NASCAR 21: Ignition is a new start for the brand. We need to remember that. That being said, this is a very disappointing launch for a game. The overall gameplay lacks in many ways, the AI is incompetent at times and struggles to understand, there are some larger glitches that can easily take you out of the game and ruin the experience as well. The paint booth and career mode are very good and fun to go through. That is about it. I want to add that other users and players are reporting that playing on PC is bringing a bit better of an experience so if you are looking for the game, that might be your best bet as of now. I still think there is a lot of hope for the franchise. There are some things here that are positive foundations. However, NASCAR 21: Ignition has just missed the racing line and slammed the outside wall.
I'm giving this a high rating, it still has some potential to it, The graphics look nice and the paint booth looks good aswell, the damage model also looks good but there are a lot of issues that should be fixed, 1 there's still a lot of bugs that can be removed or fixed, 2 is that the single player thus far is quite intriguing because of how it functions, the AI act stupidly dumb most of the time which is the reason why players don't like the game, and 3, the lack of features makes this game unsatisfying to buy due to that said stuff, It basically needs "Stages" "Back view Mirror" "Xfinity and Trucks" and also Fantasy tracks, more sponsors and proper wheel support, there are a mixed overall review towards this game due to it's showcase, other than that it can still be improved by the developers.
Developers have to understand that for a Nascar game to be good it has to have the possibility of leaving arcade or simulator gameplay and the main thing... Lots of destruction like threatening bodywork, "flying" tires, oil on the track, exploding engine, rest of cars on the tracks
It’s hard to recommend NASCAR 21: Ignition, even if you’re a die-hard NASCAR fan. There’s just not enough content here to warrant the price tag, especially considering that the experience at the core of it can be described as decent and nothing more. This is perhaps a good base for Motorsport Games to work from, but until then, you’re better off sticking with the better, and now a lot cheaper, NASCAR Heat 5.
It's hard to recommend NASCAR 21: Ignition in its current state, and it will probably play best a little bit down the road after Motorsports Games gets all of the technical issues worked out. There definitely are some good elements to make for a fun experience, and when the game cooperates enough to allow players to experience them, the driving and overall presentation of a NASCAR race are enjoyable. While there's potential to be a good game, the frustrating amount of bugs combined with a scaled-back amount of content makes NASCAR 21: Ignition a disappointing racing simulator in its current state, with a caveat that future patches may help improve its standing somewhat.
Ignition is a lot of fun in short bursts, which is great. The problem is that doesn't tend to be what people look for in a game that is supposed to accurately represent a real sport. While it might not be all that healthy to sit in front of a screen for hours on end, isn't that what tends to happen when you play a really good sports game? Doing so well on FIFA that you can't help but start up another match as soon as the last one has finished. Riding the high of a pole position in F1 and having no other choice but to start the next race weekend. The problem with Ignition is the next race weekend is the same as the last. After three or four you'll probably need a break. If you're looking for a fun and simple racing that doesn't require a deeper knowledge of the sport or its cars' inner workings then Ignition is perfect. If you're looking for a sports game that is going to occupy the bulk of your gaming time for the next 12 months, then probably not so much.
Quick background on me the reviewer, I tend to like single player games that is heavy on narrative the most. I also play a lot of racing games and use to play multiplayer games in my high school days but now that it's hard for me and my friends to find a good time to link up so now it’s more rare for me to get into a multiplayer game. Up to try any genre of games and sometimes I find something new that I didn't think I'd like. I own a PC (built by me), Xbox One X, Xbox Series X, PS3, PS4, PS5, and a Switch. I prefer Playstation due to their focus on narrative games. For scoring, I’ll be using the Gameinformer review scale and of coursed influenced by my personal opinions.
Original Review
(2) Broken basically unplayable. This game is so insufficient in execution that any value would be derived in extremely small quantities. If at all
Unplayable, haven't been able to complete a race without some dramatic spin that shouldn't have happened or without the game crashing. I tried playing it at launch and gave it three months afterwards, same issues. Been thinking about installing it again to see if it's fixed but I'm not. There really isn't a career mode and only has the main series. I'll probably go back to Heat 5.
Updated Review
(5) Flawed. It may be obvious that the game has lots of potential, but its most engaging features could be undeniably flawed or not integrated into the experience.
I can play it now. Point system broken and very little content.
It's very disappointing compared to HEAT 5, only thing better is graphics (slightly) and fact it has pain booth which is very cool and you have 5 slots so you don't have to keep overwriting your current pain scheme like in Heat 5. It's missing a lot of features ,career mode is really bare bones as said before and engineer keeps yapping at you like a **** repeating himself over and over which can get really annoying. If you have HEAT 4 stick with this for now and if you want slightly updated roster go with HEAT 5.
I don`t like the physics engine. It just feels wrong.
I don´t know why but iRacing just has the best Nascar Simulation, Nascar 21 ist pretty far away from that feeling...
I feel that maybe in even being too generous with a score of 3! Pros : ****'s looks ok and the handling isn't too bad, bit too twitchy on pad and I darent use my wheel yet going by what others have said. Paint booth is not bad, needs a zoom option, option to change lighting mode and really needs some alphabet adding but it's better than anything we've had on console since NASCAR 15
Cons: where to start...
Ai has no I!! Constantly being taken out by cars jumping up and down the track like it's the last lap.
Yellow flags work sometimes and not others, can take up to 30 seconds to come out by which times your race is finished
No stage racing
Can't use your custom schemes in career mode
When you finally get a caution and pit, I select no repairs (damage is off) and fill it up with fuel, so the pit crew fix none existent damage and don't give you any fuel, you then go to restart and it's pure pot luck what position you will end up in and then to add insult to injury the cars last thing it does for you before handing control back to you is to throw itself left or right into other cars...
No fuel gauge or rear view mirror, lap counter is stuck on lap 1 through the entire race, need to keep switching cameras to see what lap I'm on.
Ai races like it's the final lap straight away, will bang right into you and just keep shoving until you have spun out.
No alphabet in the paint booth, you can't put your own name on the car or remove the number completely to make your own.
So in ****'s a complete shambles **** right now, it can't even do the basics right and the Devs announce a patch and then go dark for a week, doesn't fill you with confidence!
SummaryNASCAR 21: Ignition redefines the official video game of the world’s most popular stock car racing series. With incredible graphics and immersive gameplay, NASCAR 21: Ignition brings a whole new level of authenticity and atmosphere to the NASCAR Cup Series.
Complete with official drivers, teams and tracks from the 2021 NASCAR Cup Ser...