PixlBit

While NASCAR has always seemed to be an obvious idea for a racing game, releases simulating the sport have all but disappeared since last generation. In the past, the games produced bearing the name have been solid, which makes the latest release, NASCAR 2011: The Game seem promising. Unfortunately, this iteration doesn't execute like past games have.

When I first began playing NASCAR 2011: The Game I didn't notice problems right off the bat, it wasn’t until I had a number of races under my belt when I began noticing all the flaws. Don’t get me wrong, in spite of the flaws, the game still has its moments, but more often than not these issues will frustrate you to the point of making it nearly unplayable.

The career mode is where you will spend most your time playing, which offers 36 races to choose from. There is not much to the career mode besides the different races, but there is enough fun throughout it to make it tolerable. The season is based on the 2010 season rather than the 2011 season which is contrary to what the title of the game suggests. I’m not a huge NASCAR fan, so this didn't really bother me, but for the die-hard enthusiast, this could be a deal breaker. While outdated, there's still plenty of great tracks, cars, and drivers to choose from.

In career mode, the computer AI is fair, but at times can be overly easy. Before each race, you are given the opportunity to do a 2 lap qualifier which would give you a place when starting the race. If you choose to skip the qualifier, you are most likely making a huge mistake. Skipping the qualifier starts you in last place, forcing you to pass every opposing driver. This wouldn't be a problem, but it's unbelievably frustrating trying to pass cars. Even the slightest bump will send your car spinning out of control. Of course, there are caution flags which will put you back into your proper position, but the issue here, are the cautions themselves.

Sometimes a flag will be used when there is nothing going on and there is no need for one. At other times, you are stuck in a 15 car pileup and a flag just never comes. Thankfully there is a way to help fix this issue by using the rewind feature which allows you to trace your steps back for a limited period of time. This is great but sometimes it's just not enough. This will most likely make things very frustrating because half the time you end up having to restart the race. But don’t worry; this is just the first of many frustrations.

Pit violations are another issue when playing this game. If you hit by a car outside of the pit and you end up spinning and flipping out of control into the pit accidentally, you will get a violation. A caution flag will not be thrown like it should be during a crash; instead the game thinks you are trying to enter the pit. This scenario doesn’t allow you to use the rewind feature and you will have to restart the race if you have any desire to finish in good standing.

In most games, when you want to avoid issues like these, you just choose to play with other players online. The problem with NASCAR 2011: The Game is that the online play is totally broken. You literally cannot play online, it’s impossible. If you have any luck actually entering a race, be prepared to quit. Sometimes you enter and your driver is paralyzed and cannot accelerate or cannot steer. When you crash, sometimes you'll spawn upside down. If you are lucky enough to enter a race where it seems smooth, people will just lag horribly, causing them to show up all over the place on the track, crashing into every car. If you have any plans to play online, make sure it is with a group of friends otherwise don’t waste your time.

Overall, if you can overlook the flaws and are a fan of circuit type races, then NASCAR 2011: The Game isn’t a bad game to pick up. The graphics are pretty well done and the sound effects are accurate. As frustrating as I got during this game, I did find myself enjoying it at times. I still would recommend picking a different racing game before you end up choosing to buy NASCAR 2011: The Game, but if you are getting it to race with friends, it can be tolerable.