NASCAR the Game, 2011

[TheDabbinDave]

What is?

Like brightness is boosted too high, colors are washed. GT5 is beautiful. Except for known flaws.

Kentucky looked ok. So did Fontana.

It needs to have picture quality adjustments like mist games do now.


From FaceBook (multiple parts)
Just got home from the dentist. 2 fillings, they used so much anesthetic my ear is numb!!! It's a "basic" game. Your career is standard races & championship. Then there are Invitationals that open up based on your level. They are challenges.

Online needs a shot in the arm. Unfortunately they use the same RANDOM FRIGGIN LOBBY system that Shift 1 has. Which has since been removed due to all of the backlash. Eutechnix needs to fix this TODAY!!! Click on Quick Race and you get a "box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get".

The need to get the T500 patch done quicky. Haven't tried the GT3rs, that will be today. With a DS3, if feels good. Better than EA's offerings.

Visually it needs some work. Using GT5 as the benchmark if course. There is a lack of contrast. Daytona in particular has bad lighting. The "night" race is more like early dusk. Track surface, walls, and horizon blend to give it a strange look. Driving in shadows is bad because you can't see the track. While some other tracks look ok.

It does not look like the graphics got a boost to make use of the PS3's processing capabilities.

Sound is really good!

They need to add a rearview mirror to all driving views. The "proximity radar" is only good when cars are near you. When it blank, you think you're a mile ahead, but you're not.

2 player racing is pretty fun. There are 19 (or 20) AI cars, that number is adjustable.

The AI is good until you wreck. Then they become GT drones and plow into you.
Without much effort to brake, go around or even slow down to a crawl. Funny to see a car fly over you that was 4 deep in the wreck.

Damage is better than GT5's. Not as good as what we've seen from Shift 2 thus far. Paint scrapes and pealed sheetmetal is nice. Have not seen NASCAR levels of carnage though.

Online has public races and private races. It
Has an invite system even if you are in some random person's room. Yeah, if they don't address this random room BS, I will kill the game. I stayed away from Shift 1 online because of this. If PS2 games can let you browse lobbies to find the race you want to run, there is absolutely no excuse here.

I'm kinda thinking this game will depend on online for it's heartbeat. The single player mode is REALLY basic. What could they do to deepen it? I don't know.
42 minutes

 

[Northstar]

They really need to fix the World Record times. Most are fractions of a second.

Edit: I agree about needing a rearview mirror, the crosshair works great when they are right next to you but useless otherwise. Also, spotter sucks, only tells you info you might want to know after you already see/pass/get passed by the car.

Hopefully Eutechnyx keeps listening to players like they have been thus far.

 

[TheDabbinDave]

They really need to fix the World Record times. Most are fractions of a second.

Edit: I agree about needing a rearview mirror, the crosshair works great when they are right next to you but useless otherwise. Also, spotter sucks, only tells you info you might want to know after you already see/pass/get passed by the car.

Hopefully Eutechnyx keeps listening to players like they have been thus far.

Just fired up Shift 2 and it doesn't work with the T500 either. Makes me almost want to cry!!! How could these debs be so flippant about this $600 ($549 Amazon) piece of hardware!!!

 

[CodeRedR51]

Just fired up Shift 2 and it doesn't work with the T500 either. Makes me almost want to cry!!! How could these debs be so flippant about this $600 ($549 Amazon) piece of hardware!!!

Cause it was made for GT?

 

[TheDabbinDave]

Cause it was made for GT?

Because it's new. At least Dave from Eutechnix stated that they got theirs late. I thought EA was on the list to support it? The PC drivers didn't take all that long to come out.

 

[RavenRidr]

I can't wait to fire this up when I get home tonight from the gym. Praying it won't be a total flop for me. Fingers are crossed.

 

[Silver-Sylph]

So far i think the game is Ok. AI defiantly needs fixed. Especially with pit entry. Also it seems that the AI can't DNF.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

First press review I've seen: http://www.gameinformer.com/games/nascar_the_game_2011/b/ps3/archive/2011/03/29/middle-of-the-pack-racing.aspx

In summary, the review says the game isn't great, but it isn't bad either. 7 out of 10. Of course, it was posted early this afternoon, so the reviewer probably didn't spend much, if any, time playing on the patched version.

 

[TheDabbinDave]

Fanatec wheels are not properly supported!!! The only way to get the GT3rs to work is put the DS3 as controller 2. Feels great, FFB is wonderful. And then you need to pause. Ummm, the start button on both GT3 & DS3 do not function!!!


What a stupid terrible day for gaming!!!

Thanks a ton PD for doing such a weak job with GT5 that we need to look elsewhere to fill the gap. The competitors can't get it right on launch day either.

So, I guess the only wheel that really works for this game is G25. THATS WHAT THEY DEVELOPED WITH.

GREAT.

 

[McLaren]

How well does the AI interact with each other? A minor subject, but 1 of the things I enjoy is watching how they react towards each other, as it can make it difficult to cleanly pass if they're both pushing for a position.

Part of me doesn't want it, but the close racing is very tempting. I have fond memories racing 1 of the old Nascar games, using Gordon's car at Texas MS, & trying to come first, but never being able to catch Terry LaBonte; was always just a second or so behind. Must have retried that race a dozen times, but could never get him.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Anyone using a DFGT that can comment on support?

 

[TheRisingTide21]

I've been playing on the 360. All assits off, highest AI level and most of the HUD disabled with the Fanatec Turbo S wheel.

I did a few races at Charlotte with qualifying, first race was 20 laps, second was 30. I qualified 6th and then wrecked out on the second to last lap in my first race, it was my fault I scraped the wall coming out of turn four and then lost it. I qualified 9th and won the second race by a few seconds on a green-white-checker after (I assume it was Danica #7 Godaddy) wrecked on the front straight with two laps to go.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed. It's the best Nascar game we've seen on a console in just about forever. If you're looking for a PC type sim here, move along, you won't get the full-on sim treatment with this game but that doesn't mean it's Daytona USA either. Graphics are good but they won't win any awards for technical achievement in my opinion, the framerate is solid throughout the race. Sounds are good but the spotter could be a little less chatty. He'll say goofy things a handful of times per race. I guess they did it to keep the game from feeling too boring but it's kind of distracting. Position and lap times across the line would work for me.

My largest complaint is how effective the draft is, you'll shoot past other cars rather quickly, which probably stands as the most unrealistic part of the game. I sort of noticed it in some of the videos prerelease but I wasn't sure, now I am and I'd like to see it toned down with a patch.

I also would have liked to see gated shifter and clutch support, I can only use the paddles. There are a few minor bugs, nothing major at this point, one is I went to switch off a piece of the HUD and the whole thing disappeared until after a caution.

That's about all I can think of for now, if anyone has any specific questions feel free to ask.

 

[Silver-Sylph]

Anyone using a DFGT that can comment on support?

I have the DFP and it is supported very well.

My main rant is the AI on even the hardest diffculty. You can still drive away from them really easy.

The last NASCAR game i ever played was NASCAR 2005 so this game is pretty awesome to me.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

Well, the mixed fan reaction caused me to cancel my pre-order. Don't know if was the right decision, but I can always buy later if the problems get patched appropriately. Oh well...

 

[Seahawks1Fan]

I have the Fanatec Turbo S wheel and was wondering how the feel of the wheel (ie. Force Feedback, response, etc) is.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Probably shouldn't have made my first track Phoenix. This looks like it's going to take some time to get used to. First thing I notice is the brakes suck.

Edit: The AI even on Very Hard are way too slow. And why must they slam on the brakes in the middle of a straightaway?

 

[TheDabbinDave]

Probably shouldn't have made my first track Phoenix. This looks like it's going to take some time to get used to. First thing I notice is the brakes suck.

They brakes are definitely not like road course brakes!

What wheel are you using? I'm in the process of putting my G25 back on the Obutto so I can play this freaking games.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Using a DFGT. Just took some laps around Watkins Glen and I must say the road course racing is pretty fun. All in all the game needs some tweaks, so hopefully they can get a patch out to us ASAP.

Edit: The YouTube publishing feature is there for the PS3 at least. While viewing a replay, press Select and select "Publish".

Oh, and road course racing is freakin' AWESOME!

That is all.

 

[TheDabbinDave]

edit: The youtube publishing feature is there for the ps3 at least. While viewing a replay, press select and select "publish".

That is all. :d

ooooooh!!!


Dave on Twitter

 

[Fuzzy]

Well, the mixed fan reaction caused me to cancel my pre-order. Don't know if was the right decision, but I can always buy later if the problems get patched appropriately. Oh well...

I've done the same thing. I asked some of my North American friends about there thoughts of the game, the response wasn't positive and I took there word for it. I'll be following the coming weeks to see what happens, who knows, maybe down the line I will buy it, we'll see what happens.

 

[Tagger]

I'm glad I bought the game. I am still struggling to get a handle on my car. But, I like the learning curve. I am using a G25 wheel on my PS3 for this game. Some recollections from last night:

-Single player race at Martinsville. AI on Very Hard. Assists (scale of 1-5): ABS 1, TC 1, others turned to zero. Laps 50. I chose not to qualify. Passing from 43rd to 35th or so was easy enough. But, I noticed I was diving too deep into the turns at both ends of the track right away. I struggled with this habit the entire race and ultimately, it cost me a decent finish. I spent several laps battling with Bill Elliot and was able to pass him only after I roughed him up a bit on exit. That was the best racing against AI I've experienced in a while. He wouldn't give up. When I thought I was about to clear him going into a turn, he'd go wide and use momentum to keep pace on exit. I was grinning from ear to ear. After finally passing the old guy, I spun my tires a few laps later and began breeding cautions. I finished 43rd 5 laps down due to not handling my car properly.

-20 laps at Daytona. All assists turned off. AI set to Very Hard (highest difficulty). I qualified on the pole with about a .5 second gap over second place using the default setup (not happy about that). Four laps into the race, Jimmy Johnson was leading a single file charge and closing on my bumper quickly. When he caught me, we weren't lined up squarely and so I got turned nose first into the outside wall on the back-stretch. I restarted the race and got the same result two or three more times. I think part of the issue is related to car setup versus my driving style. The wheel is overly sensitive to input at times. And, with no air on the rear deck I was toast.

Biggest issue I experienced. I got the patch when I put the game in the first time. But, my entire system froze twice during gameplay. Once was in the options menu when I was reassigning buttons for my wheel. Another time I was trying to send a message to a friend over the PSN while I was at Daytona. This was my fault. The game uses a lot of memory and I should've known better than attempting to message and tax the system further. I have no explanation for why the game froze while in the menu system.

Physics. I'm no expert on sizing up things in technically. But, the driving felt good to me. My car generally responded without surprises. Although, I did have some issues with my right foot exiting turns at Martinsville. That was a driver error issue I think.

Sound. Good. Not great. Just good. Great would be hearing the crackles and pops you hear in the release trailer. I did not notice any of those sounds in the replays of my races or when inside the car. In spite of that, the cars still sound very good to me. I'm using TV speakers, by the way.

Graphics. Acceptable. But, nothing will stand up to GT5's graphics. The cars have some glean to them in the right light as you would expect them to. They are drawn well with a great amount of detail. The graphics do a decent job of conveying the look of NASCAR in general. I'm not sure how to say it. But, the look feels right for the game? Of course, this only my opinion. Others may disagree.

Damage. My nose got chewed off in less than 5 laps at Martinsville before I ever buried it in Bill Elliots bumper. Even with light taps (normal for that track) my nose turned into a shredded crumple. The damage modeling needs tweaking. It looks good from some angles and from others it looks way over the top. The side body damage is what I liked the most. Scrapes look real from the door to door style of short track racing. Just, the nose damage needs to be toned down a bit.

Would I buy the game again tomorrow if my copy was eaten by an alligator today? Yes, I definately would. I would even buy it again if aliens stole it. Point is, I'm glad I bought it and have enjoyed it in spite of the flaws. I'm not a fan boy. This is my first Eutechnyx game (Ppsst, Dave, if you're reading this my address hasn't changed. Send the check to the same place as last time.)

Seriously though, I've only played the game for one evening. So, some of my opinions may well change as I spend more time with it.

Edit: I do all of my racing in cockpit view.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Good review. I'll say I enjoyed the restrictor plate racing, although experienced the same issue as you. It's hard to be squared up to the guy behind you and having him bump-draft without turning you into the wall.

Short track racing is going to take some time for me. Really hard to get the right rythm down because of the less than stellar brakes. Some of the tracks I feel are not modeled correctly, Bristol being one of them.

I did however really enjoy the road course racing. Had a great 5 lap battle with Clint Bowyer at Watkins Glen and finally got past him with 1 1/2 laps to go. Same deal at Infinion, although that track is harder to get used to. Especially when you catch air coming over a crest in the back esses. The car seems to bounce around a lot here, so I'll have to try and come up with some better settings.

 

[simbio]

But if someone from europe buy the PS3 NTSC version does it work with european Pal console? and if the producer update via PSN, I will be able to update in europe.
thank's for info

 

[CodeRedR51]

The PS3 is not region locked, so any games will work. Not sure about the patch though.

 

[Tagger]

I wonder if dialing up the front brakes would help with the braking issue. It's like I've just changed to NASCAR from an Indy or an F1 car and I am mis-judging the breaking points consistently. The weight of the car carries a lot of momentum and a strong tendancy to push wide in turns.

This also seems true at Richmond and Atlanta. Although, the issue at those tracks was in trying to time when I could get back on the throttle. Inevidably, I would ease down on the gas too soon and the nose would push out as I tried to exit turns causing my car to scrub the outside wall in turns 2 and 4.

Since I did not adjust the car settings, I'll attribute the nose push to setup and my driving style. I hope these items can be corrected with a setup that suits my style.

I have not heard anyone talking about tire/fuel usage. It's probably too early for people to get a feel for wear and consumption rates yet. But, I'm interested in hearing what drivers are experiencing. Are the wear and consumption rates realistic? Maybe once I learn how to run a long race without tearing my car to pieces I'll have some commentary on these items.

 

[Silver-Sylph]

Right now I'm doing career and I'm doing 20% on all tracks with double tire wear and I am having to pit once or twice a race so thats good for me.

The hardest track to get used to for me was Auto Club Speedway. I would get a ton of oversteer coming out of Turn 2 and would loose control 80% of the time. I haven't touched the road courses yet.

One thing that kinda upsets me is that every race seems to be at sunset.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Inevidably, I would ease down on the gas too soon and the nose would push out as I tried to exit turns causing my car to scrub the outside wall in turns 2 and 4.

I'm having this problem as well. Also getting some major understeer coming out of turn 2 at Talladega that pushes the car wide.

 

[Tagger]

I've noticed a golden hew(sp?) to the lighting but haven't given thought to what time of day it might be.

 

[RavenRidr]

I was able to get a couple of hours in last night. I have the same issue with the game freezing on me twice. Once in single player at Daytona as soon as the race ended and once in career mode. The second time was just after I finished 60 laps at Daytona Wasn't a total loss because I lost the draft and came in 37th. The reason I came in last place for all tense an purposes was because AI would slam into the back of me a times. It appeared it was trying to line up to bump draft. The second was coming out of the pits. As soon as the cut scene ended I was at full throttle and wham a car immediately slammed into out of nowhere !?!?!?!?! So, hopefully they will continue to patch these issues.

Has anyone had an issue with being out in front and get into some kind of ghost draft for just a second? If would show I was closing in on a draft and there is no one in front of me.

 

[LeftyWright69]

My first impression of this game was that it reminded me of some demo that was made to be given away for free, pretty cheesy. When the Fn windshield gets dirty the stupid pit stop doesn’t clean the windshield “WTF” so I have to drive on the outside of car on the hood and when you look back you see the outside of the dirty windshield…lol.

You can at least save individual setups for a particular track, get a clue GT5, so the game has some real potential once you get past the odd graphics of the opponent cars on line. The adjustables work ok but the handling modifiers are definitely made for real reuuwbs and simpletons. The handling of the cars is predictable and after you get into the groove while driving it’s not too bad but the mirrors suk.

The online play is a real destruction derby and I can’t tell you about how many people I heard online w/ that hard core southern drawl…… lol. This game is very niche orientated and you really have to love turning left to appreciate this game. Only race online w/ people who will race clean and you’ll have a fun time but don’t go looking for anything close to the fulfilling experience of GT5 or even NFS.