NASCAR for many racing enthusiasts is an easy target given its reliance on ovals, basic technology and levelled performance. It lacks the glamour, passion and excess of Formula 1, yet despite this there is much to be admired. Each race is an extremely close affair with one mistake often proving disastrous in terms of grid position, or a botched overtaking manoeuvre resulting in a black flag. While you may not be expelled from the race you may as well be due to the close performance of most teams in each event. Qualifying is vital as it provides the basis to lead the field or at least obtain some points for the championship - just don't ask Gamestyle to explain the NASCAR scoring system.While a virtual nobody on this side of the Atlantic, your guide to the game is no other than Jeff Gordon. His appearances are well implemented by EA, utilising a technique that is the next logical step on from just motion capture. Integrating footage of the actual person as he guides you through the virtual NASCAR landscape is very beneficial and pretty spectacular when we're used to nothing more than voiceovers. Almost from the off you're given a taste of realistic or normal handling, although the differences between both are marginal. On the Pro setting your vehicle (we would say car but NASCAR 09 includes trucks) is far more twitchy and the level of grip requires more consideration, opponents are more resilient, making the Pro option very rewarding when success occurs. It is worth remembering that online modes only cater for the Pro option, making it a good habit to get into as early as possible.The range of options and race types is impressive, as NASCAR 09 features the three main championships (Nationwide, Sprint Cup and CraftsMan Trucks), which you can take part in. You can single races, jump into the main closing stages of the Sprint Cup or engage in a full career. It is also possible to test and tune your car and upload these blueprints along with your paint shop design for others to enjoy. In what seems like an after thought, there exists a challenge mode that adds little apart from some achievement points.The career mode however is the meat in the sandwich. As always you start at the very bottom with no reputation (dubbed REP) and only the most basic of teams offering you a seat, alongside obscure sponsorship deals. Any contracts that you do sign will come with clauses concerning your performance on the track. Perform well in many aspects and your REP will increase, unlocking better teams and more lucrative corporate sponsors.The main problem with NASCAR for many just cannot be avoided, as the nature of ovals and subsequent races will either enthral or annoy. However those with a real dislike for the style of racing the series offers should not be purchasing this title. Being an F1 fan, this writer managed to overcome such inhibitions for a while but yearned for more circuits that ultimately are far more challenging and varied. Yet in saying this we did appreciate the range of ovals on the NASCAR calendar, with their slight differences and some being extremely claustrophobic in nature. Each requiring different levels of throttle and corner approach for maximum speed and lap times. It's just unfortunate that there are not more non-oval circuits present within this release, what few exist are not sterling examples of what can be done with track design.A real surprise is that with all the work that's been put into the tracks and vehicles, the actual razzmatazz of the series has been undervalued. Yes, you can celebrate victories with 'doughnuts' but other than this the feedback from the crowd and hyped commentators are both sadly missing. Your pit side communication is one way and limited, with instructions soon becoming repetitive or out of touch with onscreen events, however the in-car viewpoint is a great way to enjoy the NASCAR experience. A key component of NASCAR is obviously missing and that's the drama of the races themselves. These soon turn into a four-wheeled procession, the AI of your opponents is pathetic and rarely challenges, making success all too easy. Too often you are penalized when it just wasn't your fault and races can pass without incident - unless you make an error. Where are the dramatic crashes? Where is the realistic and identifiable damage? This just isn't what a NASCAR game should ultimately be. Gamestyle also found the inclusion of experience points (that can be used to improve your ride) somewhat an oddity. While we can accept your increased REP leads to better teams and more lucrative contracts, simply being able to boost your vehicle statistics provides an unnecessary and unrealistic advantage. Then there are some obvious oversights including static driver models whilst in third person view and the hyped paint mode proving to be very limited.The online functions are hampered by the localization, which restricts Europeans to their own continent. Gamestyle would have enjoyed playing against stateside drivers and hearing their passion for the sport. Instead we have little to enhance the basic online options (Quick Match, Custom Match) or humour us whilst going around in circles. And the up take online has been very poor, making the lack of a US connection even more ridiculous. When races are underway quite often rivals seem to bail out rather than taste defeat, and thirty odd laps of an oval isnt always going to be a scintillating online experience for some.Still, Electronic Arts have done a reasonable job with what must be argued is a difficult license to translate into a videogame. The range of options and ability to hear the latest sports news (streamed via ESPN online) makes NASCAR 09 a comprehensive license, but one that is not as deep or as entertaining as it should be. In the end the sport is very much a niche market in Europe and while Gamestyle is appreciative of its release outside North America, NASCAR 09 is very much one for die hard fans of the sport.
You might also like to check out Fez for the Microsoft Xbox 360.
or alternatively Prototype 2 for the Microsoft Xbox 360.