Last year’s NASCAR Heat Evolution was a game I found to be of little redeeming value, with visual fidelity that didn’t even belong on the Playstation 3, the worst royalty free light rock they could find and an inability to even make the main mechanic of driving, something gaming has been doing since we could make stuff scroll, feel even remotely good.

"What begins as “hey maybe come in top 25 whatever” quickly escalates to needing a win, but that doesn’t always feel in your control."

Did Monster Games do any better this time? Well in so many words, not really. The modes on offer are better differentiated this go, where as last year they were all takes on the same gameplay loop, but in all other areas NASCAR Heat 2 stands as stagnant as the cardboard crowds.

Delivering better first impressions than last time, while still on an obviously shoestring budget, much of the presentation outside of the actual racing in Heat 2 involves stock historical footage and a couple of NASCAR elites talking to a camera to exposit dialog in the reimagined career mode. Instead of pouring resources into a character editor, the game simply suggests that you are the up and coming racer on the circuit, scouted by talent and working your way up from being a random hotseat driver through two smaller leagues to make it big time with the Monster Energy NASCAR series.

The change in structure dramatically improves the tone and pace of the career mode this time around, giving some tangible feeling of a journey, while offering smaller goals early on in the career to be some baby steps toward the truly herculean effort it is fighting the mechanics to actually win one of these races. What begins as “hey maybe come in top 25 whatever” quickly escalates to needing a win, but that doesn’t always feel in your control.

"Challenge mode offer the most interesting, varied and commented take on the gameplay, putting you into classic situations from famous races and asking you to play out the results of those in a mission format."

Driving itself feels just as lacklustre as before, with flawed physics that don’t feel anything like actual driving, or that you’re in control. Stiff steering keeps you locked into the rote left turns that the racing style demands, without giving you much leeway to maneuver around the pack and into a favourable position. Trying to use the brake to gain some control doesn’t result in the dramatic spin outs of the previous game anymore, but still slows you far too much and too fast to be useful or feel realistic, and the damage systems still neither physically show on the painfully mediocre car models or impact play very meaningfully.

Career is a large mode, but there is actually some different modes on offer with variations on the NASCAR gameplay loop. Challenge mode offer the most interesting, varied and commented take on the gameplay, putting you into classic situations from famous races and asking you to play out the results of those in a mission format. These can vary from asking you to maintain a lead on no fuel and win in the last two laps, to surviving a huge pile up to still have a decent position. The funky physics, especially where collisions are involved, don’t always give these segments the kind of impact you might expect, but the variation on the gameplay loop is nice.

Unfortunately the nature of the beast is still not going to win any new fans, and there’s only so much variety that can be brought into NASCAR. Tracks might ever so slightly vary in layout but by design they never feel like sweeping changes. They had the chance to introduce some degree of environment change with the introduction of dirt tracks, which if I’m to believe Pixar should drastically change how you race. Unfortunately this too turns out to be another similar arena with cardboard cutouts crowds and product placement.

"Heat 2 is hardly the first racing game to be guilty of having a few seams when you slow down and look, but the crowds watching were of a super low quality 2D sprite."

The visual quality continues to be laughable in a world rapidly moving toward 4K gaming. Car models now have basic interiors to facilitate multiple viewpoints, but the textures of the cars still look horrendously low quality. Lighting looks super basic and doesn’t really bring you into the game. At the very least, the sound design is still great and feels like the simulation this game is trying to be, with powerful engine sounds and the squeals of tires backed by pit chatter trying to clue you into openings to pass. Heat 2 is hardly the first racing game to be guilty of having a few seams when you slow down and look, but the crowds watching were of a super low quality 2D sprite.

I’m forced to come to the same conclusion here that I came to in last year’s review, that this is the kind of game that has no cares to give about finding an audience outside those who already care about NASCAR. A more solid career mode and challenges do help give the modes meaning but poor controls, visuals, music and game feel hold it back from attracting anyone who isn’t already into NASCAR

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

704Games has released the first official gameplay trailer for the upcoming NASCAR Heat 2 by Monster Games, the follow up to last year’s debut NASCAR game by the developer. The upcoming game takes on the base built by the last year and expands upon it significantly, adding an expanded career mode featuring all three national racing series, as well as 40-car online multiplayer, with two-player local multiplayer also returning.

That apart, NASCAR Heat 2 will feature new drivers, tracks and vehicles, more robust gameplay and multiplayer features, and upgraded visuals, physics and damage models over last year’s game. Players who pre-order the game will get Kurt Busch’s Daytona 500 paint job in game, while at select retailers, they can get $50 off the purchase of a ticket for NASCAR events.

So, basically, a game for NASCAR fans, then- see if the trailer does anything for you. The game will launch on September 12 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

GamingBolt had a chance to speak to executive producer Sean Wilson about NASCAR Heat 2, the current state of NASCAR and how that reflects in the game, how much more realistic the game will be and so on.

"For the first time in a NASCAR video game, players can fill the field with AI cars. We’ll also have new leaderboards, rolling seasons, and more."

What are your thoughts on NASCAR in its current form and how will that reflect in NASCAR Heat 2?

NASCAR is always changing and we keep up as best we can. The significant changes this year were the new stage format and the new entitlement sponsor, Monster Energy. Adding stages into the game required completely reworking the way races are run. Additionally, players will notice a new look and feel to match the grit of Monster Energy.

In terms of physics and realism, what can players expect from the sequel?

Across the board, we’ve made many graphical enhancements to make the tracks feel more alive. We’ve also upgraded the damage model. For physics, players will find more pre-set options. Players had trouble finding the right setup last year and we’ve made two pre-set setups per track in addition to the option to turn on stability control for novice players. Advanced players will still be able to fine tune their car with a variety of setup options.

NASCAR Heat Evolution faced its fair share of criticism due to the career mode and online lobbies. What’s being done to improve on these issues?

Career mode will have many improvements, but we aren’t ready to go into full details about it just yet. Online gameplay in NASCAR Heat 2 will have many new features and improvements over the previous game. Small things like seeing DLC cars online and cautions have been added. For the first time in a NASCAR video game, players can fill the field with AI cars. We’ll also have new leaderboards, rolling seasons, and more.

"We’ve had many drivers give us feedback including Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, but Brad Keselowski has been the most influential this year…"

What can be expected from the “deeper career mode” and how will it compare to other modern racers?

We’re still keeping the majority of details about career mode secret. We can confirm that players will start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, move onto the NASCAR XFINITY Series and compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. They can also choose between using their custom car, or taking over existing stock cars from real race teams like Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing.

For that matter, what new multiplayer modes can we look forward to?

We’re thrilled to bring back two-person, local multiplayer in NASCAR Heat 2. Players can race with friends or family right from their couch.

How many tracks can we expect this time around and in which locations?

We’ve expanded to 29 total tracks this year. There are 6 additional tracks the  NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series race on that weren’t in last year’s game. So we’ll have 3 new road courses, 2 ovals, and 1 dirt track.

Which drivers will make an appearance? Overall, how many drivers will be included and who’s new?

NASCAR Heat 2 will have more drivers than any previous NASCAR game. We’ll have full racing fields for all three series. You can expect the full roster reveal this summer.

"The game was not ported to PS4 from another console. It was built from the ground-up to run on the PS4 using the Unity Engine."

The game has been touted as an “enhanced overall experience that reflects the insights of actual NASCAR drivers” as per 704Games CEO Paul Brooks. Which drivers have consulted on the sequel and what was it like working with them?

We’ve had many drivers give us feedback including Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, but Brad Keselowski has been the most influential this year (he joined the board of directors at 704Games in early 2017). He’s been working with the development team directly to make the experience more authentic from the way the stock cars handle to how they sound.

What kind of post-launch support can be expected for NASCAR Heat 2?

We’ll be able to talk more about that closer to launch.

Will you release any expansions and paid DLC after launch?

Yes. We will offer free and paid DLC.

How much effort did it take to port the game over to Sony’s PlayStation 4? What was the biggest challenge you had to face?

The game was not ported to PS4 from another console. It was built from the ground-up to run on the PS4 using the Unity Engine. There have been many challenges, most of which revolved around maximizing performance for a game that has very large environments and 40 cars running at one time.

Remember NASCAR Heat? The Monster Games developed NASCAR racing game had a fair few problems, but it must have been enough of a success, because it is getting a follow up this year. Publisher 704Games and developer Monster Games announced today that NASCAR Heat 2 will be launching in September this year.

“We’re excited to continue our relationship with Monster Games for NASCAR Heat 2,” said Paul Brooks, CEO of 704Games. “This new game will have a very different look and an enhanced overall experience that reflects the insights of actual NASCAR drivers. Over the coming months, we’ll announce additional new features that we believe will really excite our fans.”

The game is set to come out on PS4, Xbox One, and PC- no, for now, there is no Nintendo Switch version, which is actually a bit surprising given the close relationship that Monster Games and Nintendo have had in the past. In any case, stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage and information.