NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

"Burnout 3" may beckon for the sheer thrills, but Chase is one of the best sports racing games ever released. [Oct 2004, p.108]

IGN

It's a game for the masses, to be sure, but it offers more than enough the way of career, offline, and online depth to warrant a purchase for the enthusiast fan, for the diehard "Thunder" lover, and most importantly, for the person who passed up previous console efforts simply because they were not up to par.

Gaming Age

This game is a big step up in visuals compared to the Thunder series of old, which gives even more hope for future titles to come.

Play Magazine

Thankfully, they took it upon themselves to overhaul the game and create a NASCAR racing experience unlike any other before it. [Oct 2004, p.88]

GMR Magazine

With the improved online play, expansion of the popular lightning challenges, and inclusion of Chase for the Cup, NASCAR 2005 has enough horsepower to last you all year. [Oct 2004, p.102]

Next Level Gaming

An amazing game. I am not a NASCAR fan, but this game goes beyond if you are a fan or not.

Game Informer

EA Tiburon has gone far beyond a simple roster expansion. By making its career mode even more complex, it has succeeded in giving players of all stripes quite a bit to chew on. [Sept 2004, p.102]

GameSpot

It re-creates the NASCAR experience in spectacular fashion, and all of the included modes, series options, and extras provide an excellent amount of value for the cost.

Game Over Online

There’s plenty to do in the career mode, and players will truly enjoy the ability to define their game based on their personal driving style.

GameZone

Intense racing with hair-trigger controls and the option to adjust them to your personal setting. The game also allows you to play online with other racers in a full field of cars in each of the four NASCAR series.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

There are some potholes - the graphics get choppy at times, and the retail-car challenges seem tacked on - but the sheer variety is something that even non-NASCAR fans will find addictive. [Oct 2004, p.98]

BonusStage

You have the nasty frame rate issue that can’t seem to be shaken. Honestly, the same company that made this is responsible for the Need For Speed Underground series, and we still can’t fix this problem for a game with lower-end graphics and less programming technicalities?

PSM Magazine

An incredibly valiant attempt to make an accessible NASCAR game, but many will still think it falls a bit short because you can only do so much with turning left. [Oct 2004, p.32]

GameSpy

My biggest gripe with NASCAR 2005 is the lack of polish in the graphics department. The framerate was a bit sluggish at times and I had a hard time getting past the jagged appearance of the cars.

PSX Nation

Delivers enough of everything (improved graphics, deep managerial options in Career mode, more vehicles/racing series, cleaner audio, etc.) to keep fans of the sport happily steering their favorite NASCAR racers to the left for another year.

GamePro

A pack that responds to each race's events is an outstanding concept that should elevate the gameplay, but NASCAR 2005's execution of it is too unbalanced to create the hoped-for effect. [Nov 2004, p.142]

G4 TV

There’s a real sensation of extreme speed, and even with a large number of cars on-screen, there’s only rarely a hint of stuttering or slowdown.

Yahoo! Games

Sure, the graphics and physics haven't changed, and this year's release beats you over the head with in-game advertising, but the enhanced career mode, online play, and other additions are more than worth the price of admission.

Stuff

Online support for PS2 and Xbox plus multiple race modes will keep you on the track for days.