NASCAR Heat 5

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
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  1. Forbes
    Aug 4, 2020
    75
    Gameplay was a strength of NASCAR Heat 4, and that has been augmented for NH5. The play is so much fun, it helps to compensate for some of the presentation issues, and what I’d describe as a lack of creativity in other areas. Those issues prevent the game from being great. That said, I’d still consider it the strongest release in the series’ history, and a solid get for NASCAR and racing fans.
  2. GameCritics
    Aug 24, 2020
    70
    It’s an excellent racing experience held together with numerous player-friendly gameplay options and superb controls, but anyone who played NASCAR Heat 4 will likely get a feeling of déjà vu.
  3. PlayStation Country
    Jul 14, 2020
    70
    NASCAR Heat 5's racing remains compelling and customisable. The visuals aren't perfect but they've retained a wonderful style and character. It's a shame the new additions like testing sessions feel so slight and career mode has stayed largely the same. Some of the technical hitches become more noticeable as time goes on but, if you're after some new NASCAR, this will suffice.
  5. COGconnected
    Jul 28, 2020
    65
    I’ve not played the previous games in this series, but from what I can see, Heat 5 doesn’t offer much more than Heat 4. NASCAR Racing is not for everyone, and compared to other sim racers out there, this is easily the tamest of them all. The game does nothing badly, but neither does it excel at anything. It’s truly a middle of the road racing sim. Hardcore fans are the only ones that will want to suit up for this iteration.
  6. God is a Geek
    Jul 29, 2020
    60
    NASCAR Heat 5 is a step backward for the series, but still delivers some tense and rewarding racing.
  7. DarkStation
    Jul 23, 2020
    50
    In the exhaust fumes of recent and quite brilliant F1 2020, NASCAR Heat 5 is left biting a bitter dust. The game simply lacks any thrill and excitement of its namesake, not to mention its presentation and overall vibes that cry about a budget title. Alas, it’s not such but sold at fifty bucks. I guess if you are truly and desperately in a need of a stock car racing fix, NASCAR Heat 5 could suffice as an emergency measure. Just wait for the sale and you will be much happier with your purchase.
  8. TheSixthAxis
    Jul 20, 2020
    50
    Including all of the NASCAR license must be a mammoth task, and while Heat 5 is an improvement over its forbearers, the overall feeling of the game is that of a vacuous slog. With no obvious USP other than the volume of cars and tracks, or magic new features that other racing games should take inspiration from, NASCAR Heat 5 is a perfunctory depiction that’s enjoyable in small doses but runs out of tyres once you get past the initial stages.

User Reviews

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User Score
5.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 19 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 19
  3. Negative: 8 out of 19
  1. Mankster3
    Nov 8, 2021
    8
    NASCAR Heat 5 makes small but important updates to the previous Heat 4. Many reviews say it’s copy and paste no changes from Heat 4 but for meNASCAR Heat 5 makes small but important updates to the previous Heat 4. Many reviews say it’s copy and paste no changes from Heat 4 but for me on the PlayStation platform this s not the case. Heat 5 on performance mode on PS4 Pro or PS5 runs great. I played 20 hours of Heat 4 and at this point 10 hours on Heat 5. Cars look great better chase camera and gameplay is fun more arcade than simulation but it feels great to play. Tracks look great even at high speed. Heat 4 Charlotte had very bad frame rate and motion blur. I tested on Heat 5 and this was completely fixed and ran and looked great. The A.I. drivers are much more fun to race against and use multiple lines on each track and they even race for position. Drafting with the A.I. is great also on Super-speedways. Custom car setups are great as they were in heat 4 also using the new Test Session mode is very nice to run your car and setup at any track is a great addition. Career mode is good as it was in Heat 4 but needs improvement. I wish career mode had options as an owner to add more cars to your team and drivers to your team. I wish you could buy out a race team like Hendricks or Gibbs. It would also be great to hire drivers you want to drive your cars and give them a contract and a rating for each driver similar to a PGA or Madden games where each driver has a rating up to 99 overall. Race day and track presentation needs work. NASCAR 15 had race intro's with Darrell Waltrip and Mike Joy and that was great. Split Screen with a friend is great and is fun. Challenges are a lot of fun with real race scenarios from previous races. Online multiplayer is fun with a good community and plenty of people to race with. In my opinion this the best iteration of a NASCAR game for this generation. Also as of lately the game is on sale for $15 or less! Great deal for your money. Needs improvement but overall a solid NASCAR Game.… Full Review »
  2. Skywalker2507
    Jul 18, 2021
    3
    This is a complete waste. It definitely doesn't worth the money. Lags in racing, sound issues, nothing new compared with Heat 4. I would'veThis is a complete waste. It definitely doesn't worth the money. Lags in racing, sound issues, nothing new compared with Heat 4. I would've loved to get my money back from Sony.… Full Review »
  3. BrianDavid94
    Aug 26, 2022
    8
    Quick background on me the reviewer, I tend to like single player games that is heavy on narrative the most. I also play a lot of racing gamesQuick background on me the reviewer, I tend to like single player games that is heavy on narrative the most. I also play a lot of racing games and use to play multiplayer games in my high school days but now that it's hard for me and my friends to find a good time to link up so now I hardly play any. Up to try any genre of games and sometimes I find something new that I didn't think I'd like. I play on every platform but prefer PlayStation.

    I'm a NASCAR fan and the Heat series keeps on making small improvements in each release. It feels pretty complete right now. I think they just have to include weekend expenses and somekind of end game management feature. You make money too fast once you're an owner.    … Full Review »
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