NASCAR 08 Critic Reviews

For the NASCAR fans looking for the chance to pursue The Chase on their Xbox 360, stock car racing doesn't get any better than NASCAR 08.

NASCAR 08's driving model is so demanding that you should probably stop diddling with those half-inch thumbsticks on the stock controller and buck up for Microsoft's wireless wheel. With physics this good, it's a worthwhile upgrade for NASCAR fans.

Fans of the franchise will enjoy the Car of Tomorrow action and the telemetry, but should proceed under the caution flag with the glut of training that is forced on the user.

Tweaks are needed in the AI to better replicate competitors' actions and racing lines, and I'd like to see some long-overdue additions (like user-controlled pit stops), but this game has got the feel of a stock car down pretty good – especially with about a billion ways to setup your car. It's a mix of the new and familiar that shakes out to be a pretty fast restart.

The game is entirely too generic in graphics and game play to be worthy of stock car racing.

NASCAR 08 is a decent effort at bringing this series to the next-gen platforms, but ultimately doesn’t have the muscle to be a first-place finisher.

NASCAR 08 is not a bad game, but you'll probably feel like it has potential to be a lot more.

NASCAR '08 is not a bad game in any sense of the term, but neither is it fantastic. If you're a racing fan or a NASCAR fan there's stuff to like here and even if you don't care for NASCAR itself it's still a competent ride.

If you're a NASCAR fan, then you'll probably really like this game for the detailed tracks, driver roster, and stock car specific racing features. If you're anybody else, you'll probably be bored and give up due to the learning curve.

One would think that racing against others online would be the best part of this game. Unfortunately, the online mode is subpar and barely playable.

The game lacks the depth and flexibility available in other racing titles, but it captures the NASCAR experience expertly.

A good -- if not great -- game. Learn to deal with the artificial intelligence on particular tracks, and the experience in an enjoyable one. Just as long as you're not looking for a very deep -- or even all that logical -- career mode.

08 gives good fan service, but the car nut in me is more satisfied with the recent releases of "Dirt" and "Forza 2".

With career mode and total team control M.I.A., it's much thinner on the options than past games, but the perpetual left-hand turn never ends, and that's just about all NASCAR fans ask for.

While NASCAR 08 may be a fine game for the most part, it's the repetitive workload required to get into the meat of The Chase mode that'll drive people away quickly, if not the loose steering controls that require adjustment to get a good grip on the in-race gameplay.

NASCAR 08 is a decent racer, but it feels like a classic example of a game where the developer put in limited effort because of the lack of competition.

HDTV nuts note: the 360 version also goes to 1080i resolution, while the PS3 is limited to 720i. But ultimately, like an import tuner with fuzzy dice and neon running lights but no steering wheel, you can't help feeling that some of the most important parts are missing.

It does take advantage of the 360's power to deliver the nicest looking iteration of the game, but questionable gameplay set-up, quirky AI, and lackluster online play drag things down. This version is slightly more playable than its PS3 counterpart, but only slightly.

In many ways, NASCAR 08 is what it should be: a technical, challenging sim that only stock car racing enthusiasts can appreciate. But oppositely, the title's lack of single-player depth won't satiate the hardcore fan seeking customizable features, meta-gaming, and other intricacies that make the sport so different from other racing traditions.

If you're looking for nice graphics in a realistic racing environment on a next-generation platform, then perhaps this is right for you, but if you're looking for an exciting career mode, crazy pileups, or the ability to manage a team, then an older NASCAR title is what the doctor ordered.