Get ready for the craziest NASCAR game ever!  I think this game just got the license to use the NASCAR official track logos and that’s it, because the rest of the game is its own thing.  You’ll race around official tracks like Daytona and Talladega, but these aren’t just your typical ovals.  No, these circuits have twists, turns, boost pads, and more!  It’s more imaginative and based on fantasy and is very arcade-like.  NASCAR Arcade Rush is available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.

Play control is pretty standard arcade racing fare.  Steer with the control stick, R trigger for gas and L trigger for brake.  You have a limited amount of nitro boost you can use by pressing the X button.  And that’s pretty much it.  When you first start, you’ll design your racer’s uniform and car.  No official NASCAR racers or licensed cars here.  You can choose to pick a car that kind of looks like a NASCAR vehicle, but you can also pick fantasy vehicles like a floating futuristic car for instance.  You can then put decals and colors and other things on your and racer and car and unlock more stuff by playing.

There are a few modes of play.  Solo is single player of course.  You can also do a local two player mode with Splitscreen and go against other players Online.  Edit your racers and cars in the Customize section, and view your rewards, get help, and toggle options as well.  Solo mode has three ways to play for single players.  Cup races have you compete in four tracks right in a row.  You can also do a single track in Quick Race, or beat your best records with no other competitors in Time Attack.

While this is certainly a serviceable racer, I think die-hard NASCAR fans may not like the lack of anything resembling NASCAR in it.  Sure you can race on the tracks from Daytona, Talladega, and more, but these certainly aren’t the actual oval tracks!  I’ve been to Talladega, and I don’t remember it having so many twists and turns, ramps, and boost pads on it (there are two different kinds of boosts: blue speeds you up and orange does the same plus refills a tiny bit of your nitro).  Also the tracks have things on them that don’t belong, too, like tunnels and such.  The Talladega track even has the giant statue of the Greek god of metallurgy, which is actually in Birmingham, AL, not Talladega.  But personally, my only problems with the game is that I wish it had more to it, like power sliding or items or whatnot.  And I wish you could skip the opening cutscene.  I think younger NASCAR fans who want something a bit more imaginative and fantasy oriented in their racer will get the most out of this one.

Kid Factor:

Nothing violent or objectionable here.  You can bump into cars but that’s about it.  Reading skill is helpful for the menu texts, but not necessary just to play.  NASCAR Arcade Rush is rated E for Everyone.

Tags: Game Reviews