NASCAR 25 Review – A New Chapter

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Now that iRacing is developing the official NASCAR games, excitement for *NASCAR 25* has been building. However, the game is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s clearly made for dedicated NASCAR fans, but it doesn’t offer much to attract players who just enjoy racing games casually. It’s not a bad game by any means, but it does have some drawbacks.

This game is a fantastic racing simulator when you’re actually racing – the visuals and handling are top-notch. However, things become less smooth when you venture off the track. Overall, the game delivers on the promises made during its development, and fans who’ve been following its progress will be pleased.

The game’s first use of the Unreal Engine delivers on expectations, boasting stunning tracks and immersive sound design that realistically captures the energy of the crowds and the power of the racing engines.

If you’re only casually interested in racing, this game doesn’t offer much to keep you hooked. It feels repetitive and lacks enjoyable side activities, preventing it from being one of the best racing games of the year. Let me elaborate.

You start as a new driver trying to succeed in the ARCA Menards Series. By winning races, you’ll earn a reputation and money to fix and improve your car. You can also participate in special events to boost your career. It sounds promising – the game aims to realistically capture the thrill of becoming a NASCAR star.

The game’s first showing with Unreal Engine 5 delivers on its potential, boasting stunning tracks and immersive sound that truly captures the energy of the race. As soon as you start driving, it’s clear that this version of iRacing is something truly special.

The car feels fantastic to drive, and it improves even more as you win races and unlock upgrades. I was really impressed by how much even the early upgrades enhanced the handling and speed. Taking care of your car is crucial – constantly pushing it to the limit will eventually cause wear and tear, potentially costing you the race. For players using a wheel, iRacing has also refined its Force Feedback system.

As soon as I started driving in iRacing, I knew it was different – it just *felt* special. You instantly get this sense that it’s really onto something incredible.

The AI opponents aren’t very challenging, but they’re unpredictable enough to prevent the game from feeling boring. Other racers frequently attempt to overtake you, leading to more crashes than you’d think. Staying a safe distance from other cars helps avoid these collisions, and your team radio does a good job of alerting you to opportunities to pass.

It would have been great to be able to customize the appearance of cars in Career Mode, though the Team menu offers a lot of options outside of that mode. Regardless of how your car looks, the game runs incredibly well, maintaining excellent performance on a standard PS5. Online play does have some minor stuttering, but it wasn’t distracting. *NASCAR 25* generally runs smoothly, and while race replays could benefit from some motion blur to better showcase the speed and power of the cars, it’s a minor issue.

The game really makes you *feel* the damage your vehicle takes, both through how it looks and the vibrations in your controller. I quickly realized it was smarter to drive carefully and avoid pushing my vehicle too hard. After my first race, I ended up with a huge repair bill – I almost spent all my winnings just fixing the damage, and even then, my mechanics couldn’t completely restore it.

Okay, so I quickly figured out my garage crew has a limited amount of work they can do on my car – things like the chassis, engine, suspension, and body. How well they fix these parts *really* impacts my car’s performance, and that decides where I finish in races! At first, I was constantly replacing parts, but I learned a valuable lesson: don’t push the car so hard that everything breaks all the time! I started being a little gentler on the throttle and saving repairs for when I *absolutely* needed them, and it made a huge difference.

I used to go through replacements frequently until I realized I needed to be gentler with the accelerator and only use it when necessary.

Just like in real life, hitting obstacles or making mistakes while racing impacts how your car handles. The game feels very authentic, and a particularly cool feature is seeing posts from other racers if you bump into them – it really adds to the feeling of being there! If you enjoy a challenging race, you’ll appreciate the many options available to customize your experience and keep things interesting.

The game feels incredibly realistic, putting you right in the shoes of a racing team striving for wins and sponsor satisfaction. iRacing did a fantastic job recreating the sights and sounds of a NASCAR race, but I wish they’d put as much effort into the off-track experience.

To save time, I switched the difficulty to Normal and started playing through Career Mode to see how far I could get. I was a little disappointed to find that earning Reputation Points – which are needed to advance to bigger events – felt slow, making the Career Mode longer than it needed to be.

The races ran very well, with no noticeable slowdowns or glitches, making it great for playing with friends.

This isn’t a flaw with the different races themselves. Actually, the races are quite rewarding, giving plenty of Reputation Points to drivers who race well and avoid accidents. Practicing and qualifying laps also earn you extra points and give you a chance to attract sponsors and win more money as you continue to succeed.

What bothered me most about the Reputation system was how much it seemed to rely on your chosen race. While you occasionally got chances to boost your reputation at your garage, these often forced you to pick between gaining reputation points and earning Working Points, meaning you had to choose between improving your own standing and helping your crew. I always prioritized my crew, because I needed enough resources to repair my car after each race.

I also wasn’t thrilled with the game’s Season and Online modes. While the core racing is fun, these modes don’t offer much variety. On the plus side, joining online races is easy, and the game usually has a good number of players. The races themselves run very smoothly with no noticeable lag, which is great for playing with friends.

If you love racing, especially NASCAR, or just want a reliable and effective racing simulator, this is a great choice.

As a racing fan, I see *NASCAR 25* as iRacing trying something new – a kind of test run to see what works and what doesn’t. And honestly, they really nailed the most important part: the actual racing feels fantastic, which is a huge win for them. But everything *around* the racing? It doesn’t really do much to make *NASCAR 25* feel special, especially compared to how they’ve tried to build up the driver in the Career Mode. It just doesn’t quite stand out.

The game feels repetitive in several ways. You’ll notice it in the pre- and post-race scenes, and in how replays are filmed. Small details, like the unchanging voice on your team radio and the repeated commentary, add to this feeling. Even the people around your car before a race always look the same. Luckily, the race tracks themselves offer some variety.

Thinking about buying *NASCAR 25*? If you love racing, especially NASCAR, or just want a solid, well-made racing simulator, then it’s a good choice.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

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2025-10-17 19:18