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Everyone’s favorite stock car racer makes another lap. With NASCAR 07, you can definitely tell that the developers at EA Tiburon don’t really know where to take the game. This means that NASCAR 07 is quite similar to last year’s effort, but if you happened to miss out on that iteration, you’re going to find a very compelling game.
NASCAR 07 includes a number of gameplay modes. You can find the expected Single Race, Season mode, Chase for the Sup, and Dodge Challenges mode. In the last one, you’re given a number of scenarios like winning a losing race from the 2005 season to successfully complete. Most of the single-player gameplay is found in the Fight to the Top career mode. You begin as a relatively unknown driver before getting that Nextel sponsorship that will set you for life. The game really drives home the point that you’re starting from scratch, although the option exists to skip some of the more rudimentary parts of the career mode if you have the skills. You’re given a lot of options including setting merchandise prices, managing your team, hiring additional drivers, dealing with an agent, and even an autograph minigame.
The gameplay is as solid as ever. New to this version are skill points which let you unlock additional tracks and cars. The game also rates each driver on how well they drive on different tracks allowing you to better that score by performing well on a certain track or lowering that score by performing poorly. The physics are very tight and though the game seems a bit looser this year, this is very much not an arcade title. The A.I. competition is tough giving you ample challenge for that #1 finish. The total team control returns from last year letting you give your team members commands via the right analog stick. You can command them to set you up for a draft, block for you and other somewhat cool features.
NASCAR 07 includes both offline and online multiplayer. Offline multiplayer is relegated to two-player split-screen multiplayer while up to four people can play online. The game includes an ESPN new ticker which gives you real-time scoring information thanks to EA’s ESPN license. Other than that, there are no really advanced features to speak of.
Visually, the game looks okay but nothing spectacular. The car models are pretty good with decent damage and the sense of speed is helped by the blurring effect. The tracks feature a similar level of detail but chances are you’ve seen these same exact tracks in prior versions of the game. Technically, the game performs well with a reasonably smooth framerate. It’s still disappointing that EA Tiburon didn’t do anything to try to spruce the game up. Maybe they’re working on a next-generation engine.
The game’s audio fares about the same. The sound effects are actually very realistic letting you hear the power of these cars quite well. There is some voice acting in the game in the form of your crew chief who constantly tells you what is going on. The soundtrack fits the game well although most of it is low key.
NASCAR 07 is a tough game to rate. On one hand, the gameplay is good and the presentation is solid but there isn’t a whole lot of new content in the game to appease franchise veterans. On the other, the game doesn’t make itself readily accessible to newcomers. Keep that in mind as you decide to buy the game. -- Jake Wilson, PGNx Media
---- Sep 26, 2006
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