Review - NASCAR 26

Nikolas Tolgyesi

4 minutes ago

5 min read

Developer: iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations, LLC

Publisher: iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations, LLC

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PC

Reviewed On: Xbox Series X

NASCAR is one of those titles that has proven to be a great driving experience consistently over multiple decades. Bringing dozens of titles to multiple platforms, I was very excited to try my hand at a modern NASCAR game. The playthrough veered off course almost immediately, turning my love for the sport into a fight for control as I quickly blew a tire and ended up in the grass, frustrated and heartbroken.

NASCAR 26 sees players build a legendary career as new racers who are starting from the bottom and working their way up to the big leagues. Through dozens of races, you will fine-tune not only your ride but also your skills as you race your way to the podium in your quest to become the greatest race car driver in the business. With several additional modes, including an online experience, there was a great amount of variety packed into one box. I appreciated being able to build my reputation as well as dive into a quick race or sharpen my skills in the Peak Performance game mode when I wanted a fresh experience.

Controller Pain

I want to start with this point because it is unfortunately for me a bit of a dealbreaker as a one-handed gamer. I know Xbox has additional hurdles when it comes to remapping buttons that PlayStation players don’t have to deal with. Most games allow for in-game customization or at least provide additional preset control configurations. When I saw the menu to remap buttons in NASCAR 26, I was extremely excited. However, this was short-lived when I realized the throttle and brake could not be moved to the front-facing buttons. This meant that I had to hold the controller in a very uncomfortable position, and it took just a single race before the fatigue set in. The remapping menu option is a great start, but please consider adding the option to remap the throttle and brake to any button to allow a more flexible and diverse gaming experience.

Career Trouble

I understand how much work goes into creating an idea, laying out the steps, and finally creating the vision. NASCAR 26 had a fantastic idea, but when it came to the gameplay and progression system, there was little substance or excitement. There are so many ways to add intensity to the tracks. Heart-pumping competition, legendary music, and even some features added to different difficulty levels could change the feel of the game entirely. Without any of this, NASCAR 26 felt hollow. It becomes clear within a few sessions that players are limited to a handful of tracks, no music, and seemingly the same AI opponents. I would have loved to hear a banger soundtrack while behind the wheel, or even the option would have been nice, rather than sitting alone with my thoughts listening to the same sentence on repeat from the pit crew.

Customization Collapse

As long as video games have been around, one of the most critical adventures in racing games is customizing your ride and rider. This usually involves picking your vehicle and building it from the ground up. In NASCAR 26, not only was this feature severely limited, but all choices you were able to make felt identical to every other available option. In addition to this, at no point are you able to change your car. I would have loved to upgrade my car, giving it a fresh look out on the track, but instead all the career mode allows is to “upgrade” the same old car over and over. The limitation made me feel like I wasn’t progressing at all, rather just redoing the same old races in my beginner race car even though I had the bankroll to lay out the vision.

As I was progressing through the career mode, I stopped multiple times to wonder how much fun it would have been to have the ability to build my own facility and track, giving the game my own personal unique touch. Having a home base exclusive to me would make me feel like I was right there in the game building my reputation. Without the ability to customize my shop, I felt disconnected through my racing journey, as the repetitive grind rapidly broke me down.

Cutscene Questions

Periodically, a breaking news bulletin appears after a race, which triggers a cutscene. While I absolutely love when games include mini movies, they only help engage the player and progress the story when they are relevant to the career. In the age of AI, I love seeing real people in these movies, but at no point do any of them mention my growth as a driver or wins I had strung together. Instead, the dialogue was very bland and generic, leaving me wondering what the point of the cutaway was. On the flip side of that, most of the cutscenes featured hosts talking at a table. Lined up on the table were several model race cars that were just straight up awesome.

Menu Music was Monumental

As I mentioned above, the music in any game can change the entire trip. A popping tracklist while navigating the menus is a fantastic way to get the adrenaline pumping and really get you ready to take on the competition. NASCAR 26 had an all-star lineup of songs, including Sweet Home Alabama, which eased you into the heart-pumping need for speed. A solid list of Hard Rock classics allowed my inner speed demon to take the wheel and fuel my competitive nature. I just wish it followed me into the speedway.

Building a Team

In NASCAR 26, there are a few included aspects that were promising leads that just needed to be tweaked a bit further. I loved the way the shop was laid out, with each section clearly marked, such as parts or the office for all the public relations opportunities. I also really enjoyed the ability to hire additional staff or adjust the employee list to best suit my taste and goals. I loved that you could see available mechanics as well as their rating, helping to ensure the best help can be brought in. When my team was compiled, I really liked the additional automotive wizards and PR opportunities, but tying into my experience above, there were very few places to take advantage of my newfound wealth.

Need a Tow Truck for This Race

NASCAR 26 felt like it had everything a great racing game needs to become a fan favorite and instant classic. Unfortunately, the ideas did not hold up, and the car wasn’t able to navigate the track. The absence of key features, lack of customization, and no music to get you revved up while behind the wheel all made me feel like I was driving a go-kart rather than my favorite high-octane missile.