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In a recent review of NASCAR Heat, I suggested that game may have caused Papyrus to delay NASCAR 4. That game is now scheduled for release in February 2001, but how does it compare with the reigning champ?

It's not really fair to judge a finished game with a demo, but this is no ordinary demo. Nearly 80 megs big, folks are already saying it's better than some real games. I don't know if I'd go that far since the play options are very limited, but it does serve to open the door just a crack and let us see what's coming in about three months…

The demo consists of two tracks, Michigan and Dover, and two modes of play, practice and multiplayer. Equipment demands are high – a P3/500 is the minimum suggested CPU and my P2/400 falls short. Even in practice mode, I notice a bit of stutter in the frame rate, and that doesn't bode well for what would happen with a couple dozen other cars on the track. Looks like it's upgrade time again.

Graphics – edge to NH
Clearly, the team that will bring us N4 is dedicating more effort to the feel of the game than the look. That isn't to say that it looks bad, just that after playing NH, both the cars and the tracks seem bland compared to the vivid graphics in the Hasbro game.

The only game view I've found is a cockpit view, and the portion of the screen where anything is actually happening is, once again, smaller than the previous incarnation. The cockpit looks good, but we want to see the track, guys – this is like going on an cruise and only being allowed to view the scenery through a porthole!

The menus are both intuitive and attractive. Especially nice is the screen where the player chooses his car. Best reflections I've ever seen – too bad that the view on the track isn't similarly rich and detailed…

One little touch that was especially nice – if the car gets backward in a spin, the roof flaps pop up. Kudos also for the smoke, which is the most realistic yet.

Audio – edge to N4
Ah, now THAT is what a racing engine is supposed to sound like! There are a few glitches – the normal track sounds drop out for a couple seconds when you tap the wall and the spotter is a little murky-sounding, but there's a real growl to the sound which adds to the experience. And in an online race when I forgot to activate the mirror, I could easily tell how close an opponent car was just from the sound.

Interface/Options : N/A
Since few options are available in the N4 demo, I'm not in a position to fully evaluate how the two will compare, but it seems that everything that was available in N3 will also be there in N4, with many more setup car options available.

One option held over from previous versions for which I'm especially grateful is that you can turn off the damage so you can practice without having to restart the session every time you brush the wall. Hint, hint, Hasbro…

Gameplay
If the demo is any indication, NASCAR 4 is going to take stockcar sims to a whole new level. Heat started us on the path, but N4 goes much farther. Elements of the Grand Prix Legends physics engine have been incorporated into the latest version of the game, and the difference is phenomenal. Driving at the limit is very difficult, but that only makes a good lap more rewarding.

Just stomping on the brake or gas and flinging the steering wheel will not suffice. In my first online race, we had a standing start and I just floored it at the drop of the green. Before you could say “Dick Trickle,” I'd bounced off the wall and down into the grass. There are options for traction and stability control, but just as you wouldn't play a flight sim with the autopilot locked on all the time, it spoils the fun to have the game act as your nanny.

The car is very sensitive to throttle input in the corners. Clumsy inputs will unbalance the car and recovery is neither automatic nor instantaneous. I've spent a lot of time looping through the infield after I've overcorrected exiting a turn. Unlike Heat, if you get down on the apron, it doesn't mean an automatic spinout. In fact, there's almost no discernable effect, which is disappointing in light of the realism of the handling otherwise.

One thing that I don't like about the demo is the greatly exaggerated pull of the car to the left. Perhaps this is realistic, but it's a nuisance after a while, especially if you don't have your wheel perfectly adjusted, causing you to weave back and forth all the way down the straight. Heat added a means to compensate for this in a patch and Papyrus might want to consider this as well.

Another problem is that the game will not recognize my TSW wheel except in direct input mode that makes the steering notchy.

But these difficulties are minor and probably correctable with a little more time with car setups and adjustments to the controller settings. The driving is the object, and that's a joy. The first inclination is to micro-control the car, but the secret is to treat the car like a spirited racehorse and allow it some freedom. A smooth flow will give you much better times than stab-n-steer… There's just enough GPL here to be challenging without being frustrating. Make sure you spend the time needed to adjust your controller settings properly for both limits and linearity. You need to work with the game, not fight against it…

Conclusion – N4 looks like a winner
For those of you without a broadband connection, this could be a very long download, but it's still worth it. N4 is a clean break from the past and it's going to take some time to get used to the new physics. And having a multiplayer option will make it enjoyable as well.

I'm sure the Papyrus team is still hard at work cleaning up the last minute details. I hope the graphics will be livened up a bit by the release date but graphics are only skin deep. Even if the cars all looked like Pacers and Gremlins, I'd still love this game.