NASCAR 25 PS5 Review
Summary: NASCAR 25 backed by iRacing does a good job of bringing the exiting world of stock car racing to the PS5.
3.5
Daytonaaaaaaa!
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship going on with iRacing. On the one hand, I think their online infrastructure is fantastic, and I really enjoy their special events throughout the year, as well as the sheer number of different disciplines that can be raced in a structured environment.
On the other hand, it’s prohibitively expensive, and I don’t really like how the game drives. One of the few exceptions to this is their implementation of oval racing.
I’ve always found iRacing’s oval series to be a lot of fun, so branching out into a standalone NASCAR experience sounded like a great move.
NASCAR 25 is exactly that. It takes the solid gameplay of iRacing and transplants into a singular, cohesive package, without all the extra expense that’s associated with the platform.
From a gameplay perspective, NASCAR 25 is relatively simple, even for a racing game. It’s predominantly oval racing, so if you’re not a fan of turning left over and over again, this might not be for you. There are a handful of traditional road courses featured throughout the career mode, but they’re in the minority. Everything here is fully licensed, naturally, all the tracks and drivers from the current NASCAR Cup season are present and correct, including the smaller, ARCA Menards and Xfinity series, as well as the NASCAR Truck series.
The core component of NASCAR 25 is its career mode. As a custom, rookie driver, you’re thrust into the lower events and have to make a name for yourself, gaining reputation through positive performances and, eventually, get promoted all the way to the top to win the NASCAR Cup Series. It’s a very simple setup, but it works well enough.
Before each race weekend, you must deal with any tasks outlined by your race team. This usually entails making sure that the car is ready to race and in good working order, dealing with sponsorship opportunities, and occasionally taking care of small dilemmas that arise. Once all that is completed, it’s off to the track to compete. A race weekend comprises of practice, qualifying, and the race, with all three sessions being playable. After a weekend is completed, it’s back to the garage where reputation and finances are tallied up, and everything repeats at the next venue.
It’s solid enough, giving just enough context and engagement outside of the races themselves to keep it relevant, and doesn’t require a ton of micromanagement to keep things running smoothly. Along with career mode, there are also quick races and custom championships, as well as online multiplayer (complete with server browser).
As for the driving itself, it’s decent enough. One problem I’ve faced when playing the previous few NASCAR titles, outside of iRacing itself, is how they felt on a controller. I always found them to be a little unwieldy and imprecise, even for stock cars. Here, though, it isn’t bad. Cars respond to input well without feeling like they’re glued to the road. You can feel the car moving around on the road, squirming as the tyres struggle to maintain grip throughout a corner. They definitely get loose if you’re not careful, and recovering from it can be a challenge.
I typically play racing games with a wheel, and NASCAR 25 is also fine in this respect. The force feedback, while not excellent, is good enough to know what the car is doing at any given moment.
In the visual department, I found NASCAR 25 to be a bit of a mixed bag. The venues, the tracks themselves, look great. Packed with details, spectators fill the grandstands, and the ambiance of the arenas is exceptional, especially when racing at night. As for the vehicles themselves, though, they’re a little on the basic side, to the point where I’m sure that details such as headlights are just a flat texture rather than a modelled part of the car itself, which is something I’ve not seen in a racing game in a long time. It’s fine, of course, and doesn’t really impact the racing, but it does look a little off at times.
Audio is good for the most part. Engines rumble, sounding as they should, the crowd roars and your spotter sounds like a spotter should. No real complaints in this department.
Final Thoughts?
NASCAR 25 is a very solid NASCAR game. I don’t think it’s going to sell anyone on the spectacle, as I said previously, you’ve got to be into turning left a lot, but this iRacing backed entry does a lot right and is the best NASCAR game in years outside of the events that iRacing put on themselves.
There’s a thrill to pack racing at near 200mph on a banked oval that isn’t really replicated anywhere else, and NASCAR 25 does a great job of bringing that to life.
Related Posts
Painkiller (PS5) Review →
Simon the Sorcerer Origins PlayStation 5 Review →
Barbie Horse Trails Reviews (PS5) →
