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

26%

Audience ScoreBased on 451 reviews

graphics20 positive mentions

stability42 negative mentions

The game features impressive graphics, especially at night, making it visually appealing.
The paint booth allows for deep customization of cars, which is a highlight for many players.
Some players find the racing experience enjoyable despite the bugs, and the game has potential for improvement.

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 such as cautions, a rearview mirror, and proper wheel support are missing, significantly detracting from the overall experience.

graphics
56 mentions
36 % 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, numerous reports highlight significant graphical glitches, performance issues on lower-end PCs, and inconsistent quality, particularly in cockpit views. Overall, while the graphics can be stunning at times, they are marred by technical problems that detract from the experience.
- “Yes, it has some bugs but overall it has great racing, great graphics, and an amazing career mode.”
- “The graphics give a good experience, with many great screenshot chances available.”
- “Beautiful graphics.”
- “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 compared to something like AC Competizione or Forza.”
stability
42 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 detract from the overall experience. While some players find humor in the game's flaws, many express frustration over the unplayable state caused by frequent crashes, poorly coded AI, and missing features. Despite its potential, the game is viewed as unfinished and in dire need of 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, and random crashing of the game for no apparent reason.”
gameplay
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it enjoyable for skilled racers, while others criticize its controls and lack of essential mechanics like tire life and fuel mileage indicators. Although the graphics and soundtracks are praised, performance issues such as low frame rates on high-end systems and repetitive spotter dialogue detract from the overall experience. Customization options also need improvement to enhance player engagement.
- “Easily gameplay control.”
- “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 for smooth FPS, but overall the gameplay isn't that bad. NASCAR Heat 5 has less effort put into it compared to this game, as it doesn't have the 2022 cars, but this game already includes them. One thing is that the customization needs a bit of work, as I would like to have letter decals on my car to avoid a simplistic look, but this game is good for skilled drivers.”
- “The gameplay and graphics are fine, though they need work.”
- “The gameplay isn't very normal; I hate the game.”
- “Game is horrible; there is no mechanic to tell you tire life, fuel mileage, or if you're blowing up.”
- “Mechanics seem okay when they are working.”
music
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players criticizing it as lacking and giving it a low score, while others praise it as one of the standout features, describing it as "incredible" and "top tier." Overall, opinions vary significantly, highlighting a divide between those who find the soundtrack disappointing and those who appreciate its quality.
- “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.”
- “Soundtrack also needs fixing.”
- “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?”
optimization
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
13 % 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 absence of a review mirror is likely due to these performance constraints, particularly on older consoles. Overall, the game is described as incomplete and unplayable for those sensitive to performance quality.
- “Then have you earn reputation and money for events won, and have racing teams want to sign you based on performance.”
- “The developers claim they can't implement certain features due to performance reasons, as the game barely runs at a constant 30 fps, mostly hovering around 20 fps, although it's still playable.”
- “My guess is that they were experiencing performance issues with the mirror and decided not to add it until those issues are resolved.”
- “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
4 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 in interactions with the AI. While some users note that the game's technical issues can be frustrating, many appreciate the comedic value they add, making for a fun and entertaining experience overall.
- “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
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game lacks a narrative, with players simply racing against groups of cars without any engaging story or context, resulting in a monotonous experience reminiscent of indie racing games.
- “No story or other racing leagues or anything compelling at all.”
- “☑ no story”
- “In such ways the cars group 'like indie cars once did' and become 'NASCAR' whereupon your mission is to beat them.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, prioritizing visuals over core gameplay mechanics that defined classic racing titles. Reviewers express disappointment that the focus seems to be on generating revenue rather than enhancing the gaming experience, suggesting a disconnect from the franchise's foundational values.
- “For a game company that says it's bringing the thunder back, it seems they don't understand the core values that made it a hall of fame game. Thunder 03 and 04 are still the staples for modern racing games, but no developer seems to focus on the gameplay anymore. It's all about visuals to cash in on whatever their next non-racing product could be.”
- “Probably one of the best examples of a cash grab to date.”
replayability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users note that the game offers significant replayability, particularly highlighting the enjoyable nature of the heat games, which enhances overall playability.
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of effort akin to having a second life to keep up with progression.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
atmosphere
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere at the track is perceived as lacking uniqueness, with reviewers noting a need for more engaging elements such as tailgating, fan interactions, and driver interviews to enhance the overall experience.
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is marked by frustration, as players express dissatisfaction with the lack of caution flags and the randomness of race positions after pitting under yellow, leading to feelings of unfairness and unpredictability.