Unlike other titles from Eutechnyx, players will affect the outcome of races from various views outside of the race car rather than from behind the wheel of the machine. Though players aren't controlling the cars necessarily, they will encounter several key events throughout races that forces players to quickly react to on-screen commands in order to get boosts during races. Players also need to carefully manage important aspects of the race such as frequency of pit stops, how aggressive the driver acts during races and vehicle adjustments for different types of tracks. NASCAR Manager is a fairly unique concept, but it's one that fans of the sport will love, and some will actually enjoy the strategic gameplay in NASCAR Manager over that of traditional racing games.
Players also have to manage their car, driver and team outside of races as well. Players can view upcoming races and make important adjustments to their car's attributes to better fit the racing style associated with the tracks. NASCAR Manager isn't an easy game, and it helps if fans know the sport well before trying to tackle the unique gameplay in the mobile title. Other elements of gameplay include managing sponsors that includes some real life NASCAR sponsors such as Sprint and Pepsi. Players can also purchase new parts or hire different team members for some added benefits in races as represented on the different menus before races. NASCAR Manager includes real racers such as Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. and authentic race tracks that help to make the experience all the more realistic during races as well.
NASCAR Manager features three different ways to play. Speedweeks are special events that allow players to get in some practice and learn how to play the game before heading into other important racing events. There are several different events for players to test out and just learn how to play the game before ever investing any real time into the game. Season Mode is even better and allows players to choose from a large field of NASCAR drivers and enjoy a full season of managing races with a real life driver. Career Mode is similar but allows players to create their own driver and team to manage from the beginnings of a career to a future legend. Career Mode is noticeably more difficult, and players will need to spend a lot more time in this mode of play to work the way through the ranks to become an elite driver capable of easily winning most races, rather than beginning with an already established driver in the other game modes.
The Career and Season modes are complete with authentic tracks and pre-race events. Players will find qualifying events, constantly updated Sprint Cup standings and more to keep them interested in the season and their team's current position in the NASCAR world. The game's presentation is complete with easy to navigate menus and controls that are responsive and easy to understand and follow. The game never fails to be entertaining and gives players plenty to do during a race from the quick time events to managing the car and crew. Players can also activate Rewinds during a race to go back in time and try and improve on race position and avoid mistakes that have huge outcomes on where the player's driver will finish the race. NASCAR Manager is also just a good looking game that accurately captures the NASCAR experience from the realistic tracks to the carefully designed cars, and wrecks are a pretty amazing thing to watch as they happen in the game too.
NASCAR Manager doesn't actually allow players to get behind the wheel of a car, but it still manages to be one of the most fun NASCAR games ever thanks to addictive strategic gameplay ideas that translate well on mobile devices. The game features easy to master touch controls and in-game menus that quickly allows players to customize settings and get back to the action in moments. The game features authentic drivers, cars and tracks from the real NASCAR sport, and it's a good looking game that fans of racing games and NASCAR both can enjoy. NASCAR Manager is one of the better free-to-play games available on mobile devices, and you can download the game today on iOS, Android and other devices to enjoy the exciting thrills of a NASCAR race in your hands.
NASCAR Manager is now available free-to-play on iOS and Android. NASCAR Manager has been rated appropriate for ages 4+. For more information on the game, check out the official NASCAR Manager website.
Game Features:
- Single Player
- Free-to-Play Title
- Features Official Drivers, Tracks and Sponsors
- Upgrade and Customize Cars and Teams
- Play in Career Mode, Season Mode and More
Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Eutechnyx
Platforms: iOS (reviewed) & Android
Release Date: February 27, 2014
Score: 7 out of 10