NASCAR Heat 5
| NASCAR Heat 5 | |
|---|---|
 Cover art featuring Chase Elliott | |
| Developer(s) | 704Games |
| Publisher(s) | Motorsport Games |
| Series | NASCAR Heat |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 4 Xbox One |
| Release | Gold Edition: July 7, 2020 Standard Edition: July 10, 2020 |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
NASCAR Heat 5 is a racing video game simulating the 2020 NASCAR season. It was developed by 704Games and was published by Motorsport Games on July 10, 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows via Steam. Chase Elliott is the cover athlete for the standard edition, and Tony Stewart is the cover athlete for the Gold Edition.[1]
Gameplay
Other than a new single-player track testing mode, gameplay remained largely the same as its predecessor, NASCAR Heat 4.[2] Minor tweaks to pit stops, the paint booth and in-race did not finishes (DNFs) were also introduced.[3]
Development and release
After having Monster Games develop the first four installments of the rebooted NASCAR Heat series, publisher 704Games took over development and handed publishing over to Motorsport Games.[3] Heat 5 is set to release on July 7, 2020 for those who pre-ordered the Gold Edition; standard copies of the game were released on July 10, 2020.[1] Along with the early release date, the Gold Edition includes bonus spotter voices, paint schemes and career mode opportunities.[4] Additional downloadable content packs were also announced with the release of the game.[5]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 59/100[6] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| SportsGamersOnline | 7.25/10[7] |
| PC Invasion | 5.5/10[8] |
| Forbes | 7.5/10[9] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 3.5/5[10] |
Before its release, Heat 5 was criticized for focusing on minor changes instead of addressing major issues that previous Heat titles had. Developer 704Games claimed that the approach was due to limitations of legacy code that the game was built on.[11]
Soundtrack
| Song | Artist |
|---|---|
| Again & Again | Fire Fences |
| Earthquake | Matthew Szlachetka |
| HEAT | Avoid |
| Keep the Car Running | Andrew Leahey |
| Late Bloomer | Brett Wiscons |
| Let's Go Out Tonight | Bradley Wik and the Charlatans |
| Long Year | Steve Everett |
| Never Love You | Steve Everett |
| Pay Day | Fire Fences |
| Right There All Along | Matthew Szlachetka |
| Song About James | Avoid |
| We're Gonna Be OK | Hey Monea |
References
- ^ a b Utter, Jim (May 6, 2020). "NASCAR Heat 5 set to launch two editions in July". Motorsport. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ McCaffrey, Ryan (May 5, 2020). "NASCAR Heat 5 Announced". IGN. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ a b Kato, Matthew (May 6, 2020). "NASCAR Heat 5 Makes Pit Road Adjustments". GameInformer. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ Payant, John (May 6, 2020). "NASCAR News: NASCAR Heat 5 released in July with legend Stewart bonus content". Autosport. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ "NASCAR Heat 5 Is Coming". PSNation. May 6, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ Metacritic staff. "NASCAR Heat 5 reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
- ^ Michael Straw (2020-07-07). "NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Finishing Strong". SportsGamersOnline. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ^ Kurt Perry (2020-07-13). "NASCAR Heat 5 review — The art of turning left". PCInvasion. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ^ Brian Mazique (2020-07-08). "NASCAR Heat 5 Review: Steady, Consistent And Safe". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ^ Cory Wells (2020-07-09). "Review: NASCAR Heat 5". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ^ Kato, Matthew (May 6, 2020). "What's In Store For The Future Of NASCAR Heat". GameInformer. Retrieved May 7, 2020.