NASCAR 2011 brings the excitement and
intensity of stock car racing home in fine fashion, with some interesting
features. This is basically what you'd expect and NASCAR delivers a
straightforward racing game. Your objective is compete in a series of
races in the Sprint Cup. You have a choice of more than 40 real world
drivers including Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon and many
others. Each vehicle looks and drives like its real-world counterpart and
players can race on many famous tracks including the famous Daytona,
Bristol and Indianapolis circuits. All of the tracks have been designed
and rendered to mimic their actual sizes and layouts. While you might
think a collection of oval tracks might get dull after awhile, there are
subtle differences in each one that give them an individual challenge.
Some are laid out much tighter while others feature a more open design
that gives you more leeway for passing and burning the floor in long
straight sections. Finding the best windows in which to pass other
vehicles while not getting excessively aggressive is the key element that
defines a winning run from one that ends up in disappointment. It's a bit
of a tricky balance to find, but once you do, racing success comes much
more consistently.
As far as overall build-quality. NASCAR
2011 is a solid performer. The game moves along at a consistent frame rate
throughout and while the overall game engine isn't as elaborate as
something like Gran Turismo 5, it gets the job done. You'll have several
different modes of play to choose from and these add some depth to the
gameplay. For single players, the game allows you to compete in a single
race, or compete in a career mode where you can recreate an entire NASCAR
Sprint Cup season. Before you begin, you can pick a driver to use in your
game and can use them throughout, building their stats and experience as
you play. In the career mode, you can play through a race as you would in
reality with practice, qualifying rounds that lead up to the actual race.
The number of laps in Career mode is much higher than in single-race,
making these more like endurance matches. Multiplayer is fairly decent and
allows up to 16 players to compete simultaneously. These are fairly
standard for most racing games, so NASCAR doesn't diverge from the norm in
this area. Overall, this area of the game is a bit simple, and its back to
basics approach makes for a more accessible title.
Its approach is more arcade than
simulation, but some of the situations you face can be quite authentic.
You don't merely fire the accelerator and turn left. Once you get on the
track, more subtleties emerge. This is particularly true in that game's
strategies and approach. You on-track racing experience mirrors actual
NASCAR racing in its pacing and aggression. You have to stay in the pack
and look for opportunities to move ahead of other vehicles when the arise.
This usually occurs on corners, but you can't be too hasty, or you'll
collide with other vehicles or slam against a wall. You need patience and
wait in the back for rival drivers to make mistakes. Another key strategy
is to race behind other drivers, create drafts and use these to push
ahead. The game's physics are fairly decent and you definitely feel each
car's presence.
Maintaining a constant awareness of the
other vehicles on track is key, since they'll frequently sneak up behind
you or on the corners. This can be challenging when you are in the cockpit
view, which limits you field of vision, but isn't as much of a problem in
the outside viewpoints. Paying attention to your mechanic's instructions
in you headset also gives you a heads up if someone is gaining on you.
Obviously, the longer races feature pit stops, and knowing when to pit,
refuel and repair damage is a key strategy in the longer sessions, where
you have to avoid going in at the wrong time, which can effectively lose
the race for your driver. Other drivers aren't as easy to beat as you
might expect, and they'll aggressively target you vehicle and try to bump
you. These can lead to disastrous spin-outs and devastating crashes, which
can also put you out of the race. This sense of danger is only enhanced by
the very tight racing conditions, where the pack is bunched tightly
together, leaving you little room for error. It definitely adds to the
excitement of each race, and makes you feel like you're in the driving
seat. Driving with the standard PS3 controller is fairly easy, you use the
analog sticks to steer while the game's braking and acceleration are
controlled by the shift keys. The cars feel a little clunky compared to
most action racers, but this sluggishness accurately represents the
handling of actual cars. There's a small learning curve, but most players
should be able to get the hang of these techniques with a little practice.
Its simple approach makes it fairly accessible, and while there are some
sim elements, NASCAR 2011 definitely veers towards the arcade-style of
racing.
After each race, players gain experience
points that can be used to upgrade their vehicles, unlock additional paint
jobs and other extra items. It's a fairly basic structure, but one that is
simple to understand and use. Progression is a bit slow in terms of
unlockable content, and there's little incentive to keep playing. However,
NASCAR 2011 delivers a smooth and engaging racing experience throughout.
Its consistent presentation and easy to understand interface make getting
on the track an easy task. Unfortunately, the game does suffer from some
long load times which is a bit strange considering its somewhat average
graphics and presentation. While there are more elaborate driving sims
like Gran Turismo and Need for Speed Shift on the market, none has the
prestigious NASCAR series in full form. This should be a key element that
should appeal to gamers who want the authentic experience. It's not as
elaborate as it could be, but there's enough depth and challenge here to
keep players interested for a while. NASCAR 2011 will probably mostly
appeal to hardcore NASCAR fans, and its decent recreation of the
excitement, challenge and techniques of stock-car racing makes it a
solidly enjoyable racing title.
- Michael Palisano
