NASCAR racing, like drafting, practicing pit stops, overtaking other cars, and so forth. However, since many of the tests are the same except for the type of track, it gets very repetitive.
After you earn a license, you are offered a contract. If you successfully complete the terms of the contract (finish in the top ten, etc.), you earn a NASCAR vehicle to put in your owner garage, which you can use to compete in a season within the Chase mode. The contracts vary in the number of races in which you compete, and the objectives you need to complete. The race variables are not selectable, which adds to the challenge. You need complete all of the contracts to complete all races within the Chase mode, and races cannot be simulated.
