For those who know nothing about NASCAR and who came to read this prose by distraction or by spirit of discovery, let us enlighten you. It is in fact stock car racing, literally "series cars" which take place on oval circuits in the United States, and this over incredible distances; between 300 and 600 miles, which represents a hell of a number of laps, generally between 300 and 500. Just that. What is the point of these races spent going around in circles? From the viewer's point of view, it is twofold. First of all, the tracks allow you to see the entire race from your seat, but the real draw is the ultra-spectacular crashes that happen several times per race as the cars are launched in extremely tight packs. The problem is that the video game franchise offers us to embody a pilot and not a spectator or a manager, and once in the tub, the distractions are different. Basically, the art of driving in NASCAR is broken down into 3 points. First, you have to know each circuit and follow the ideal trajectory there, in order to break the lap times (all the cars being identical, there is no other way). Second point: the art of suction, and the "pushdraft" where you will stick behind a teammate, your car being sucked up, it goes faster and you will therefore be able to push it with your bumper. Finally, the last rope to master: the use of traffic, because a good well-felt kick of the shield in the rear wheel of the front guy to send him into the wall makes it easy to increase the gaps.
First class fan service
Level content, the game is clearly unbeatable. Fans will be able to find all the drivers and cars from the season, but also from previous seasons, the 23 official circuits as well as a whole host of details, such as the voices of commentators from Fox Sports. Overall, the game is super faithful, whether in its content or in its faithful transcription of the atmosphere of the races and the paddocks. For example, there is a vehicle editor that allows you to customize your car with many options of paint, vinyl, and stickers, all official. The Victory Lanes (NASCAR podium where only the winner is present) are all carefully reproduced, from the decor to the trophy to the victory festivities, such as a flight of the Navy's aerobatic patrol or a firework display. Many game modes are also present and among the classic career or solo there is a "Highlight" mode which allows you to relive key moments from past seasons, trying to fulfill very specific objectives. The multiplayer mode is also very nice, although you have to stick to American time zones if you want to see people on the servers. For novices, it is obviously the career mode that will have to be done since the latter puts you in the shoes of a young rookie driver who is starting his first season in the Sprint Cup (the 1st NASCAR division around which the game revolves). Between the difficult beginnings with a second-hand car without any sponsor and fame sprinkled with dollars, the path is long, very long, which allows you to immerse yourself in the life of a team with a small management aspect since your earnings in race can be reinvested to hire engineers, who will develop new parts to improve (a little) your car.
The left in power
In terms of gameplay, NASCAR 14 offers what you want, thanks to realism settings that you can simply vary to go from an arcade game to a really difficult pure simulation. Only here, honestly, there is not much to do between straight lines and left turns. We go up the gears while accelerating; after all, the race is in 4th gear. Besides, no need to brake either, since the "Speedways" and "Super-speedways" are run flat out. Only the smallest rings, the "short tracks", require braking before the turns, as well as the tracks of Sonoma and Watkins Glen which are the only road courses of the championship. The behavior of the vehicle is consistent with reality, cardboard brakes and an adjustment which is made to turn the car to the left, all on a very heavy chassis powered by a large V8 of 6 liters of displacement and 800hp. In any case, the vehicles being identical, the choice between the stables ultimately concerns only the decoration. In simulation mode, purists will appreciate being able to adjust their vehicle with unparalleled meticulousness. Even Gran Turismo doesn't do better. For example, you can modify the tire pressure or the caster angle independently on each wheel. Once in the race, it will be necessary to demonstrate surgical precision to slalom through the peloton without ending up in the wall, which is possible provided you listen religiously to the advice of your "spotter". The "spotter" is a member of your team who is placed in a tower overlooking the circuit and who warns you of the state of traffic around you, and thus allows you to look elsewhere than in your rear view mirror. Brilliantly done, this one gives you very precise information with perfect timing, to the point that it should even inspire rally game developers who often have trouble with co-drivers.
Back to the Future
Only here, if NASCAR 14 offers unparalleled content and a fairly neat realism, technically, the game is a disaster. The graphics are worthy of a PS2 (seriously Gran Turismo 4 is much prettier) the physics are completely rubbish, with crashes and back and forths in the wall that leave aberrant scars on your vehicle. The deformation of the bodywork is completely decorlled from sudden impacts, which is a shame for this type of game. Accidents quickly turn ridiculous when you see a vehicle roll over several times and then overtake you a few moments later with a simple scratch. Moreover, despite extremely severe rollovers, all the vehicles miraculously end up falling back on their wheels. Collision bugs are legion at all levels. For example, we were able to see tire tracks flying over the track (and being crossed by cars... At the point where we are...), or even a replay with the camera showing us the interior from the tire of the neighboring car. The textures are simply abysmal when looking at anything other than the road or the cars. The console versions are entitled to extremely severe aliasing, which for a car game really stings the eyes. A shame when you think that 10 year old titles do better. Finally, do not expect weather effects since NASCAR races only take place in good weather, the Americans even push the vice so far as to pass large pick-ups with reactors to dry the track faster in case downpour.
