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NASCAR Unleashed
The NASCAR license is a tricky one. Last year Activision took its first stab at it via the sim-based NASCAR 2011 the Game to mixed results. Now it's trying a different tack that hopes to get non-NASCAR fans interested and yet still have enough about the sport infused in the game to make it also appealing to stock car fans.
The core of Unleashed's gameplay is built around boosting around courses based on five tracks in the NASCAR circuit (Martinsville, Daytona, Miami Homestead, Chicagoland, and Talladega.) and one fictional track. Each one has three variations, and there are breakouts along the course that take the racing away from the traditional oval with jumps and tight corners.
Drivers earn boost for things like drifts, bumping opponents, and completing in-game challenges. Fifteen NASCAR drivers (many with extra paint schemes) in a 20-car field are constantly beating and banging and jockeying for position. Hit someone too much and they will become your rival -– which is a good thing, actually. Taking out rivals gets you more boost, and if you wreck them after they wreck you, you even get a Payback boost bonus.
While boosting is no different than many kart racers out there, Unleashed ties into the sport through its pack racing. Even with the boosts, the field is highly competitive, and a last-second draft slingshot across the finish line or timely pit stop can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Although kart racers are known for their rubberband AI, in my playtime with the game, it didn't feel obnoxious, and in general the pack racing feels in-tune with the sport.
NASCAR Unleashed also features two-player offline splitscreen play (2-Player via Wi-Fi for the 3DS), a Championship mode with bonus events and crazy car add-ons, and even a co-op structure that lets your friend unlock parts of your career progression although they're racing against you.
The game isn't too ambitious, but it actually is a better fit for the kart racing genre than you'd think for a licensed sport.
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