NASCAR Racing 4 (PC)

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Of course, everything mentioned above looks much better on a powerful computer. Papyrus really aimed high with NASCAR Racing 4 and enabled 32-bit color and resolutions as high as the fastest video cards will support. With a 1GHz Athlon and a GeForce 2 GTS running at 1024x768 resolution, full-field NASCAR Racing 4 oval races purred along smoothly. Road courses such as Watkins Glen seem a bit more demanding, but the game rarely slows enough to affect performance. Even if your computer isn't up to snuff, the graphics are still quite acceptable at a resolution of 640x480.

Unfortunately, the retail version of the game seems somewhat prone to lockups and crashes. On two test machines, NASCAR Racing 4 locked up an average of once every couple of hours. Granted, fatal errors occurred only when loading a track or switching out of the program--never in the midst of an event.

Nevertheless, NASCAR Racing veterans should be thrilled with what is arguably the game's most important element, the physical on-track experience. NASCAR Racing 4 is noticeably more difficult than NASCAR Racing 3, but at the same time, it's more interesting and not so taxing that you'll get frustrated. In fact, it's a virtually perfect blend of driving realism and difficulty. According to NASCAR Racing 4 senior engineer Shawn Nash, the physics engine used in the game is similar to that of Papyrus' award-winning simulation, Grand Prix Legends. The developers did tweak certain features after making precise measurements based on actual specs gleaned from NASCAR garages.

Most notably, the NASCAR Racing 4 vehicle model feels less attached to the racing surface than the models of its predecessors. It rides upon the track on four distinct and unique points, each of which is quite capable of individual reactions. You will spend more time sliding now. You will spend more time adjusting for turns and correcting during them, especially if you're a habitual late braker. And you will definitely spend more time trying to reel in your rear end, which slowly pitches out when cornering speed is excessive. It is an exceptionally rigorous and exhilarating experience.

On ovals, fast setups clearly pull to the left. On superspeedways, even minor bodywork damage will upset aerodynamics and diminish top speed, giving your artificially intelligent opposition just the break it needs. The NASCAR Racing series has continually offered strong computer opponents, and that much hasn't changed in the latest version. Only now, they are an overtly aggressive bunch. They'll counterattack when you've outbraked them into a turn, and you'll frequently be bumped and even sent into a spin if you don't play it conservatively and give them the room they feel they deserve. They'll chase you down the straight and tap you from the rear if you do something foolish--or even if you don't. Though it's undeniably annoying, such behavior certainly is in keeping with real-life NASCAR action.

In a true testament to their newfound humanity, computer drivers will no longer come to a dead stop when blocked by a stalled or crashed car. Now, they'll move around obstacles intelligently and quickly, thus solving one of NASCAR Racing's more enduring problems. They do remain robotic during pace laps and the first few moments of a race, where their perfect side-by-side alignment seems a bit too predetermined. However, they'll pull all sorts of realistic maneuvers after that, including riding the apron to make a pass or initiating altercations with one another. The result is more independent accidents, which is a welcome change.

Yet even the smartest artificial intelligence doesn't compare to the best human drivers. NASCAR Racing 4 includes sophisticated multiplayer support that permits competition with more than 40 fellow enthusiasts on one of several online services. Performance does seem to vary according to the number of players involved (and, in turn, the time of day), but the thrill of racing real people is worth the hassle. Your best bet is to play over a fast connection and during off-hours.

You'd also be well advised to run the game through a surround-sound audio setup, if only to fully immerse yourself in the diversity of its authentic sound effects. Past versions don't even come close to what Papyrus has prepared this time, particularly during collisions, when the sudden brutality of such an event is effectively translated through an incredible array of gritty crunches and wallops. Even at speed, the intermittent chirps of a blown gear, the scratch of a gentle brush with the wall, the distinctive engine notes, and the assorted undercarriage pings and knocks all add much to the experience.

The game is unfortunately bereft of a career mode, but it does sport the usual single race, testing sessions, championship, and custom season options. The garage is as complex as ever, the paint shop utility is even more refined, and the animated pit crew is atmospheric if still somewhat crude. In final analysis, NASCAR Racing 4 is an enthusiastic and ambitious project that is worthy of any oval lover's attention. Minor blemishes aside, it is easily the finest stock car sim available and quite possibly the best racing game to date.

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