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NASCAR ARCADE RUSH
review | PLAYSTATION 5
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Publisher: GameMill Entertainment.
Developer: Team6 Game Studios. Released: September 2023. Genre: Racing. Other versions: PS4; XSX; XONE; SWI; PC. Posted 7th May 2026. By Tom Clare © 2026 |
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I’ve always loved the buzz of reading about a new game, wondering how exactly it’s going to look, play, and pan out. Gaming should never feel predictable; we shouldn’t know everything we’re going to experience before we’ve even picked up the controller. Sadly, this is the path annual updates have carved out for certain sports, and few have become more set in their ways than licensed racing games. The F1s and Moto GPs of the gaming world have become a train of one-tone simulations, gently evolving, barely changing, version by version. These days, racers opting for fun over broadcast realism should be lauded. NASCAR Arcade Rush is one such effort, using its stock car branding as a framework and inspiration for a venture that feels designed for enjoyment. It’s a frustrating title, however, because just as there’s loads of potential and plenty of instances of decent design, much of it is inexplicably poor.
Taking the same route as Codemasters’ fun but flawed F1 Race Stars from 2013, Arcade Heat foregoes the real-world admin of navigating a paddock of real teams with real drivers, and steers clear of setup minutiae and bogging players down in menus. Instead, the game focuses on a kart racer vibe (minus power-ups) that’s packed with jumps, speed strips and turbo boosts. Better still, it reenvisages some of NASCAR’s most iconic locations with a colourful, sprightly cartoon makeover.
There's plenty of personality on show, with Arcade Rush's fun course design the highlight of the package
This allowed the developers license to spread their creative wings, with some wacky, memorable circuits to tackle. Watkins Glen is dominated by cascading waterfalls and tricky elevation changes. Kansas Speedway is a personal favourite; its night-time, twin-lane highways and purple hues are a love letter to the synthwave generation. Martinsville goes more abstract: a short course that, rather remarkably, is set on the face of a giant clock. Elsewhere, the game goes full Cruisin’ with Phoenix, a course that’s loomed over by a giant UFO, whilst California sees the iconic Hollywood sign replaced by the letters of NASCAR. Daytona and Miami represent more recognisable race tracks, albeit with hot air balloons and a flamboyant jump through a ring of fire.
Despite the effort that’s gone into the courses, a lack of power-ups and simplistic racing mechanics mean NAR feels uneventful at times, and the two-player split-screen is disappointing for its lack of thrills. That being said, the game grew on me after a timid start, with Elite difficulty allowing for close racing, and ensuring players must learn to chain speed strips and make sparing, tactical use of the turbo bar. These can be replenished in the pit lanes, and top players will seek to use a full bar every lap, as there’s no distinction time-wise between nipping in for a full refill or just a top-up.
Despite the effort that’s gone into the courses, a lack of power-ups and simplistic racing mechanics mean NAR feels uneventful at times, and the two-player split-screen is disappointing for its lack of thrills. That being said, the game grew on me after a timid start, with Elite difficulty allowing for close racing, and ensuring players must learn to chain speed strips and make sparing, tactical use of the turbo bar. These can be replenished in the pit lanes, and top players will seek to use a full bar every lap, as there’s no distinction time-wise between nipping in for a full refill or just a top-up.
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Its presentation is hit-and-miss. The tracks look really good, packed with eye-catching scenic details. Cars look reasonable, though jumps, collisions and general physics appear crude. Less impressive are the bits around the edges: the selection screens, the podium celebrations, and an intensely crunched, unskippable intro video that looks horrible. Some of the music is fairly catchy, some of it a bit lame, whilst the engine drones are distinctly uninspired.
The game’s long-term prospects are limited, with its 12 courses having to do a lot of heavy lifting across nearly as many four-race tournaments, inevitably leading to a sense of overfamiliarity. An unnecessary levelling system fails to disguise a lack of meaningful content, with the player drip-fed a conveyor belt of tedious, tacky cosmetics, emojis, clothing and chassis. None of these has any bearing on the racing, and they miss the opportunity to expand the experience. Several of the trophies suffer bugs as well, which will frustrate those who invest time and effort in beating the Elite cups. One crumb of comfort lies in the time trials, which provide surprisingly challenging medals to compete for, though racing around on your own is likely not what you envisaged from Arcade Rush.
The game’s long-term prospects are limited, with its 12 courses having to do a lot of heavy lifting across nearly as many four-race tournaments, inevitably leading to a sense of overfamiliarity. An unnecessary levelling system fails to disguise a lack of meaningful content, with the player drip-fed a conveyor belt of tedious, tacky cosmetics, emojis, clothing and chassis. None of these has any bearing on the racing, and they miss the opportunity to expand the experience. Several of the trophies suffer bugs as well, which will frustrate those who invest time and effort in beating the Elite cups. One crumb of comfort lies in the time trials, which provide surprisingly challenging medals to compete for, though racing around on your own is likely not what you envisaged from Arcade Rush.
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Split-screen suffers major rubberbanding, to the point you'll feel tied to the other player.
Creative course design and pleasant visuals help showcase personality and design aptitude from Team6. Unfortunately, NASCAR Arcade Rush’s racing is tame, and with simplistic physics and a lack of power-ups, even the multiplayer quickly becomes routine. A lack of meaningful content or unlockables, coupled with buggy trophies, leave it trailing far behind the likes of Mario, Sonic and Nickelodeon’s respective party racers.
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VERDICT
"Arcade Rush exhibits personality and charm, but its tame, often routine gameplay, coupled with a lack of long-term play, sees it fall well short of the best party racers." OVERALL: 5/10 |
OTHER ARCADE-THEMED RACING GAMES REVIEWED
F1 Race Stars (2013, PlayStation 3)
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Horizon Chase 2 (2024, PlayStation 5)
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