Nascar 21: Ignition

NASCAR 21 Ignition provides a sufficient, no-frills NASCAR-themed racing game with little else going for it.

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"NASCAR 21: Ignition" is a racing simulation game featuring the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series. Experience realistic racing with detailed graphics and official NASCAR teams, drivers, and cars. Improve your skills and compete for the championship in a challenging and immersive motorsport experience.

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Play Modes

Reviews

31%

Audience ScoreBased on 907 reviews

graphics40 positive mentions

stability85 negative mentions

The graphics are visually appealing, especially at night, giving a realistic feel of watching a race on TV.
The paint booth feature allows for deep customization of cars, which many players find enjoyable.
Some players appreciate the driving physics and handling of the cars, especially when using a racing wheel.

The game is plagued with numerous bugs and crashes, making it nearly unplayable for many users.
AI behavior is inconsistent and often leads to unrealistic racing scenarios, including frequent wrecks and poor decision-making.
Key features expected in a NASCAR game, such as cautions, a rearview mirror, and proper wheel support, are missing or poorly implemented.

graphics
113 mentions
35 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the visuals, especially at night, and noting improvements over previous titles. However, significant issues such as graphical glitches, inconsistent performance across different hardware, and a lack of customization options detract from the overall experience. While some players find the graphics stunning, others criticize them for being bland or reminiscent of older games, indicating a need for further refinement.
- “Yes, it has some bugs but overall it has great racing, great graphics, and an amazing career mode.”
- “Beautiful graphics.”
- “Very good game overall, graphics are amazing, the physics are funny, and the online is not that bad!”
- “The game also generally has major graphic issues that sometimes prevent the entire screen from being seen.”
- “Had a race and as noted by a lot on here, graphical glitches galore; the replays were unwatchable too.”
- “My next big gripe is the graphics; even with everything cranked up to ultra, it just looks very bland. Compare this game to something like AC Competizione or Forza, or even iRacing in its current state, which looks better than this game.”
stability
85 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly hinder gameplay. While some players find humor in the glitches, many express frustration over the unplayable state of the game, particularly with the AI and online features. Overall, the game is seen as unfinished and in need of substantial patches to address its myriad stability problems.
- “Basic races around oval tracks are met with glitches galore, poorly coded AI, and horrid performance issues.”
- “Constantly crashed or locks/freezes up rendering the game completely unplayable 95% of the time; the AI is more frustrating than a box of bricks.”
- “No stage racing, the caution system is broken, the AI have no sense at all, the spotter is broken, the options screen will sometimes crash the game, cars will spawn with damage on lap 1, no feedback or little feedback in a controller or wheel, no mirror, no key binding customization, no custom setups, graphical glitches, the game swapped my clutch pedal and gas pedal for whatever reason, and random crashing of the game for no apparent reason.”
gameplay
20 mentions
20 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it enjoyable if they are skilled at racing, while others criticize it for lacking essential mechanics like tire life and fuel mileage indicators. Additionally, there are complaints about repetitive spotter dialogue and performance issues, particularly regarding frame rates, suggesting that the game may require a more powerful CPU for optimal play. Overall, while the graphics and soundtracks are praised, the gameplay experience is marred by significant frustrations and a need for better customization options.
- “A really good NASCAR game if you're good at racing, but if you swerve all over the track, you might think it's a bad game because you believe the AI is bad. The soundtracks and graphics in this game are really good, but I get 30 FPS when I get to the front stretch of any track. You might need a better CPU because this game requires a lot of CPU power for smooth FPS. Overall, the gameplay isn't that bad compared to NASCAR Heat 5, which has less effort put into it. This game already has the 2022 cars, but the customization needs a bit of work, as I would like to have letter decals on my car to avoid a simplistic look. However, this game is good for skilled drivers.”
- “The gameplay and graphics are fine, though they need work.”
- “Mechanics seem okay when they are working.”
- “The gameplay isn't very normal feeling; I hate the game.”
- “Game is horrible, there is no mechanic to tell you tire life, fuel mileage, or if you're blowing up.”
- “[major graphical issues, bigger gameplay issues, frustrating gameplay overall]”
music
16 mentions
38 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the soundtrack as one of its standout features, describing it as "incredible" and "top tier." However, others criticize it, suggesting that it needs improvement and expressing disappointment with the choices made in promotional materials. Overall, while some players enjoy the music, others find it lacking, leading to a divided opinion on this aspect.
- “Edit 3: after almost 3 years of this game being out, this is my current thoughts on the game: the soundtrack is incredible, easily one of the better parts of the game.”
- “Crash physics are good, music is top tier, and the game looks stunning.”
- “Edit: forgot to mention the soundtrack is pretty good.”
- “Music 2/10”
- “What are you even doing if you hype the game in the trailer? Why use an energetic workout song in a racing game trailer when you don’t even add anything in the game?”
- “Soundtrack also needs fixing.”
optimization
16 mentions
13 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is severely lacking, with frequent glitches, poorly coded AI, and significant performance issues, often struggling to maintain a stable 30 fps, and frequently dropping to 20 fps. Players have reported that the game is nearly unplayable on consoles, with features like a rearview mirror omitted due to performance constraints. Overall, the experience is marred by these optimization shortcomings, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience.
- “Then have you earn rep and money for events won and have racing teams want to sign you based on performance.”
- “My guess is that they were having performance issues with the mirror and decided not to add it until.”
- “Basic races around oval tracks are met with glitches galore, poorly coded AI, and horrid performance issues.”
- “The devs claim they can't do it because of performance reasons (the game barely runs a constant 30 fps, mostly 20 fps although it's playable).”
- “Incomplete, unoptimized, unplayable.”
humor
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game largely stems from its numerous bugs and glitches, which players find amusing, particularly when interacting with the AI. While some users note that the glitches can be frustrating, many appreciate the comedic potential of the chaotic gameplay, leading to entertaining moments and funny dialogue. Overall, the game's humor is seen as a highlight, contributing to its fun despite technical issues.
- “While this game is very buggy, the bugs make the game stupid, and therefore very funny to play (especially to laugh at the AI).”
- “This has 'wangled' the code as such and made it bad - a game - still quite fun, if you want to be a hilarious human enemy interloper on the NASCAR planet - and say things like 'get away from me, you damn dirty NASCAR!?'”
- “Very good game overall, graphics are amazing, the physics are funny, and the online is not that bad!”
story
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game lacks a compelling story, with players simply tasked to beat other cars without any narrative or engaging context. There are no additional racing leagues or story elements to enhance the experience.
- “No story or other racing leagues or anything compelling at all.”
- “☑ no story”
- “☑ no story”
monetization
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, prioritizing visuals over core gameplay mechanics that defined earlier iconic titles. Reviewers express disappointment that the focus seems to be on generating revenue rather than delivering a quality racing experience, suggesting that the developers have lost sight of what made the franchise successful.
- “Probably one of the best examples of a cash grab to date.”
- “For a game company that says it's bringing the thunder-like system back, it seems they aren't understanding the core values of what made it a hall of fame game. Thunder 03 & 04 are still the staples for modern racing games, but no developer seems to build the bones of gameplay anymore. It's all visuals to cash grab for whatever their next non-racing product could be. If this is for NASCAR 22 funding, then by all means, work on gameplay, and if it takes away some visual aspects, do it.”
replayability
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight that the game offers significant replayability, particularly noting that the heat games enhance the overall play experience. This suggests that players find value in revisiting the game due to its engaging mechanics.
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it requires an unrealistic amount of effort akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
atmosphere
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere at the track is generally perceived as lacking uniqueness, with reviewers noting a desire for more engaging elements such as tailgating, fan interactions, and driver interviews to enhance the overall experience.
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is largely overshadowed by frustrations related to gameplay mechanics, such as inconsistent caution flags and random positioning after pit stops, which detract from the overall experience. Players express disappointment over these elements, indicating a lack of emotional engagement due to gameplay inconsistencies.