A solid Xbox Nascar racer indeed, but one that unfotunately lacks visual polish.
What every new system needs to succeed is a solid Nascar title for diehard stockcar fans, and the Xbox gives us two at launch. What does Nascar Heat 2002 give fans on the Xbox? Easily, we are given the finest Nascar sim on the market.
Graphically, Nascar Heat isn’t the prettiest game on the console, nor even the best-looking Nascar title, but the visuals are still strong. Car models are clean, sharp, and extremely accurate. Unfortunately, the game suffers from some track draw in and this is somewhat unforgivable given the rendering power of the Xbox. Also the overall look of Nascar Heat 2002 seems dull and not very colorful. The game does have some very realistic damage effects like smoke and tire marks, but not much more. Finally to spice up the overall presentation, the game gives you clear FMV in season and Beat the Heat modes. Overall Nascar Heat looks nice, but not as great as you would expect from the mighty Microsoft system.
Audio representation is fantastic with clear and crisp 5.1 Dolby Surround sound. Engine sounds roar, tires squeal, and crashes feel as if they are right in your living room. You also have a pit director who tells you where your opponents are and what’s going on track wise. What is lacking is a play by play. Sure, it’s a feature which has never been present in a Nascar title, and I’m not knocking points off for the omission, but I will ‘til my dying day put this in my Nascar reviews until they do add it. Overall the sounds are on the money and give every fan the feel of being at their favorite raceway.
Gameplay is extremely solid, and gives you full control over your vehicle and pit teams. Nascar Heat not only has very tight steering controls, but the controls appropriately loosen as your tires give way to wear and tear. If the control department lacks in any category it is the fact they are too tight when it comes to colliding with walls and cars. You never really find yourself loosing control of your vehicle when crashing, which is just a small gripe, and will only occur to the very picky. The A.I. is impressively strong, and while you can adjust it, they still give you great competition on any level.
Nascar Heat offers plenty of modes to keep any fan happy for another year. You have 36 Beat the Heat challenges, single races, and full fledged season modes. You have full customization over the season mode including flags on/off, number of laps, and more. This is one thing that Nascar Thunder kept you from doing, but thankfully Nascar Heat has the feature included. You can also adjust the level of realism if you are an arcade fan or prefer a more arcade-like feel. The biggest feature is the fact you can either link up to 8 Xbox’s to play 32 players, or play over the internet by connecting directly to another Xbox (not a server). All in all the game will keep you busy for quite some time.
Overall Nascar Heat 2002 is basically a port of the PS2 version with a few enhancements. The link feature is great, but the online play is wonderful. It’s a shame there isn’t a server to allow people from all over the world to play against one another. Maybe next year, Nascar Heat will take advantage of what the Xbox can handle.
