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While some would argue that
NASCAR driving is nothing more than a bunch of left turns, it's games like
Papyrus's NASCAR Racing 4 that
show that strategy and skill are involved in being a professional NASCAR
driver. Although nearly everything is customisable and there's an
"Arcade Mode" included, this game is squarely aimed at the gear
heads, grease monkeys and hardcore racing fans. The meat of the game is in
the Season Mode, and it's here that even veteran drivers will be
challenged to perform at their best. A few problems do exist, such as
unrelenting, almost perfect AI drivers and some graphical glitches, but as
a whole product, this is the NASCAR simulation to own.
Once everything's set, it's to
the tracks. There's a selection of 21 Winston Cup tracks from the 2000
season, and all of them are rendered well. Everything is handled nicely,
and even with a full field of racers crowding the lanes, there's nary a
skip in the frame rate. Practice laps are good to get the feel for each
track; each does actually handle a little differently. The pit crew is in
constant contact with the player the whole time, announcing speeds, flags
and other driver locations as necessary. It's almost scary in its realism.
The sense of speed is fantastic, making the wrecks a frightful experience
indeed.
For the vast majority of the actual race, NASCAR
4 is a compelling driving experience, full of white-knuckle action and
edge-of-the-seat tension. Yes, it's mostly a constant left turn, but at
these speeds with a full racing field, it's as intense as it can be. It
should be noted, though, that with realistic settings enabled, the AI
becomes vicious and rarely makes mistakes. Drafting on them helps a
little, but there's practically no room for any error. That's fine for the
shorter races, but those that opt for full-length racing will probably
break the steering wheel if a single mistake in the last two
laps of a three-hour race causes a loss. It may be realistic, but it can
also cause emotional swings, to say the least.
Papyrus proves once again that
it is the king of realistic driving simulations. NASCAR
Racing 4 is a triumph, even with the little problems. The physics are
right, the graphics are sharp and the overall experience is as close to
the real thing as most of us will ever get. We'll reiterate that arcade
racing fans need not apply, but for the hardcore NASCAR racing crowd, it's
a welcome addition to the game library.
Rivals:
Viper
Racing, Grand Touring, Sports Car GT, Daytona.
Star Rating: HHHHI
Producer: Papyrus
(Sierra)
Required Spec:
600MHz
Processor
128MB
RAM
32MB
Video Card
Steering
Wheel with Pedals |
