NASCAR 08 is among the pantheon of EA titles with no discernable competition. This lack of competition can sometimes lead to some stagnant games, especially when they are released on a yearly basis. Exclusive license in hand, EA has added just enough to warrant another purchase for die-hard enthusiasts of the oval track, but not nearly enough to suggest that this game is suitable for the casual fan.

NASCAR 08 is a very light game. There is a dearth of features and what is here lacks any depth. There is no career mode to speak of, just the ability to simulate seasons. There is also a new feature called "The Chase" which plays well but ends far too quickly. All of the factions of NASCAR are represented: Craftsman truck, Busch, and of course the crown jewel Nextel cup. Even the racer-dreaded Car of Tomorrow (COT) makes a dubious appearance. Players may either play or simulate entire parts of the season; however, the lack of depth becomes readily apparent early on in gameplay. Only single seasons can be managed and played, so going for broke in every race is your only real option, as there is no overarching game to speak of. Sure there are the point standings and the final ten races where you race for the cup, but there is a definite lack of intensity in their haphazard attempt at a career mode.

Yep, it's Nascar.

Without any discernable career mode, the next best offering is The Chase. Here players must pass a series of challenges to earn a license and eventually gain the chance to race for a specific team. There's a license for super speedway, speedway, Car of Tomorrow short track, COT road course, COT speedway, and COT super speedway. Your challenges include learning how to drift, learning to pass through turns at speed, and figuring out the best racing lines to use; all with the help of visual guides. Oddly, this is one of the best features in the game. It is a sort of instruction for those who know little about NASCAR driving. This addition is interesting and very helpful but, at the same time, it would have been better if they had spent more effort developing the rest of the game.

After gaining a license, your no-name driver gets a two race deal with a team. From here, players are offered a ride for the season which is a far better set-up than in previous years. Prior to this, players were forced to work their way up through the lesser races, such as the Craftsman series, before they were even given a shot at the Nextel Cup. Now players can jump right in and have the closest thing to a career mode that NASCAR 08 offers. Yet, just like the regular season mode, it ends after only one season so there is absolutely no weight to your success or failure. The biggest complaint here is that the mode itself is not bad, just far too short and no substitute for a proper career mode. Hopefully next season players will be able to choose pit crews, perhaps build a team, and actually work on their car. As it stands now, this is the most redeeming mode in the game, but it's still fairly lackluster.

Thankfully, cars can be customized to a great extent with every little tweak making a difference. Although the changes are not quite as important in the single player game, when playing with others, they make a big difference. There is even an option to share set-ups with other people online, which is a great tool for enthusiasts or those who just want to learn. Visually, cars have very little that can be done with them and that's a shame. There are few paint options and a limited amount of decals to choose from, which is a great disappointment, given the amount of customization that exists with every other facet of a vehicle.

Control-wise, things are incredibly touchy to such a degree that a wheel is almost required. Even when the responsiveness is turned down, there is still a huge jump in your car every time you so much as tap the stick. This is made more frustrating by a moronic AI that loves to tap from behind. Although tapping is a significant part of NASCAR, the computer seems to blissfully ignore you, causing massive damage and spinning you out as they follow their own racing lines. In any other game this might not be an issue, but when the controls are as they are and the taps come as often as they do, (as much as sixty in one race) it can grow irritating. Similarly, every single bump will hurt you, which will utimately lead to some serious frustration after prolonged sessions of play.

Online play is actually enjoyable, assuming you can find other players. Up to eleven players can be matched up, but finding that many is another story. As of press time, finding more than two other people to play is nearly impossible, which is a shame. The game is relatively lag-free and everything runs mostly smooth. However, there is a strange issue that only seems to exist in online races. This has to do with yellow flags. For whatever reason, even if a crash does not occur near you, on the restart you will be behind the people who crashed, instead of having the ability to lap them like in a real race. This is a huge problem. Without the ability to pass others at some level, there is no consequence for the actions of the people in front. In other words, if they want to have a demolition derby and not have anyone catch up, they will be able to do just that. It's a pretty broken mechanic, and adds to the list of things wrong with this game.

Outside of these races, there isn't much else to do in the lackluster career mode.

The graphics suffer from many problems found in the last generation. Aliasing issues are prevalent on the cars and tracks. Most of the special effects such as dirt, smoke, or even the grass kicked up during doughnuts at mid-field look average at best. Never once while playing this game was there anything that screams next generation. In fact, at times a PS2 rendition might not have looked any worse than the jagged edges visible while going around a turn. The saving grace of the whole situation lies in the damage system which is still overwrought. Watching it in the replays is pretty entertaining, especially when every tap sends parts flying. The overall presentation, though, is seriously lacking.

In the end, the game feels more like a sixty dollar roster update than another addition in the franchise. Ironically, the cars sound great and racing is interesting once you get the hang of it. However, with so many omissions, it's difficult to recommend this game to anyone who is not a die-hard fan of NASCAR. Even then, they might be better off sticking with an old copy or purchasing '07 from the bargain bin. The Chase is the only feature that really stands out, but even that needs work. Perhaps with a bit more time in the shop, this will be a game worthy of its NASCAR history. As the game stands now, it's a few cylinders short of a working engine.