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By Keith B (4th Apr 2007)

I have to admit that NASCAR 2007 is a special game. If you ask me why I think it’s so special, I’ll tell you. Unlike any other game, it didn’t wow me, blow my socks off, or flip my wig (if you will). Neither did it disappoint me, cause me to have a meltdown, or cause me to fall into hideous fits of rage because of the intense competition. It’s not a terrible game, or a great one, either. It just is…it’s just another in a long string of slightly varying versions. I know that die hard NASCAR fans will disagree with me. They will claim that NASCAR 2007 is the best yet, and indeed they are entitled to their opinion.

Whether you admit it or not, the only reason most people will slog through hours of droning engines circling the same track 500 times in a row is to partake in that one spectacular moment that always surprises you, even though you are looking for it. We wait on the edge of our seats wondering if this lap will be the lap, or if it will be the next one. We get tired of the inane babbling of the commentators, but still we hang on, daring to hope for what we might see around the next bend. Everyone knows what I’m talking about.

When it happens, the anticipation that’s been building boils over as we talk excitedly to whoever is watching with us. We speculate on the damage to the car and the safety of the driver. We count the cars that pile up behind the most spectacular wrecks. And we love it when our favorite driver sails deftly and triumphantly through the clouds of billowing smoke, expertly weaving through and around the piles of carnage. It’s kind of like the reason we watch hockey, which is to watch the players get into cataclysmic brawls, and the game is only as good as how many teeth were lost in the playing of it.

I say all of that to explain why the “wow” factor was missing for me in this game. I lost the anticipation and the excitement that I usually feel when watching NASCAR. Admittedly, it is possible to get addicted to the competition and other good aspects of this game, but for me, that’s not really enough. Would I play it again? Yes, probably. Would I recommend it to others? Yes, probably. Would I say it was the best game I’ve ever played? Not really.

Since EA (or any company, for that matter) can’t be expected to create a brand new masterpiece with each new version of the same game, I will try to forgive them for not blowing my mind with radical changes in NASCAR 2007. Even so, I will grudgingly admit that it is still the best in the series. The game was definitely improved, however slightly, over last year’s version. On a scale from one to ten, this game, overall, receives an 7.5.

The graphics, which have been good in the past, haven’t changed much from last year’s version. The only difference is that the added effect of motion blur gives you a sense of your impending speed.

Team control is back from NASCAR ’06 which commands your teammates to work with you. It is a great feature to help you win the race. Your teammates will block for you, follow you, and you can even swap drivers to work the rest of your team up to the top of the field.

One new feature is the Driver Attributes, which determine how each driver handles on different tracks. Unfortunately, it appears to hold unrealistic ratings. Elliott Sadler, for instance, who in reality hasn’t done very well in the last couple of years, has a rating of A �" in the game. I guess paying to be on the cover gives you an outstanding rating.

Race Now is exactly that. You can jump into your favorite car and burn rubber on some of the most famous tracks in the nation, and race as your favorite driver. This is an excellent option for players who are impatient (like me) and don’t want to work their way through the entire season.

Fight to the Top gives you the opportunity to create your own driver and work your way up through the ranks (if you don’t fall asleep first). If you choose to do the Allstate Qualifiers you race around eight different tracks trying to win gold, silver, or bronze medals. The better the medal on each track, the higher the contract you will receive. If you receive an overall bronze medal, you get a Craftsman Truck Series Contract. An overall silver medal will get you a Busch Series contract. Overall gold medalists get a Nextel contract. You also receive skill points for your performance on the track. From there you start the tedious battle to rank amongst the highest. This is a long process, testing your endurance, and it seems to be the most challenging. Some challenges seem impossible even on the rookie setting.

An interesting feature in the Fight to the Top mode is that you receive a Nextel phone from your manager. It adds email, voicemail, games, and web access to the game. You can choose to accept email challenges to race against other drivers, and you also receive voicemail messages from your manager, commenting on your racing progress. A Fantasy NASCAR League game is another added feature on your Nextel phone. Here you can pick your favorite drivers to win for the race week and compete with different computer generated people. You gain skill points depending on how well you picked.

Season mode allows you to choose from four different series of NASCAR racing. These series, the Nextel Cup, NASCAR Busch Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and Whelen Modified Stock Cars Series, make this game more expandable. This is certainly not a game you can play once, beat all the levels, and never play again. The options seem almost limitless.

This game also gives you the ability to race online, although with a maximum of only four other players. You can also fill in open slots with computer generated cars. Even offline, multiplayer options include up to four simultaneous players.

The Dodge Challenge allows you to participate in actual NASCAR scenarios from the 2005 season where you hop in the driver’s seat and try to change history if the scenario had a negative outcome for your driver. Or, if your driver performed exceptionally well, you can try to match his driving feats. Each scenario starts out with an interview of the driver, where he describes the details of the scenario. The main criticism here is that EA produced this game way too early to call it the 2007 version. If they had waited until 2007 to release the game, they could have included more up-to-date scenarios from the 2006 season.

Chase for the Cup lets you skip the long season and jump straight into the championship. Here you can even pick your point standings. You can race against the best to see if you can become the next Nextel Cup Champion.

My NASCAR holds all the information on earned skill points, best lap times, and a custom garage where you can design your own car with paint schemes, graphics, and sponsor logos. The skill points section lists the objectives you have already completed and also describes what you have to do to gain more skill points. My NASCAR also has an option called Features, which explains different aspects of the game. This is also where you purchase the chase plates to unlock different tracks, fantasy drivers, etc.

Although the default settings are not beginner friendly, you can make the races as easy or as difficult as you wish. It may take a while to figure out how to keep from getting a speeding penalty when entering the pits. You have the ability to tweak your options by shortening laps to eliminate pit stops, turning off damage and the need for gas and tires, or opting for no yellow flags. If you just want to run around the track like a loose cannon, banging into everything, this may be the way to go. If you are a more strategic player, you can change your settings to test your skills and endurance. You can also change the settings on your car or truck to make it more efficient on the track. The die hard NASCAR fans should try the veteran difficulty with the most laps available on the track. You will be thankful for the pause button.

If you are a newcomer to the EA Sports NASCAR series, this is definitely the game to buy. If you are a veteran NASCAR racer, ’07 is nice for the collection, but if you are expecting radical changes from the ’06 version, you may want to weigh your options on this one.