​NASCAR Heat 5 Review

By Kevin Mitchell  |  Posted: July 14, 2020

Last year's NASCAR release elevated the series to new heights, cementing itself as one of the most underrated racing games. Online lobbies supported up to 40 players, a two-player local split-screen multiplayer mode was included (a rarity for modern racing games), and the expanded career mode featured depth and the fantastic Xtreme Dirt Tour, which quickly became a favorite. Monster Games developed the previous four titles in the Heat series; however, 704Games took over the development of NASCAR Heat 5, bringing it in-house. While this change may prove beneficial in the long term, it means that Heat 5 feels more like an extension of its predecessor than a fully-fledged sequel. Still, Heat 5 brings the heat, with an impressive single-player career mode, adrenaline-pumping 40-player online multiplayer, and the return of the eNASCAR Heat Pro League.

Being an iteration, only incremental changes were made to the game, though they improve the overall player experience. Vehicle customization has been expanded, adding improved choices, font treatment, and paint schemes. The color selection is unbelievably deep, with an incredible array of shades for each color. For the first time in the series, rims and spoilers can be specifically colored just like the car body. Regrettably, you still can't copy your newly painted masterpiece to your garage's other cars. The customization options remain the same whether you're racing in the NASCAR Cup Series or kicking up dirt in the Xfinity Series, so there's no reason not to allow carrying your look across cars. The already formidable A.I. from Heat 4 has been tweaked to feel even more consistent, though all settings to customize your racing experience have carried over. For example, the skill range setting determines the separation between cars—the "narrow" setting produces intense racing while "wide" gives you additional room to maneuver.

The career mode remains mostly untouched; however, stat tracking enhancements provide greater performance tracking across your seasons. You'll grind tooth and nail from the very bottom of the ladder in the Xtreme Dirt Series, moving through the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, the Xfinity Series, and the Cup Series. Alternatively, you can skip to the top and take on the world's greatest racers in the Cup Series from the start.

At the start of every season, you can join a team or start your own. Joining an existing team allows you to focus on racing and building your nest egg based on your podium placement. Contracts from sponsors are broken into three difficulties, with the more difficult ones paying out best but potentially having unreasonable requirements. Sometimes safer bets are the better choice, as a guaranteed payday beats earning nothing. Based on your performance, you'll receive tweets from other racers, either condemning your reckless racing or complimenting your composure on the track. Building relationships with these racers is essential, giving you options to respond to tweets to build friendships or intense rivalries. Get under someone's skin enough and expect to trade paint at upcoming races. Starting your own team provides additional content between races. You'll manage your pit crew, hiring employees to make repairs, upgrade their stats, and improve all cars in your garage. The higher the stats in the three specializations (engine, aerodynamics, suspension), the more points you'll regain after racing.

Presentation in Heat 5 closely resembles its predecessor, though teams, rosters, and tracks have been updated to reflect the 2020 Cup season. There are 34 officially licensed tracks across the various series, plus five fictional dirt tracks. The cars are incredibly detailed, and several new camera angles for races have been added. Jeff Gordon lends his voice to the spotter team, informing you about other drivers' positions. The Gold Edition features exclusive content, including Tony Stewart as your spotter, Tony Stewart paint schemes, and more. The Heat 5 Season Pass will add four additional DLC packs. The most significant update is the brand-new testing mode. No longer do you need to choose an exhibition race to test tracks. The testing sessions put you alone on a track, letting you perfect your racing lines, learn the turns and necessary speeds, and test your car setup. Before each race, you can use a casual slider to adjust your car's handling, making it tighter or looser.

The online offering, like the career mode, remains largely unchanged. A new challenge mode has been added, letting you alter history in some of NASCAR's tightest finishes across three difficulties. Online lobbies clearly display the driving settings required to enter, and with up to 40 racers, competition feels intense, even with AI filling empty spots. Disappointingly, there's no punishment for unsportsmanlike conduct during races. Aggressors generally drive away unscathed, while their victims hit walls or spin out. Just before writing this review, a user with "YT" in their handle deliberately turned into me to prevent passing on the final lap. Such drivers need to face punishment or banning. Even casual lobbies shouldn't have to deal with obvious trolling and childish behavior ruining everyone's experience. The eNASCAR Heat Pro League returns, advancing the game's eSports presence. You can even race as competitors from the last two competitive seasons.

Simply Put

NASCAR Heat 5 feels like the definitive edition of Heat 4, complete with yearly team, roster, and track updates. It's clearly a transitional year, especially given the development change. Whether playing single-player career mode or racing online against real people, no other game captures the thrill of position battles quite like this. Tight races are intense, provided you don't spin out after getting tapped from behind. The performance mode on PlayStation 4 Pro produces smoother frame rates; however, it's time for the series to move to 60 frames per second on console.