NASCAR The Game 2013 Review

Go left, go left, go left, ri-I mean left.

It's safe to say that NASCAR doesn't bare the glitz and glamour of Formula One, but I'm sure developers Eutechnyx know their audience with the official videogame of 2013's NASCAR series, regardless of the cliche redneck reputation the sport carries.

I've never been a follower of NASCAR at all really. My impression was that it followed a similar format to many other racing disciplines around the world, several races in the season, qualification stages and practice rounds as well as the big race crammed into a series of days. Well, as I know nothing of NASCAR I thought it appropriate to test out how it all works through the game itself and see how well it teaches a beginner.

Not very, is the correct answer. If you have never played a NASCAR game before or have no real understanding as to what NASCAR is, then this game is simply not for you. Unlike Codemaster's Formula One series or DiRT games that give you some understanding as what to do; rules of the track, anything really, there's a huge void in NASCAR 2013 where some sort of tutorial should be. It seems Eutechnyx expect its players to know a considerable amount to do with NASCAR before they play it - cutting a large proportion of gamers out the equation immediately, especially outside of the United States.

For the unknowing player it's quite literally like the jokers suggest - just turn left. There's no real strategy involved in the earlier levels and if you start anywhere near the middle of the pack on a big race then it's hard to perform well. The controls aren't worth much discussion as there isn't any complexity to them, but the margin for error is so small that the slightest negative twitch of the controls flies you, and many of your fellow racers, into the walls - probably the most fun I found in the game. Even on the easiest of difficulties it's tough to build up some rhythm unless you start at the front or the back.

There's a variety of game modes that players can attempt to delve into, including single sessions and a career mode where you take the role as a newbie driver working your way up the NASCAR roster. There's not an awful lot of structure and without trying to sound like a broken record, it's tough to get your head around if you don't know NASCAR too well.

Fans of the sport will recognise all the playable drivers available to emulate, along with their cars full of decals and markings to boot. All 23 tracks are accessible too, so you have various different locations across the NASCARsphere go round in loops. Within the menus and loading screens you have a variety of music tracks that attempt to gear you up for the next event. Strangely, those loading screens can be quite insulting to non-NASCAR fans, as the game throws sport-specific questions at you with multiple answers. Get them wrong and you get an intimidating bold, red WRONG, flash before you, making you feel utterly awful for not knowing the winner of the Daytona in 1973.

If you want a more realistic experience for NASCAR 2013, then support for racing wheels exists and is relatively straightforward to set up. The game detects hardware well with no real hiccups, as well as offering a variety of steering adjustments just as you would expect from a racing simulation.

NASCAR 2013 ultimately feels bland and out of place once you strip down the modern menus and big name stars. Putting aside the rules of the track and focusing on the driving itself made me as mad as a hatter. Personally, I found NASCAR 2013 a chore to play, be that down to the technical elements or the frustration of being unable to complete a few laps without causing multiple fatalities. For those who enjoy NASCAR, I can see the appeal much like I see the appeal of football fans buying FIFA or horticulture enthusiasts buying Farming Simulator. However, those who have vague understandings of how the sport works, I suggest you do some research before vaguely contemplating purchasing this racing number.