NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup

Next Level Gaming

The graphics are the sharpest NASCAR game yet, the sounds will blow you away and the whole experience is just amazing.

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.

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]

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.

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.

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.

GamingWorld X

The online play is a nice addition for PS2 and Xbox owners, but it would’ve been even better if a fuller field of human players was included.

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]

TeamXbox

The extra work in the off-season has paid off with a great campaign mode and a better system for choosing whether to be a hero or villain driver. Racing Featherlights, Craftsman trucks, and production cars adds much needed variety.

GameZone

While the game does have a few very minor drawbacks, the game is a wonderful mix of challenge and eye candy, with even more treats for the ears. The game is almost as flashy as those television commercials you see with the pulsating music and the roar of the racing action.

BonusStage

Revamps almost the entire game in order to breathe new life into the franchise.

Stuff

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

Worth Playing

Unless you’re looking for a good multiplayer romp, this game has almost everything you could want.

GameSpy

EA has done a remarkable job transforming the franchise into a solid racing experience for even casual race fans.

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]

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.

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.

Xbox Nation Magazine

Easy to learn and surprisingly addictive. [Nov 2004, p.96]

GamerFeed

Some of the races get a bit monotonous, and the graphics, while fantastic at times, are imperfect on some models. However, these are very minor quibbles, especially when you consider the insanely deep career mode and the ability to challenge friends online via Xbox Live.

Operation Sports

If you want a solid, predictable, yet not 100% realistic driving model (that will never be mistaken for the Papyrus games on PC) with good AI competition and hours upon hours of play, look no further.

Official Xbox Magazine

Until EA starts takingmore advantage of the Xbox's superior graphics power, the game doesn't give non-fans of the sport much of a reason to play it. Maybe if it came with a free beer. [Nov 2004, p.74]