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NASCAR 2009 Review
I’m the complete opposite. I don’t follow the sport; my favorite game in the series was the first NASCAR Thunder for PlayStation 2. What I want now, and what I got from that previous game was a great racing experience that’s challenging but forgiving, and felt like it could have been made for GameWorks or Dave & Busters.
As a developer, EA has spent the last few years wondering who to cater to. Which side is more important? Which gamers will be more loyal to the series? This year they seemed to have stopped worrying.
Still Chasing The Cup
Traditional season modes are no longer enough to satisfy our annual cravings. As Madden, Tiger Woods and the rest of EA move toward deeper and lengthier avenues, their NASCAR games had to follow suit. Hence the creation of an enhanced career mode, which lets you take on the NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
These sponsored events are back from the previous year and can be played in a standard season mode setting. By playing them in the career mode you'll gain sponsorships, be able to join a team and earn reputation points, which are used to unlock superior teams and sponsors. Performance Points have also been introduced and are earned by completing team and sponsorship requirements; they may be cashed in for engine, chassis, aerodynamics, and durability upgrades across the four track types (short track, speedways, super speedways and road courses).
Jeff Gordon, cover athlete and four-time Sprint Cup Series champion, is presented in digitized form, guiding the player with words of encouragement at various points in the game. As he informs you of the game’s contents, you'll notice that the plain 2D menus are enhanced with a fully-rendered 3D garage. With each selection before the race, the camera pans, jumps and cuts to different places.
NASCAR fans will love these features. They'll jump at the chance to gain reputation and bragging rights. There's an Own the Track feature that lets you examine your previous success stories. That too is a feature just for the fans. Vehicles may be painted, numbered and sponsored from scratch – yet another aspect that'll have NASCAR enthusiasts reaching for the controller. You can use your custom car to race in any mode or event in the game (gaining reputation), or turn to the pros just for fun.
What does a gamer like myself, who doesn't follow the sport, think of these features? They sounded nice in a press release but were not what attracted me to NASCAR 09. Having enjoyed the Thunder series, I've been waiting for EA to return to that kind of a gaming experience. This time around, that experience is within your reach.
By default the game is very difficult. Designed with aspiring pros in mind, NASCAR 09 is preset with rules that'll crush the skills of gamers used to arcade driving. The dreaded "black flag" is the culprit – a penalty that requires you to pit or face disqualification. With this feature turned on (as it is at the game's start), you won't be able to bump into other vehicles, tap the wall or pass illegally without fearing that the game is going to make you pay.
There is, however, a way to change this: before any race, tap the square button to bring up the list of optional rules and turn off the ones you don't want. Now you can pass and crash at will, just like in NASCAR Thunder. There's still the risk of blowing out your engine, but with the rules taken out, the game is instantly closer to the arcade thrills I've been seeking.
With next-gen graphics mostly in full force, the game is attractive, smooth and quick. The speeds aren't breathtaking – you won't get anywhere near the Wipeout level of thrills. The course layout is the same as last year (and the years before that) and doesn't throw any curve balls, a fact you probably expected given the license that's attached. That's not something that'll turn off a sports fan but could make other gamers search for something else.
In addition to the main single-player modes, NASCAR 09 introduces a lengthy list of challenges (over 70) to complete on the side. A few examples are: beat Tony Stewart in one lap; pit once and beat Elliot Sadler; and pit in under 20 seconds without going over the 45mph speed limit. They're mostly simple and earn reputation points, a bonus that'll come in handy for the main quest.
The Cup Isn’t Half-Empty, But…
NASCAR 09 is an attractive game. The lighting is fantastic, containing realistic nuances that show distinct differences between sunny and cloudy days and everything in between. The shadows, however, are really messed up. When staying on the screen, they look fairly realistic, fading in and out as they should. But they rarely stay put; environmental shadows (those from trees, fences, etc.) frequently pop in and out in one large chunk. Your vehicle's shadows often twitch and flicker, like something you’d find in a pre-release demo – not the finished product.
The graphics also take a literal hit in the form of body damage. If you’re like me, you probably remember the thrill of crashing in NASCAR Thunder. Those days are long gone. Body damage is weak, and most head-on collisions lack the turbo-charged effect that used to be a NASCAR tradition.
NASCAR 09 is crammed with modes, but it’s important to note that all of them lead down the same path. You encounter the same courses, use the same cars (if not your own), and battle for the same goal: the finish line. The challenge mode is the exception, and it’s the least fun.
EA found that team-based gameplay doesn’t work too well, so you won’t find it in this year’s update. But since that was one of the few unique things a developer can bring to NASCAR, a part of me wishes they’d bring it back.
Ultimately, this could lead the developers toward a sim-only experience. NASCAR 09 is successful in tackling both markets, but it’s unclear how much longer the series can keep this up. Undoubtedly, there is still a lot of fun to be had. But it’s just baby steps above the best NASCAR games EA previously developed.
| Review Scoring Details for NASCAR 09 |
Gameplay: 8.0
From the beginning you are offered two control styles: one for the pros and one for gamers like myself. Both schemes are familiar, and though I can’t say for certain what a diehard NASCAR fan will think of the controls, I can tell you that this one is a much more thunderous release.
Graphics: 7.8
NASCAR 09 is a good-looking game with a lot of issues, from flickering shadows to lackluster body damage. In short, this is the “tame” NASCAR. You won’t be able to joyously ram opponents for a taste of eye candy – the weak crashes will disappoint gamers looking for those thrills.
Sound: 6.7
You’ve heard these engine sounds before, or at least something that’s pretty close to NASCAR 09. You’ve also heard better rock/country soundtracks. Jeff Gordon’s appearance and dialogue should appeal to his fans but do little for the rest of us.
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Easy with the black flag rule turned off; difficult with it turned on.
Concept: 5.0
While NASCAR 09 is a very fun game, the concepts are not new to video games and especially not to racing. If you played NASCAR Thunder six years ago, you know exactly what to expect from NASCAR 09 and can likely predict where the series will be in 2014.
Multiplayer: 7.2
Two to 14 players can race simultaneously – a nice number but that doesn’t compare to the 30+ AI opponents you’ll have in the single-player races.
Overall: 7.9
Built for NASCAR fans with just enough value to engross those who don’t follow the sport. Very similar to the other games in the series, albeit with more polish. If you wanted more of the series’ past experiences, NASCAR 09 delivers that and then some – but not with the same level of amazement the series once had.
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