It's easy to poke fun at stock car racing. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby spent an hour and a half skewering the sport and just barely scratched the surface of NASCAR's sponsor-covered paint job. And yet for a sport that is mostly about making left turns, the pastime is one ripe for the kind of simulation that only video games can deliver. Sadly, this game does its job with none of the glee that Will Farrell brought to the table in his hit movie. NASCAR 2007 feels like a phoned in affair that joylessly hits all of a sports title's required notes and strives for little else.
Control Issues
The biggest problem with racing sims like Grand Turismo is that they're not very fun for casual players. The kind of precision that games like this require can be a total buzz kill. NASCAR 2007 isn't as punishing as some racing sims out there, but it does have its moments. Wisely, the game gives less detail-oriented players some interesting toys to play with. High-speed tailgating earns drivers a speed boost. With the press of a button you can opt to be cool and share the draft or be an aggressive jerk and try to intimidate the car ahead of you into pulling over and getting out of your way. These interactions help you forge friendships or make enemies, causing cars to respond differently the next time you pull along side them. They're also a decent diversion whether you're in 2nd or 22nd place.
Ways to Play
NASCAR 2007 offers a couple spins on career modes, buckle-up and drive races and online play via Xbox Live. This year's annual lap adds a pair of new wrinkles to the formula. Drivers now have attributes, making them stronger or weaker on certain tracks or when behind the wheel of certain cars. Unless you spend quite a bit of time on the road, these differences probably won't be immediately discernible. There's also a new skill point system. Points are earned by accomplishing tasks and are spent on unlockables. These goal-oriented chores feel similar to Xbox Live Arcade Achievements; They're not mandatory, but they add a nice secondary set of missions for over-achievers.
What You Say!
Squad based gameplay was added to the series last year and offers several more ways to keep busy while pushing your way towards the top five. Using a control stick, you can tell your teammates to help you out and in certain instances even switch over to driving their car. More fun is playing with a headset and microphone. As is often the case with voice recognition, getting your point across can be more trouble than its worth. Any game that reads a belch as “add half a can of gas” can't be all bad. Even when you're not barking orders the radioed messages from your support crew feel way more immersive when they're crackling in your ear.
The Final Lap
NASCAR 2007 is in the unfortunate position of being no things to all people. NASCAR fans are sure to want much more from the franchise. The game is light on sponsors and customization and doesn't really live up to the legend of the Papyrus Design Group era of stock car games. Casual players will find a little to latch on to by way of squad tactics and drafting mechanics, but there's not enough there to convert NASCAR haters. But mostly, the game is so lacking in charisma and character that the miles sort of tick away, leaving less impact than a skid mark and the smell of burnt rubber. Next year, fellas, how about bringing way more shake and bake and a little less git 'er done?
Article by: Gus Mastrapa
Video produced by: Tom Price
