Gear up, racing fans. The time has come to jump in a few decal-laden stock cars and take a few left turns. Well, OK, to its credit, NASCAR 08 does run a little bit deeper than that. Players learn all the basics of racing through the game's Car of Tomorrow tutorial mode, guiding them through various challenges as they eventually earn contracts, licenses and esteemed racing glory. Too bad the game barely sputters to the finish line.

However, that can't make up for the game's flat tire issues. The artificial intelligence is horrendously aggressive -- and without a hint of personality, no less. It doesn't feel like Tony Stewart checking your car into the wall, but a robot with Tony Stewart's instincts programmed into it. Worse yet, Total Team Control took a backseat in favor of straight up driving, further taking away from the experience. Players have the option of going through a Season mode, but it feels somewhat shallow compared to the real-life NASCAR experience. To that end, a career mode wasn't included either, making the whole thing feel inadequate.

NASCAR 08's presentation runs on fumes. The graphics look decent in certain areas (particularly with the draft grids and some of the minor damage and smoke effects), but the whole visual package has a ho-hum quality to it. The tracks don't differ that much in design and the cars don't look as detailed as they should. Even with customization tools, they lack that certain gleam on the hood. With audio, players have a wide selection of rock tunes on hand, along with helpful hints from a somewhat lifeless crew chief. For a guy that gets paid to provide driving advice on a full-time basis, one would think he'd be a little more spirited on the job.

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