Shocking Introduction: A Look at the Demo for Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With An Engine
By Jason Joseph at January 24, 2012 | 10:08 pm | Print
So I am not normally a fan of either NASCAR or racing games, but for some strange reason I found myself partaking in the demo for an upcoming game featuring the current king of NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson. What I lack in knowledge about NASCAR I make up for in knowing this guy is good or something, having won a couple dozen of those Breeder Cup title things and such. What? Wrong sport? Uh… anyway, so this is essentially not a NASCAR game at all, it just uses the name Jimmie Johnson and has him speaking to you in game. This is pretty much your standard fair, over-the-top racer where you take advantage of all sorts of shenanigans like speed boosts and rockets to win the race.
I ran through the trial course and it seems like it is going to be a fun enough game if you’re into this sort of thing. I was driving an open top roadster and a crew chief named Rusty gave me instructions on what to do. All communication from Rusty and Jimmie Johnson came over as if you were wearing the same type of headset that NASCAR drivers and their crew chiefs would wear, so I suppose that is a cool touch. The game runs smoothly and your car builds up perks the more “votes” the fans give you throughout the race. There are little icons you drive over to accumulate votes on top of the in race debauchery you can pull off.
There are all sorts of gimmicks throughout, and for someone that is into this type of thing, I have no doubt it will be a fun game. I wouldn’t spend $60 for it, but fortunately it carries a $29.99 MSRP. The game actually came out in November, so I have no idea why they waited so long to drop a demo, but if the gameplay below looks like your cup of tea, it’s already been knocked down to $19.99 at most stores. For 20 bucks, if you like racers, this actually isn’t that bad of a time killer. Check out the video below: