{{short description|2011 video game}} {{more citations needed|date=August 2012}} {{Infobox video game | image = File:NASCAR Unleashed official box art.png | alt = | caption = Cover art featuring the cars of [[Kyle Busch]] and [[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]] | title = NASCAR Unleashed | developer = [[Firebrand Games]] | publisher = [[Activision]] | release = {{vgrelease|NA|November 1, 2011}} | genre = [[Auto racing]] | modes = [[Single-player]], [[multiplayer]] | platforms = [[Nintendo 3DS]], [[PlayStation 3]], [[Wii]], [[Xbox 360]] }} '''''NASCAR Unleashed''''' is a [[racing]] [[video game]] developed by [[Firebrand Games]] and published by [[Activision]]. It was released on November 1, 2011 for [[PlayStation 3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Wii]], and [[Nintendo 3DS]].
==Features== ''NASCAR Unleashed'' is an arcade racing game, allowing players to play as 15 different drivers in [[Sprint Cup Series|NASCAR Sprint Cup]] racing series, and race around six locations, including [[Chicagoland Speedway]], [[Daytona International Speedway]], [[Homestead-Miami Speedway]], [[Martinsville Speedway]], [[Talladega Superspeedway]], and a fictional track named Unleashed Speedway. Each location has multiple layouts, which accounts for 12 different track layouts.
As with the previous two Wii NASCAR games, ''Kart Racing'' and ''The Game: 2011'', the Wii version of ''Unleashed'' leverages the [[Wii Remote]]'s versatility and [[motion controller|motion controls]] to offer multiple control schemes, but unlike them, it does not support the [[GameCube controller]].
==Drivers== 15 real life NASCAR drivers are featured in the game, followed by 3 fictional drivers. Each driver has one paint scheme available when one starts the game, and the more one progresses through the championships, the more bonus paint schemes one will unlock.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} There are 20 cars in a race for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, while the Wii and 3DS versions only had 12 cars in a race.
==Reception== {{Video game reviews | NLife = (3DS) 3/10<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ingram |first1=Christopher |title=NASCAR Unleashed Review (3DS) |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2012/01/nascar_unleashed_3ds |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |date=20 January 2012 |access-date=15 February 2022 |archive-date=15 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215232607/https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2012/01/nascar_unleashed_3ds |url-status=live }}</ref> | GI = 7/10<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Kato |first1=Matthew |title=NASCAR Unleashed Review - A New Kind Of Rivalry |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/games/nascar_unleashed/b/ps3/archive/2011/11/02/a-new-kind-of-rivalry.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111227060415/http://www.gameinformer.com/games/nascar_unleashed/b/ps3/archive/2011/11/02/a-new-kind-of-rivalry.aspx |url-status=live |archive-date=December 27, 2011 |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |date=2 November 2011 |access-date=15 February 2022}}</ref> }} The game has received mixed reviews. ''Operation Sports'' rated it 4.5/10, praising the spin on the tracks, but criticizing the repetitiveness and lack of online multiplayer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.operationsports.com/reviews/633/nascar-unleashed/|title=NASCAR Unleashed Review (Xbox 360)|access-date=2012-07-26|archive-date=2012-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726154939/http://www.operationsports.com/reviews/633/nascar-unleashed/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine]]'' gave the game a 60/100 score: "It may not be a game for racing purists, but if you're looking to introduce stock car racing to a child, look no further".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/nascar-unleashed/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3|title=NASCAR Unleashed|work=Metacritic}}</ref> ''[[Game Informer]]'' gave the game a rating of 7/10, saying that "''NASCAR Unleashed'' may be just another kart racer, but it's also not as foreign of a concept to the sport as you may think. Its drafting, rivalries, and car contact are certainly key aspects of the sport represented here – just not enough".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/games/nascar_unleashed/b/ps3/archive/2010/11/02/a-new-kind-of-rivalry.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510164236/http://www.gameinformer.com/games/nascar_unleashed/b/ps3/archive/2010/11/02/a-new-kind-of-rivalry.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 10, 2017|title=A New Kind Of Rivalry - NASCAR Unleashed - PlayStation 3 - www.gameinformer.com|magazine=Game Informer}}</ref>
==References== {{Portal|Sports}} {{reflist}}
{{NASCAR video games}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:NASCAR Unleashed}} [[Category:NASCAR video games]] [[Category:North America-exclusive video games]] [[Category:PlayStation 3 games]] [[Category:Xbox 360 games]] [[Category:Wii games]] [[Category:Nintendo 3DS games]] [[Category:2011 video games]] [[Category:Video games set in Miami]] [[Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Firebrand Games games]] [[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]