The highly anticipated NASCAR video game coming from Motorsport Games later this year dropped some new information on Monday in an interview posted on IGN.
Plenty is still to be revealed for the game, including the official name, but there have been some tidbits confirmed. It’s known that after Studio 397’s acquisition earlier in the year that rFactor 2 physics will be the basis for the new NASCAR title. Another thing that’s been confirmed is that the game is coming this year, but until now, that’s been about it.
With five sparkly new images to dissect and some words from Motorsport Games Vice President of Publishing & Marketing George Holmquist, more light has been unveiled on what’s in store for the future of NASCAR gaming. “It’s very important for us to ensure this game is of a quality our users expect, and it’s a step up from the Heat franchise,” Holmquist said at the end of the interview.
The future is certainly looking bright.
It’s been confirmed in the IGN interview that the new game will feature a new game engine utilizing the Unreal Engine and a more effective paint booth that yields more realistic paint schemes. The interview doesn’t mention any of the lower series, as it’s just focused on what’s in store for the NASCAR Cup Series.
“Using the Unreal engine just brings the graphics [and] the gameplay into more of a AAA style of game,” explained George.
With the updated physics, players can look forward to a more realistic-feeling racer. Engineers and drivers have been enlisted to shed light on the handling characteristics in a realistic scope while some fan input will hopefully brighten the feeling that gamers will get when they join a race.
Those comments shouldn’t be taken lightly, as one of the gripes from past NASCAR Heat games has been poor handling and driving characteristics.
OK, that’s enough light puns for now. Let the images here provide all the illumination needed on what to expect in the new game. Firstly, these images all portray an amazing lighting profile within the engine. Bright and shiny surfaces with contrasting darkness, vibrant colors and so much more meet many pleasure centers in the eye test.
There is a high level of detail presented with many different surfaces, whether matte, glossy or metallic, all reflecting the light differently. The shot above with the scoring pylon reflects the glow of the tower off the two surfaces on either side, probably a shot taken in between two haulers in the infield.
We see a few close-ups of the No. 78 Motorsport Games Ford Mustang for Live Fast Motorsports, driven by team owner B.J. McLeod. The image at the top shows the car as it passes the stripe at the historic Daytona Int’l Speedway. The detail in the landscape is incredible. The rough surface of the track with the attention to the suites, stands, flag stand, light fixtures and catch fence all bring the image to life.
In a darker picture at an unknown circuit, possibly at Pocono Raceway because of the notorious lateness in the day coupled with the campgrounds just on the other side of the fence, the sunlight peeks through the No. 78’s window net, flaring hexagonally into the frame of the rest of the picture. A video board zoomed in on the roof rail of Ryan Blaney is also seen beyond the fence, neighboring a camper and a burger truck.
Another close-up of the car shows the detail in the coarse pavement. The shadowy light reflects off the glossy paint job, creating a mirror image of the pavement on the side of the car. From here, like above, the hood pins and windshield tear-offs are seen as 3D components and not as flat parts of the 2D template.
A final image provided takes the scene to Homestead-Miami Speedway. Homestead-Miami was once the championship finale with races transitioning from day to night. The sun is fairly low in this image, which could suggest a transition, but that’s not been confirmed.
This last image is pretty zoomed out, but it also might provide the most detail in it.
Can we talk about the grass for a second? Each blade seems to be individually rendered, as does each leaf on the lone palm tree in the frame. The track itself is detailed, but the shadows are scarily realistic. The stands are packed, and like at Daytona, the entire environment seems to have a huge attention to small details. Even the infield is on point.
There is a car sitting at the end of pit road in the distance. At first glance, it almost looks like a NASCAR NEXT Gen Ford Mustang. Upon further review, with Homestead-Miami as the official Ford Racing weekend of NASCAR, it’s likely only just a pace car, likely a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 at that.
Motorsport Games’ untitled NASCAR game is due to release at some point later this year. We’ll be all over the news when it happens, so keep it pinned here at Traxion.GG as it gets closer to release.
For now, check out Tom’s interview with Paul Coleman and Marcel Offermans from earlier this year down below!
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