From the moment NASCAR 25 fires up on PS5, there’s a sense of weight behind iRacing’s ambitions. After years of NASCAR console drought, this is the first marquee return – now under the stewardship of a studio synonymous with serious sim racing. The opening cinematics and menu flow hint at something earnest, yet what lies beneath is a game balancing between simulation aspirations and approachability. In many ways, it feels like the first lap of a long season: full of promise, tentative adjustments, and a few unexpected spins.
The core driving experience is often the strongest pillar here. The game manages to marry nuance and forgiveness in its physics model while handling feels immersive. On a controller, the car behavior is precise enough to reward skill but forgiving enough to catch slight mistakes, especially in the lower ARCA tiers. Yet that goodwill does fray in cornering: the cars tend toward understeer at times, especially in tighter turns or road courses, and braking response can feel muted.
Mode-wise, NASCAR 25 offers the standard spread: Quick Race, Championship, Multiplayer, and most importantly, Career Mode. The premise is appealing – you begin in ARCA, build your reputation, hire staff, improve your car, and climb toward Cup glory. And in theory, off-track decisions like sponsorship tasks, PR and crew upgrades inject texture. In practice, the narrative scaffolding feels thin. The off-track systems rarely interact meaningfully with on-track results; the social media blurbs after races are hampered by repetition and generic tone. You never really feel like the rising contender you’re supposed to be. The milestones -unlocking Truck, Xfinity, Cup tiers – offer a degree of gratification, but the game could have benefitted from deeper narrative arcs, rivalries, or emergent rival stories. Interactions with licensed drivers are nearly nonexistent, which undercuts what should be one of the selling points of having the full NASCAR cast.
Multiplayer, regrettably, is not a place of refuge. The lobby system is simple, and the online experience sometimes decays into mayhem when racers diverge. For console racers who were hoping for robust online competition, this is not the game to deliver it, as the online chaos is exacerbated by the game’s restart, pit, and black flag systems, which occasionally feel opaque or punishing. Black flag triggers are common, and penalties sometimes feel draconian or misaligned with the player’s intentions.
Visually and aurally, NASCAR 25 is a highlight. Tracks look crisp and recognizable, day/night transitions are handled cleanly, and ambient detail – crowds, pit lane drama, car models – gives the world a sense of life. Performance is steady on PS5 with a 60 fps cap, though there is no option to sacrifice visuals for higher frame-rate – something power users might lament. Sound design is another plus: engine tones, ambient track noise, radio chatter and the musical score combine to pull you in.
In conclusion, NASCAR 25 is not a flawless return to NASCAR console gaming – but it’s a solid, if imperfect, first lap. It occupies a middle ground: decent enough for newcomers or casual racers, but wanting of polish and ambition from sim veterans. iRacing’s pedigree sets expectations high, and while they don’t fully meet them here, they lay strong groundwork. If the issues can be sorted and the multiplayer lobbies evolve, this engine has the horsepower for future seasons. For now, fans should approach with optimism tempered by caveats: there’s something real under the hood, but a few key systems need tightening before this car crosses the finish line in truly triumphant fashion.
Score: 7.1/10
Press Play Media 