Although there are scores of races to run, this game screams for some type of career mode where you work your way up to a NASCAR driver, and then to an owner, with stats, rivalries, budgets, goals, and so forth. No career mode seriously limits the replay-ability of the game.
What NASCAR 08 captures the best is the white-knuckle thrill of driving one of these monsters at nearly 200 MPH against 40-plus other competitors. Man, it's intense! Since most cars are pretty much equal in performance, it comes down to taking a good line, drafting, minimizing mistakes, intelligent pit strategy, and precise maneuvering to win, much like real racing. One mistake can end the race for you (with damage modeling turned on), or inhibit your car's ability to drive at peak performance.
Plus, you absolutely feel out of control when you spin out or wreck; it's a helpless feeling but thrilling nonetheless. Yes, the cars are difficult to handle, but serious racing gamers will love the challenge. If you choose to drive a higher number of laps, you'll experience fatigue from concentrating so hard, and from the precise movements of your left thumb to keep the car in the desired spot on the track. The learning curve is steep, but commensurate with the reward once you become capable of keeping up with the AI drivers and actually racing. You have to learn patience on the track, and to actually use the brake on occasion to preserve your safety and finish the race. The enticing part of it is deciding when to take the risks needed to win.
The biggest drawback to the action is the AI's propensity to knock into you. We all know "rubbin' is racin'," but NASCAR 08 takes it to an arcade-like extent. Fortunately, much of the bumpin' and grindin' is cosmetic only, and most likely included because of the stereotype that folks watch races for the wrecks. NASCAR 08 is plenty exciting and challenging without the added aggressiveness of the AI drivers.
You can test your mettle against up to 11 additional drivers on Xbox Live. When several cars are visible, the action can be a little herky-jerky, but otherwise, the game plays fairly well online. EA has set up ranking system and assigns you a skill level based upon your performance, which you can use to set up custom matches or join matches with like opponents. Several stats are also tracked on the leader board, like points, wins, number of starts, top five and top ten finishes, number of laps, and so forth. It’s always a little wonky when connecting to EA’s servers through Xbox Live, but once there, the action is solid.
Driving a racecar, and just "turning left," is more difficult that it looks. If that's the theme EA was shooting for with NASCAR 08, they are spot-on. Fortunately, there are enough control settings and vehicle modifications for users to find a set up that will allow for success in the game, with a little bit of practice. The game lacks the depth and flexibility available in other racing titles, but it captures the NASCAR experience expertly. There are a lot of choices for racing gamers in the market, and for NASCAR fans or racing fans that want a challenge high on realism (minus the exaggerated bumping tactics from AI drivers), NASCAR 08 fits the bill.
