| NASCAR Heat 3 | |
|---|---|
 Cover art featuringHendrick Motorsports drivers | |
| Developer(s) | Monster Games |
| Publisher(s) | 704Games |
| Series | NASCAR Heat |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 4 Xbox One |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer |
NASCAR Heat 3 is aracing video game simulating the2018NASCAR Cup Series and feeder competitions. It was developed byMonster Games and published by704Games. It is the sequel toNASCAR Heat 2, and was released in North America and Europe on September 7, 2018 for thePlayStation 4,Xbox One andMicrosoft Windows viaSteam.[1]Hendrick Motorsports driversJimmie Johnson (his first cover since NASCAR The Game 2011 and NASCAR 06 Total Team Control),Chase Elliott,Alex Bowman andWilliam Byron are featured on the cover.[2] The game features a new fictionalDirt late model series titled the Xtreme Dirt series which is part of an enhanced career mode.[3]
LikeNASCAR Heat 2, the career mode option for the game includes the option to play in theMonster Energy NASCAR Cup Series,NASCAR Xfinity Series andNASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Additions for the third installment include a new fictional Dirt late model series and the option to manage your own team in NASCAR national series competition.[4] The Xtreme Dirt Tour emulates the feel of local dirt track racing, with a variety of new tracks. Notable new tracks include a dirt version ofBristol Motor Speedway (which before it was run in both the Cup and Truck series in 2021 and is only playable for the Xtreme Dirt Tour) and tracks that originally featured inNASCAR: Dirt to Daytona that have received graphical updates.[5] TheCharlotte Motor Speedway road course is also available to play at in theBank of America Roval 400 event.[6]
In 2019,NASCAR, theRace Team Alliance and704Games created the eNASCAR Heat Pro League, an esports league for NH3. Interested players needed to qualify for a draft through a special set of online races. The draft was made up of teams owned by prominent NASCAR figures.[7] Efforts were made to bring in nontraditional NASCAR demographics, such as shorter races.[8]
As part of the cover deal,Hendrick Motorsports released free DLC packs after the game's release. Paid DLC packs were available from publisher704Games.[5]
On April 30, 2021, the online servers forNASCAR Heat 2 andNASCAR Heat 3 were shut down.[9]
| Song | Artist |
|---|---|
| "Left Turn" | Cody Hicks |
| "Can't Hurt Me Anymore" | The Dirty Soul Revival |
| "All In" | Naked Walrus |
| "Road Trippin'" | The Lows |
| "Revels" | Joe Mansman and the Midnight Revival Band |
| "Black Dagger" | The Pink Spiders |
| "The More You Know" | The Dollar Bill Murrays |
| "Shelter" | Scattered Helmet |
| "Can't Keep Up" | Fire Fences |
| "Nowhere Fast" | Loyal Thieves |
| "Bigger & Better" | Sweet Ascent |
| "Shine" | Moonlighting |
| "Dirt Track Bandit" | Bone Feather |
| "Never Enough" | Wild Adriatic |
| "Highway Tune" | Greta Van Fleet |
| "Slide" | The Cadillac Three |
| "Motorvate" | The Pack A.D. |
| "Fed to the Lions" | Tax The Heat |
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PS4) 64/100[10] (XONE) 68/100[11] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Game Informer | 7.5/10[12] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 3.5/5[13] |
NASCAR Heat 3 received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregatorMetacritic.
Matthew Kato ofGame Informer stated that while the game did have the neededNASCAR feel to it, it was lacking just about everywhere else, including rivalries, paint schemes, graphics, improved yet faultyAI, online, gameplay, and career mode.[14]
The game was nominated for "Game, Franchise Racing" at the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards.[15]