NASCAR Heat 3 Review for Xbox One

Today we are revving our engines and showing off our sponsors in NASCAR Heat 3. This is a pretty cool experience, because I have never followed NASCAR before and I had no idea how big its following is!

You pick your favorite driver from an alphabetical list when you first start up the game. In this case, I am trying to do justice by Chris Buescher, who is with Chevrolet Motorsport. You also get the option to have a victory theme when you win a race. You are free to pick and preview your preference, like Rock, Country, Hip Hop, or Electric to name a few. If you would prefer to create your own driver, you definitely can by entering the character customization menu under My Driver. You are also free to design your car as well.

Setting up quick races is pretty straightforward, but if you’re like me and know next to nothing about these tracks – go with your gut! I saw Bojangles representing the Darlington Raceway, and I was hoping that the track is just as good as the chicken representing it. So, I’m using my gut literally here! There are multiple series that you can opt to race in, such as the Monster Energy Series, the Xfinity Series, the Camping World Truck Series, and the Xtreme Dirt Tour. For the sake of my driving habits, I will stay away from the dirt for now.

Now, the game does not really teach you how to play, but you get a lot of time to practice and learn how racing works. You have the option to utilize your pit crew, allowing them to adjust your tires, fill your gas tank, and make emergency repairs. In my first attempt, I stayed on the track for the whole race. Before the race starts, you are also briefed on certain weaknesses or just general knowledge about the other races. I had my buddy on the radio commenting on the status of my car. A lot of the time I was monitoring the oil temperature as it climbed higher and higher. Luckily, the car did not explode and we finished in second place behind Kevin Harvick.

The controls aren’t bad at all! I think they really give you what you want in a racing game. Accelerating, reversing, and drifting are nicely wrapped up in a matter of tugging on the left and right triggers. There are quick camera views that you can access by swiping the right analog stick – for those quick glances to see what’s around you. You can also hit the left bumper to put a rear-view camera on the screen. The other more essentially menu is accessed by pressing B, which shows you the status of your vehicle (tire pressure, damage, gas, oil temperature). When rubber meets the road and you get going on the track, things tend to heat up. No one really drove like a maniac out of Mad Max: Fury Road in the first couple races I’ve joined, but you will notice that these guys are not beyond driving dirty on Mario Kart proportions.

The graphics are pretty mesmerizing too! I think they are on par with 2K’s graphics. The animations do loop though, and we see a minimal amount of the pit crew attending to our car. The attention to tinier details is also incredible. Look at all these sponsors! My dude, Chris Buescher, is sponsored by Cottonelle and Cheerios! Everybody wants a piece of the action. I wish that it could be a little more immersive, similar to how 2K announcers talk about the players or how your character has a following on a “not twitter” in the Crew 2. Especially in the career mode context.

The soundtrack is mostly a mix of country and rock, even though you have other options in the victory themes. The songs are displayed at the top of the screen when they first start playing. If you are not into those genres … then maybe you should turn the volume down, because there’s not much variety here.

While it has always been my dream to be sponsored by Monster Energy AND Mountain Dew, I do think that the game is somewhat limited in replayability. My worry is that someone takes a look at NASCAR and thinks it needs to fit the same standards as Need for Speed and the Crew 2. It’s not advertised as a street racing game, but I think actual fans of NASCAR will enjoy playing as their favorite drivers and making laps on any of the tracks, which all seem to be slightly different from each other (some having more off-road penalties than others). I think a fair rating for this game is an 8 out of 10.

Check Out the NASCAR Heat 3 Online Features Trailer:

NASCAR Heat 3 is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC via Steam.

John Pruitt

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I like to think of myself as the average Joe who grew up alongside video games. I have fun playing strategy games, RPGs, shooters, sandboxes, the whole shebang! Every game provides an experience whether it strikes you as profound, mundane, or someplace in between. I'd like to weigh in my two cents before you spend a single penny.

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