Anticipation, hype, expectation and competition, these words juxtaposed best describe the emotion any racing game is associated with. And if it's a NASCAR racing, the feelings increase manifold. NASCAR: The Game 2011 is my favorite game of 2011 so far because it has stood up to the expectations of millions of NASCAR fans.
Sitting behind the wheel of a shiny custom made racing car, competing with 42 others as the light shines brightly off your hood, all in an attempt to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship and experience the thrill of a win with the interactive celebration mode. That's what racing is all about.
Each pro driver has the AI characteristics of his or her real world counterpart, setting the stage for intense rivalries played out on the track. To set up the action, in game features include just the right amount of motion blur, dramatic crashes throwing hoods off and denting the fenders, authentic-looking skid marks on your once-shiny asphalt, precarious turnings at awesome speeds, drafting behind drivers in front of you while being mindful of those that would take advantage of an opening, and all in the backdrop of a constant roar from the audience and buzzing of the speeding vehicles beside you. What else does a racing fan need to drive his adrenaline levels crazy??
To add more reality to the context, in long races, you also need to pay mind to your fuel gauge and vehicle condition. You need to make a pit stop when necessary to replace tires and fuel up.
The game also features a challenge mode in which you can take any car to any track for a one-off race, or compete in eliminator events in which you set the number of challengers. You unlock these as you progress through your career, and they come in a few varieties. Legends challenges are perhaps the most interesting mode because here you must draft other drivers to unlock collectible coins.
Few of the other racing modes are elimination events, time trials, and two-part gauntlet races each requiring a special technique to win. The game also includes multiplayer modes which allow up to 16 players to compete against each other to win online.
In both online and offline races, players earn NASCAR experience points which help unlock rewards such as decal packs or special car designs, as well as career sponsorships and special races throughout career mode. Everything you do on the track counts.
NASCAR: The Game 2011 captures the real emotion, excitement, sense of speed and spectacle that embodies NASCAR and a true NASCAR fan (like me) will be eager to sit behind the driving wheel and compete for glory anytime.
