NASCAR is the ultimate fixture when it comes to racing, but translating it full blast into a video game can be a bit cumbersome. Who can actually sit through over forty laps of going around and around a course? With that, NASCAR: Redline puts players more on the sidelines than on the track itself, and NASCAR: Redline plays out more like a simulator than anything else. That doesn’t mean that this title is anything less enjoyable, however, as you will get addicted trying to improve your vehicle as well as your driving skills as you push your way to the top of the rankings. Do you have what it takes to drive alongside some of NASCAR’s racing greats, or will you just be eating their dust? Increase your chances of placing by reading through this guide.
Gameplay
NASCAR: Redline is a racing simulation game where players can control how a vehicle performs during a NASCAR race. Here, players can control how players actually drive, in the sense that aggression and how you use up your tires can be directed. Players will also be the ones that will decide as to when to pit in order to keep your vehicle in top condition.
Off-track, players can decide as to what components to acquire and install to your vehicle, making it much more suited to the track that you will be racing in. With this, players can improve certain attributes of their vehicle such as their top speed, acceleration, and durability, among others. Players can also train their pit stop crew in order to be more efficient with pitting, shaving off more hours from your time. Choosing sponsors for monetary rewards is also the sole responsibility of the player.
NASCAR: Redline also puts you behind the wheel from time to time, although this is few and far between. Driving stages are limited towards braking and accelerating so that the bar will fall within a predetermined section, which is marked in green of the speedometer. Getting the bar to within this line quickly will make your driver perform better, while doing the opposite might cause him to lose his spot in the rankings.
The game is divided into weeks where players can participate in different races across different courses as well as speak with various entities. Should players not be satisfied with their performance for the week, they can opt to replay it by spending premium currency.
Currency
Cash and E-Cash are the currencies at play within NASCAR: Redline. Cash can be used to train your pit crew to be able to work faster, and can be also used to research and develop new parts for your vehicles so that they can perform better. Cash is awarded by participating in races, although you would probably earn much more should you place higher, both from the race itself as well as from your sponsors.
E-Cash, on the other hand, is the premium currency within the game and can only be acquired via in-app purchases or when players level up. E-Cash can be used to speed up the acquisition of vehicle parts via importing, removing the need to wait for research and development to be completed. E-Cash can also be used to replay weeks should you not be satisfied with your performance, as well as get newer and better sponsors. Players can acquire E-Cash at the Store, with players getting more value out of their money the more that they spend.
Sponsors
Sponsors are pretty much carry ons that players can equip so that they can earn more cash. Different sponsors will have different payment schemes, and they will pay on a per race basis. Sponsors will also pay extra should you place among the top ten in a race. Players will be provided with a default sponsor at the beginning of the game, but they may choose to change sponsors for as long as they have E-Cash to spend.
Upgrades
In order to turn your vehicle into something much more formidable on the track, NASCAR: Redline allows players to customize their parts so that attributes such as top speed, acceleration, durability, grip, and braking can be increased. This is done by acquiring and equipping one or all of any six parts that can be customized. These include the engine, transmission, suspension, aero, brakes, and chassis. Each part will affect certain attributes, and knowing the nature of the track that you will be racing in next will allow players to effectively equip parts that will raise the stats necessary for the course.
Parts can be researched and developed to improve their performance using cash, but using E-Cash, on the other hand, will make the specific part available instantly, as merely using cash will require players to wait a certain period. It is also important to note that players have to keep in mind the capacity of the car, as not all good parts can be installed in the vehicle due to weight and space considerations.
Pitting
Pitting is a very important aspect of the game, as this will help replenish your fuel as well as give you more optimized driving by removing damage from your car. During a race, players can decide to pit and perform tasks such as refuel, change tires, or fix any damages. It is also good to pit when the yellow flag is up as this will not make you lose your place during the race.
The speed by which pitting completes depends on how efficient your Pit Crew is. Their speed can be improved by training them, which is done using cash.
Tactics
During the race, players may choose to change tactics as they see fit. They can race aggressively and pus their tires and gas to the limit. While these may help you get ahead, this will inevitably wear down your vehicle and would require you to make pit stops regularly. Alternately, players can play it cool and lay back, causing less damage to your vehicles and consuming less fuel but at the expense of losing ground against other racers. Players can play and adjust with the three available settings accordingly based on how they are currently performing.
Racing
During the race is where all the elements mentioned above come together. All races start with tuning, which is a mini-game similar to requiring your revs to be within the predetermined area. This will decide as to what position you will be starting in the race. At the main screen, players will be able to see their progress in the map against other players, with commentary showing up at the bottom. At this point, players can choose to change tactics or pit as they desire.
From time to time, players will then switch to driving mode where they will have to play a mini game which would decide whether their performance would improve or degrade. Players have no control as to when this will activate, so keeping an eye on the game while the race is ongoing is absolutely essential. There is also a speedup button where players can set the speed by which the race progresses if they do not want to wait.
Players will initially finish within the last few places during their first races, but with the proper training and parts installed, they will be able to slowly but surely climbed the ranks until they are able to penetrate the top ten.