NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

[Heat_Fan]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

NR2003, certainly the best NASCAR game currently on PC, even after 17 years.

I agree but I found the AI was too predictable and I found it too easy to go from last to first within 15 laps on the highest setting. But as far as physics go it was great.

[Heat_Fan]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

I tried it against my better judgment and I quickly got a Steam refund. Things I did not like, the game looks and feels like Nascar Heat 4.1 not Nascar Heat 5 but you can't expect much when the developer is building a game around the Unity Engine.

I find the graphics a little bit fuzzy if I can use that word. The cars feel like they are on rails, maybe there was a setting to get them a little looser but I was using a controller so making too loose could be frustrating like Project Cars.

Maybe the first DLC they sell will be the Main Page "Splash Screen".

I also found it performing about the same which isn't saying much on my gaming rig with the occasional stutter on certain parts of the track irregardless whether I was racing 39 cars or I was driving solo with the lowest settings or highest graphical settings. It's been a common problem since I first bought Nascar Heat 2.

[Marcellus Wallace]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

Good review. Picking it up on PC. Can't play this at 30fps.

[StoneCalf]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

Ugghh, disappointed that my custom single season that I started last night wont' load- tried several times, it just freezes/crashes the whole game. I only had two races completed, working a 20 race season just to warm up for career.

I had browsed online today about the game in general, and had come across reports that the game had been crashing on both PS4 and XB1, but those appeared limited to career. Bummed as I was about to get a race in this evening, but the larger concern now looms about issues with career.

I can accept that the game is just a slight incremental edition over last year's version... you vote with your dollars on whether to purchase or not, but I am disappointed about a dysfunctional game.

I know the game just released and somewhere I read about a patch, but I don't think I've noticed my game notifying of a patch. I suppose I'll try to be patient and see if the issues are addressed.

[Jeffrey99]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

Ugghh, disappointed that my custom single season that I started last night wont' load- tried several times, it just freezes/crashes the whole game. I only had two races completed, working a 20 race season just to warm up for career.

I had browsed online today about the game in general, and had come across reports that the game had been crashing on both PS4 and XB1, but those appeared limited to career. Bummed as I was about to get a race in this evening, but the larger concern now looms about issues with career.

I can accept that the game is just a slight incremental edition over last year's version... you vote with your dollars on whether to purchase or not, but I am disappointed about a dysfunctional game.

I know the game just released and somewhere I read about a patch, but I don't think I've noticed my game notifying of a patch. I suppose I'll try to be patient and see if the issues are addressed.

The standard edition doesn't release till tomorrow. So would expect a patch soon after. (no grantee of that though)

[JeremyB]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

I'm not seeing the standard edition in the psn store just the gold version. Will the standard be added today?

[mercalnd]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

As someone who greatly enjoys Heat 4 in championship mode, I'll be sure to get this game eventually. The ability to create a custom season in championship mode is a great addition for me.

That being said, the Xfinity Series ran at the Indianapolis road course last weekend, which was something that was already planned before the schedule got all scrambled up due to the pandemic. Since I haven't seen anything about the track being added to Heat 5, I'm guessing it's not been added. NASCAR also announced yesterday that all three major series will run at the Daytona road course in August. I'm hoping these 2 road courses get added to the game via DLC at some point. I don't mind paying for them.

[BurghFan]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

They already said the Indy road course would be added as free DLC for everyone at a later date.

[mercalnd]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

They already said the Indy road course would be added as free DLC for everyone at a later date.

That's great news thanks. Hopefully they do the same with Daytona, though I could see them charging for it as it was not originally planned to be on teh schedule.

[Potatoes002]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

Haven’t played in a few years, curious to know if anybody has seen the AI cause wrecks on their own? A few versions back the only time the CPU would cause a caution is if they merged to soon onto the track after pitting and caused a wreck.

[mercalnd]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

Haven’t played in a few years, curious to know if anybody has seen the AI cause wrecks on their own? A few versions back the only time the CPU would cause a caution is if they merged to soon onto the track after pitting and caused a wreck.

I haven't played Heat 5 yet but in Heat 4 I do see cautions and/or have to avoid wrecks that only involve AI cars and are not linked to pitting in or out by AI cars. I usually get at least one or two such instances per 25% length race.

[Jeffrey99]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

You'd think a game that flashes the Fanatec logo every other screen would work best or atleast be setup out of the box for a Fanatec. Uh..yeah that's definitely not the case. After 3 hours of screwing with if, I finally gave up. No matter what I did I had a massive deadzone in center. It seems the game is made for 180 degrees rotation, 90 to the left and 90 to the right.

Tried to adjust in game. Tried to adjust on wheel base. Nothing actually made it drivable. Not to mention it's so annoying exiting completely out of a race to get back to main menu to adjust settings. And then rinse and repeat. Know how long it took me to setup F1 2020? 5 minutes and changing one setting.

Overall as for the game itself. It's Heat 4.5 which I went into fully understanding. It seemed to be easier to drive with controller at Daytona then Heat 4 was but it could possibly be switching from PS4 controller to the Xbox One on my PC.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[themetallikid]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

You'd think a game that flashes the Fanatec logo every other screen would work best or atleast be setup out of the box for a Fanatec. Uh..yeah that's definitely not the case. After 3 hours of screwing with if, I finally gave up. No matter what I did I had a massive deadzone in center. It seems the game is made for 180 degrees rotation, 90 to the left and 90 to the right.

Tried to adjust in game. Tried to adjust on wheel base. Nothing actually made it drivable. Not to mention it's so annoying exiting completely out of a race to get back to main menu to adjust settings. And then rinse and repeat. Know how long it took me to setup F1 2020? 5 minutes and changing one setting.

Overall as for the game itself. It's Heat 4.5 which I went into fully understanding. It seemed to be easier to drive with controller at Daytona then Heat 4 was but it could possibly be switching from PS4 controller to the Xbox One on my PC.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

I agree with the 4.5 comment. But I'm ok with that mostly. I 'get' everyones critiques of the game last year and this year...but to me it doesnt diminish the fun I have playing it. There are however 2 things that I would love if they would correct....they are sorta tied in, but one for sure can be fixed.

The rubber banding effect is still there. There is a wide/narrow option for how the field stays during a race, I have it set wide. And initially in my career, i get lapped every race, lol...but i'm still finishing in the mid teens and earning enough money to improve my car. It just feels like based on my cars specs, there is a 3-4 position window and I can get there, but then not progress any further. If I fall behind for some reason, I can usually catch up decently again, but then stonewalled at that position. If I do manage to pass out of that position group, its for a lap or 2 at most and then i'm passed again and it takes me a handful of laps to try and pass again. I get that cars can be on runs...but i've almost timed it to the number of laps left in the race to know when its happening. Similar effect in Madden, there are drives i've had where I can just tell the cpu isnt going to allow me to score or get a first down. (receive drops, sacks, fumbles)...its annoying. I just wish you could turn off this effect entirely.

[countryboy]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

Picked this up today and first race was at Daytona 25% on normal/default settings.

At the end of the first stage, on the final lap of the stage, I'm running 5th and the first 4 cars in line pitted on the final lap giving me the stage win????

Anyone else notice this on higher difficulties? Known bug?

[dave360]

Re: NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Familiar But In a Good Way

For PC folks the patch on Friday fixed a lot of the major issues with wheels/etc.