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This thread has been linked to the game 'Need For Speed: Shift'.
Need For Speed is a regular on the EA winter release schedule but this year the game has moved from The Fast and The Furious style street racer to a more serious track racer. Only sales figures will determine if this change of direction has been a real success but Need For Speed fans are in for a shock and racing fans are in for a treat.
It's a brave move by EA as this new game comes up against some stiff competition, more so than the previous style of Need For Speed. In terms of comparisons, Shift can possibly be described as a bit of Forza /Gran Turismo with a pinch of Project Gotham generous dash of Race Driver GRID.
The first thing Shift will ask of you is to show off your driving skills. You are presented with a trial lap during which the game will analyse your performance and subsequently recommend the settings suited to your abilities. These recommendations cover the standard racing options like AI level, the number of assists turned on and to what level, the level of crash damage and so on. If you take offence to these recommendations then they can be adjusted at this point. The settings can also be amended later should you find that your opinion of your abilities was a little over-inflated.
The career mode will see you work your way through 4 tiers of races and 50 rankings. Each tier has more events and naturally will push you harder each time. There is a 5th tier for those who prove their worth but that is just a mythical tier as far as my abilities lie so far.
At the end of each race you are awarded points and money based on your performance. You need points to progress your ranking and money to buy new cars and upgrade your existing cars. The financial awards are standard racing fare, 1st place gets you the big bucks, however the points system is quite an interesting one. The points work just like kudos points from Project Gotham only this time you have 2 categories for the awards, Precision and Agression. Precision points are awarded for good driving techniques such as keeping to the racing line, drafting and clean over taking moves. Agression points are awarded for shunts, 'trading paint' and power slides. The unusual aspect to this is that the Agression points are not frowned upon, you are free to be as agressive as you like and the game will ony step in when you start cutting corners, punishable by your lap time becoming void. How you choose to drive is up to you and there is certainly comfort in knowing you are rewarded for your 'accidental' shunt of the car in 1st place on that last bend. As your ranking increases then your driving style is reflected in your icon which will show you as being a Precision driver or an Agressive driver. It's simply a graphical display and has no effect on the game.
Each race in Shift has a certain number of stars to obtain, additional goals if you like. 3 stars are saved for your podium finishes, 1 star for 3rd, 2 for 2nd and all 3 for 1st. The additional stars are for the extra goals which can depend on the race and cover categories such as obtaining a certain number of points, reaching a certain speed and sticking to the race line for a certain percentage of a lap. Each track also has corners to 'master'. Mastering a corner requires you to stick to the racing line, avoid any impact and go at least a certain speed. Each time you race a track it will show you how many corners you have mastered and will analyse your corner and pass you if you met the criteria. There is certainly a lot more to each race than just finishing in 1st and you will find yourself repeating races just to go for the extras, the lure of nailing that final remaining bend is strong. It's refreshing to see a racing game offer this sort of variety to each race and it does give you plenty of incentice to replay races. The extras are completely optional if they hold no interest to you.
In addition to the stars that can be awarded and corners that have to be mastered, Shift also has a wide selection of badges to obtain. There are many categories covering many aspects from the number of cars you trade paint with to the number of miles you do in a car from a certain country. Badges are awared in minor, bronze, silver and gold variety and add yet another element to the game.
Race events can see you involved in a standard race, a time trial event, a head to head tournament or a drift competition. Time trial events see you trying to get the fastest lap time within the allocated time. Other racers are on the track at the same time and can hinder your progress although you can use them to your advantage when drafting. The head to head events involve a mini 3 stage competition against 1 other driver. In race 1 you have to defend your lead, in race 2 the AI opponenet has to defend its lead and in the 3rd race you start at the same time. The winner in each even is the first to cross the line or the first to open a 5 second gap and the overall winner is the first to win 2 events. My driving style leans heavily towards the precise end of the scale butt when these events come along and the red mist comes down. The drift events are an acquired taste and were my least favourite parts in Race Drive GRID and prove to be the same in Shift, however I cannot fault their execution. As you progress through the game you will open invitational events which can see you racing at a higher tier level than your current career progress. It's a good taster of what lies ahead and lets you drive in cars you cannot afford (or control) yet.
Shift allows you a set number of garage slots in which to keep cars with more slots being awarded based on your progress. There is a good selection of well known cars in here so you will easily find your favourites, whether you can affored them or not is another thing. Cars are graded by tier and therefore you can only use them within the applicable tire however lower tier cars can be upgraded to the higher tiers. I'm not really one for tinkering with my cars but there are plenty of standard upgrade options such as engine and turbo upgrades, weight reduction, different tyres, different exhausts, spoilers and so forth. The upgrade options are not quite to the level of Gran Turismo so real petrol heads may be disappointed but the rest of us will be quite happy. There is also advanced tuning where you can fine tune the various handling categories to your desired level. If the default handling is not to your liking then it certainly looks like there is plenty of room in which you can get it right.
Grpahically the game is pleasing without really blowing your socks off. I can't fault the car models, they are all lovely and shiny (and usually fairly dented by the end of my races) but the tracks themselves suffer when you compare them to games like Project Gotham since the track side scenery is never as impressive as city courses but of course, you should be concentrating on the road so you might not notice. The in car view is very impressive certainly stands out especially with the realism that is applied with head movements, you will know when you are accelerating hard, breaking hard and especially know when you have hit a wall. Sadly for me, I cannot get used to the in car view so I'm missing out on the best viewing option.
There are a good number of tracks on offer in Shift without it overwhelming you. There are some familiar faces with the inclusion of the likes of the Nurburgring (just try mastering the 37 corners on that track), Laguna Seca and a standard Daytonna style oval. London also makes an appearence and is certainly more pleasing on the eye than the track courses.
Outside of the career mode there is the online mode, essential in any racing game and the Quick Race. Shift handles these a little differently than other games. Both modes add to your points, ranking and the many badges that can be obtained so the often ignored Quick Race mode becomes worthwhile. The online mode is pretty standard affair with all the modes on offer in the single player being available on multiplayer. The online mode possibly does suffer as a result of the Precisions and Agression scales and you can find yourself being needlessly shunted by another racer which can be frustrating. However, do not underestimate the satisfaction that revenge brings. As with all online modes, there is fun to be had but it can depend on the people you are playing against, get a good crowd and you have yourself a fine online racing experience.
In summary, Need For Speed Shift is a brave more by EA which has worked out very well. It is an impressive racer which has picked the best bits from some other racers and presents you with a lot to work through if you want achieve every badge, star and master every corner. The replayability of races is higher in Shift than other races I have played recently. The Precision and Agression is an interesting touch although it can feel like the choice is taken from you at times with some events awarding stars based on you forcing opponents to spin off the track and people can also spoil an online race at times by being needlessly agressive. The drift mode will also not be to everyone's tastes but don't let these minor points take away from what is an excellent entry into unfamilair territory for Need For Speed
8.5/10
It's a brave move by EA as this new game comes up against some stiff competition, more so than the previous style of Need For Speed. In terms of comparisons, Shift can possibly be described as a bit of Forza /Gran Turismo with a pinch of Project Gotham generous dash of Race Driver GRID.
The first thing Shift will ask of you is to show off your driving skills. You are presented with a trial lap during which the game will analyse your performance and subsequently recommend the settings suited to your abilities. These recommendations cover the standard racing options like AI level, the number of assists turned on and to what level, the level of crash damage and so on. If you take offence to these recommendations then they can be adjusted at this point. The settings can also be amended later should you find that your opinion of your abilities was a little over-inflated.
The career mode will see you work your way through 4 tiers of races and 50 rankings. Each tier has more events and naturally will push you harder each time. There is a 5th tier for those who prove their worth but that is just a mythical tier as far as my abilities lie so far.
At the end of each race you are awarded points and money based on your performance. You need points to progress your ranking and money to buy new cars and upgrade your existing cars. The financial awards are standard racing fare, 1st place gets you the big bucks, however the points system is quite an interesting one. The points work just like kudos points from Project Gotham only this time you have 2 categories for the awards, Precision and Agression. Precision points are awarded for good driving techniques such as keeping to the racing line, drafting and clean over taking moves. Agression points are awarded for shunts, 'trading paint' and power slides. The unusual aspect to this is that the Agression points are not frowned upon, you are free to be as agressive as you like and the game will ony step in when you start cutting corners, punishable by your lap time becoming void. How you choose to drive is up to you and there is certainly comfort in knowing you are rewarded for your 'accidental' shunt of the car in 1st place on that last bend. As your ranking increases then your driving style is reflected in your icon which will show you as being a Precision driver or an Agressive driver. It's simply a graphical display and has no effect on the game.
Each race in Shift has a certain number of stars to obtain, additional goals if you like. 3 stars are saved for your podium finishes, 1 star for 3rd, 2 for 2nd and all 3 for 1st. The additional stars are for the extra goals which can depend on the race and cover categories such as obtaining a certain number of points, reaching a certain speed and sticking to the race line for a certain percentage of a lap. Each track also has corners to 'master'. Mastering a corner requires you to stick to the racing line, avoid any impact and go at least a certain speed. Each time you race a track it will show you how many corners you have mastered and will analyse your corner and pass you if you met the criteria. There is certainly a lot more to each race than just finishing in 1st and you will find yourself repeating races just to go for the extras, the lure of nailing that final remaining bend is strong. It's refreshing to see a racing game offer this sort of variety to each race and it does give you plenty of incentice to replay races. The extras are completely optional if they hold no interest to you.
In addition to the stars that can be awarded and corners that have to be mastered, Shift also has a wide selection of badges to obtain. There are many categories covering many aspects from the number of cars you trade paint with to the number of miles you do in a car from a certain country. Badges are awared in minor, bronze, silver and gold variety and add yet another element to the game.
Race events can see you involved in a standard race, a time trial event, a head to head tournament or a drift competition. Time trial events see you trying to get the fastest lap time within the allocated time. Other racers are on the track at the same time and can hinder your progress although you can use them to your advantage when drafting. The head to head events involve a mini 3 stage competition against 1 other driver. In race 1 you have to defend your lead, in race 2 the AI opponenet has to defend its lead and in the 3rd race you start at the same time. The winner in each even is the first to cross the line or the first to open a 5 second gap and the overall winner is the first to win 2 events. My driving style leans heavily towards the precise end of the scale butt when these events come along and the red mist comes down. The drift events are an acquired taste and were my least favourite parts in Race Drive GRID and prove to be the same in Shift, however I cannot fault their execution. As you progress through the game you will open invitational events which can see you racing at a higher tier level than your current career progress. It's a good taster of what lies ahead and lets you drive in cars you cannot afford (or control) yet.
Shift allows you a set number of garage slots in which to keep cars with more slots being awarded based on your progress. There is a good selection of well known cars in here so you will easily find your favourites, whether you can affored them or not is another thing. Cars are graded by tier and therefore you can only use them within the applicable tire however lower tier cars can be upgraded to the higher tiers. I'm not really one for tinkering with my cars but there are plenty of standard upgrade options such as engine and turbo upgrades, weight reduction, different tyres, different exhausts, spoilers and so forth. The upgrade options are not quite to the level of Gran Turismo so real petrol heads may be disappointed but the rest of us will be quite happy. There is also advanced tuning where you can fine tune the various handling categories to your desired level. If the default handling is not to your liking then it certainly looks like there is plenty of room in which you can get it right.
Grpahically the game is pleasing without really blowing your socks off. I can't fault the car models, they are all lovely and shiny (and usually fairly dented by the end of my races) but the tracks themselves suffer when you compare them to games like Project Gotham since the track side scenery is never as impressive as city courses but of course, you should be concentrating on the road so you might not notice. The in car view is very impressive certainly stands out especially with the realism that is applied with head movements, you will know when you are accelerating hard, breaking hard and especially know when you have hit a wall. Sadly for me, I cannot get used to the in car view so I'm missing out on the best viewing option.
There are a good number of tracks on offer in Shift without it overwhelming you. There are some familiar faces with the inclusion of the likes of the Nurburgring (just try mastering the 37 corners on that track), Laguna Seca and a standard Daytonna style oval. London also makes an appearence and is certainly more pleasing on the eye than the track courses.
Outside of the career mode there is the online mode, essential in any racing game and the Quick Race. Shift handles these a little differently than other games. Both modes add to your points, ranking and the many badges that can be obtained so the often ignored Quick Race mode becomes worthwhile. The online mode is pretty standard affair with all the modes on offer in the single player being available on multiplayer. The online mode possibly does suffer as a result of the Precisions and Agression scales and you can find yourself being needlessly shunted by another racer which can be frustrating. However, do not underestimate the satisfaction that revenge brings. As with all online modes, there is fun to be had but it can depend on the people you are playing against, get a good crowd and you have yourself a fine online racing experience.
In summary, Need For Speed Shift is a brave more by EA which has worked out very well. It is an impressive racer which has picked the best bits from some other racers and presents you with a lot to work through if you want achieve every badge, star and master every corner. The replayability of races is higher in Shift than other races I have played recently. The Precision and Agression is an interesting touch although it can feel like the choice is taken from you at times with some events awarding stars based on you forcing opponents to spin off the track and people can also spoil an online race at times by being needlessly agressive. The drift mode will also not be to everyone's tastes but don't let these minor points take away from what is an excellent entry into unfamilair territory for Need For Speed
8.5/10
Need For Speed is a regular on the EA winter release schedule but this year the game has moved from The Fast and The Furious style street racer to a more serious track racer. Only sales figures will determine if this change of direction has been a real success but Need For Speed fans are in for a shock and racing fans are in for a treat.
It's a brave move by EA as this new game comes up against some stiff competition, more so than the previous style of Need For Speed. In terms of comparisons, Shift can possibly be described as a bit of Forza /Gran Turismo with a pinch of Project Gotham generous dash of Race Driver GRID.
The first thing Shift will ask of you is to show off your driving skills. You are presented with a trial lap during which the game will analyse your performance and subsequently recommend the settings suited to your abilities. These recommendations cover the standard racing options like AI level, the number of assists turned on and to what level, the level of crash damage and so on. If you take offence to these recommendations then they can be adjusted at this point. The settings can also be amended later should you find that your opinion of your abilities was a little over-inflated.
The career mode will see you work your way through 4 tiers of races and 50 rankings. Each tier has more events and naturally will push you harder each time. There is a 5th tier for those who prove their worth but that is just a mythical tier as far as my abilities lie so far.
At the end of each race you are awarded points and money based on your performance. You need points to progress your ranking and money to buy new cars and upgrade your existing cars. The financial awards are standard racing fare, 1st place gets you the big bucks, however the points system is quite an interesting one. The points work just like kudos points from Project Gotham only this time you have 2 categories for the awards, Precision and Agression. Precision points are awarded for good driving techniques such as keeping to the racing line, drafting and clean over taking moves. Agression points are awarded for shunts, 'trading paint' and power slides. The unusual aspect to this is that the Agression points are not frowned upon, you are free to be as agressive as you like and the game will ony step in when you start cutting corners, punishable by your lap time becoming void. How you choose to drive is up to you and there is certainly comfort in knowing you are rewarded for your 'accidental' shunt of the car in 1st place on that last bend. As your ranking increases then your driving style is reflected in your icon which will show you as being a Precision driver or an Agressive driver. It's simply a graphical display and has no effect on the game.
Each race in Shift has a certain number of stars to obtain, additional goals if you like. 3 stars are saved for your podium finishes, 1 star for 3rd, 2 for 2nd and all 3 for 1st. The additional stars are for the extra goals which can depend on the race and cover categories such as obtaining a certain number of points, reaching a certain speed and sticking to the race line for a certain percentage of a lap. Each track also has corners to 'master'. Mastering a corner requires you to stick to the racing line, avoid any impact and go at least a certain speed. Each time you race a track it will show you how many corners you have mastered and will analyse your corner and pass you if you met the criteria. There is certainly a lot more to each race than just finishing in 1st and you will find yourself repeating races just to go for the extras, the lure of nailing that final remaining bend is strong. It's refreshing to see a racing game offer this sort of variety to each race and it does give you plenty of incentice to replay races. The extras are completely optional if they hold no interest to you.
In addition to the stars that can be awarded and corners that have to be mastered, Shift also has a wide selection of badges to obtain. There are many categories covering many aspects from the number of cars you trade paint with to the number of miles you do in a car from a certain country. Badges are awared in minor, bronze, silver and gold variety and add yet another element to the game.
Race events can see you involved in a standard race, a time trial event, a head to head tournament or a drift competition. Time trial events see you trying to get the fastest lap time within the allocated time. Other racers are on the track at the same time and can hinder your progress although you can use them to your advantage when drafting. The head to head events involve a mini 3 stage competition against 1 other driver. In race 1 you have to defend your lead, in race 2 the AI opponenet has to defend its lead and in the 3rd race you start at the same time. The winner in each even is the first to cross the line or the first to open a 5 second gap and the overall winner is the first to win 2 events. My driving style leans heavily towards the precise end of the scale butt when these events come along and the red mist comes down. The drift events are an acquired taste and were my least favourite parts in Race Drive GRID and prove to be the same in Shift, however I cannot fault their execution. As you progress through the game you will open invitational events which can see you racing at a higher tier level than your current career progress. It's a good taster of what lies ahead and lets you drive in cars you cannot afford (or control) yet.
Shift allows you a set number of garage slots in which to keep cars with more slots being awarded based on your progress. There is a good selection of well known cars in here so you will easily find your favourites, whether you can affored them or not is another thing. Cars are graded by tier and therefore you can only use them within the applicable tire however lower tier cars can be upgraded to the higher tiers. I'm not really one for tinkering with my cars but there are plenty of standard upgrade options such as engine and turbo upgrades, weight reduction, different tyres, different exhausts, spoilers and so forth. The upgrade options are not quite to the level of Gran Turismo so real petrol heads may be disappointed but the rest of us will be quite happy. There is also advanced tuning where you can fine tune the various handling categories to your desired level. If the default handling is not to your liking then it certainly looks like there is plenty of room in which you can get it right.
Grpahically the game is pleasing without really blowing your socks off. I can't fault the car models, they are all lovely and shiny (and usually fairly dented by the end of my races) but the tracks themselves suffer when you compare them to games like Project Gotham since the track side scenery is never as impressive as city courses but of course, you should be concentrating on the road so you might not notice. The in car view is very impressive certainly stands out especially with the realism that is applied with head movements, you will know when you are accelerating hard, breaking hard and especially know when you have hit a wall. Sadly for me, I cannot get used to the in car view so I'm missing out on the best viewing option.
There are a good number of tracks on offer in Shift without it overwhelming you. There are some familiar faces with the inclusion of the likes of the Nurburgring (just try mastering the 37 corners on that track), Laguna Seca and a standard Daytonna style oval. London also makes an appearence and is certainly more pleasing on the eye than the track courses.
Outside of the career mode there is the online mode, essential in any racing game and the Quick Race. Shift handles these a little differently than other games. Both modes add to your points, ranking and the many badges that can be obtained so the often ignored Quick Race mode becomes worthwhile. The online mode is pretty standard affair with all the modes on offer in the single player being available on multiplayer. The online mode possibly does suffer as a result of the Precisions and Agression scales and you can find yourself being needlessly shunted by another racer which can be frustrating. However, do not underestimate the satisfaction that revenge brings. As with all online modes, there is fun to be had but it can depend on the people you are playing against, get a good crowd and you have yourself a fine online racing experience.
In summary, Need For Speed Shift is a brave more by EA which has worked out very well. It is an impressive racer which has picked the best bits from some other racers and presents you with a lot to work through if you want achieve every badge, star and master every corner. The replayability of races is higher in Shift than other races I have played recently. The Precision and Agression is an interesting touch although it can feel like the choice is taken from you at times with some events awarding stars based on you forcing opponents to spin off the track and people can also spoil an online race at times by being needlessly agressive. The drift mode will also not be to everyone's tastes but don't let these minor points take away from what is an excellent entry into unfamilair territory for Need For Speed
8.5/10
It's a brave move by EA as this new game comes up against some stiff competition, more so than the previous style of Need For Speed. In terms of comparisons, Shift can possibly be described as a bit of Forza /Gran Turismo with a pinch of Project Gotham generous dash of Race Driver GRID.
The first thing Shift will ask of you is to show off your driving skills. You are presented with a trial lap during which the game will analyse your performance and subsequently recommend the settings suited to your abilities. These recommendations cover the standard racing options like AI level, the number of assists turned on and to what level, the level of crash damage and so on. If you take offence to these recommendations then they can be adjusted at this point. The settings can also be amended later should you find that your opinion of your abilities was a little over-inflated.
The career mode will see you work your way through 4 tiers of races and 50 rankings. Each tier has more events and naturally will push you harder each time. There is a 5th tier for those who prove their worth but that is just a mythical tier as far as my abilities lie so far.
At the end of each race you are awarded points and money based on your performance. You need points to progress your ranking and money to buy new cars and upgrade your existing cars. The financial awards are standard racing fare, 1st place gets you the big bucks, however the points system is quite an interesting one. The points work just like kudos points from Project Gotham only this time you have 2 categories for the awards, Precision and Agression. Precision points are awarded for good driving techniques such as keeping to the racing line, drafting and clean over taking moves. Agression points are awarded for shunts, 'trading paint' and power slides. The unusual aspect to this is that the Agression points are not frowned upon, you are free to be as agressive as you like and the game will ony step in when you start cutting corners, punishable by your lap time becoming void. How you choose to drive is up to you and there is certainly comfort in knowing you are rewarded for your 'accidental' shunt of the car in 1st place on that last bend. As your ranking increases then your driving style is reflected in your icon which will show you as being a Precision driver or an Agressive driver. It's simply a graphical display and has no effect on the game.
Each race in Shift has a certain number of stars to obtain, additional goals if you like. 3 stars are saved for your podium finishes, 1 star for 3rd, 2 for 2nd and all 3 for 1st. The additional stars are for the extra goals which can depend on the race and cover categories such as obtaining a certain number of points, reaching a certain speed and sticking to the race line for a certain percentage of a lap. Each track also has corners to 'master'. Mastering a corner requires you to stick to the racing line, avoid any impact and go at least a certain speed. Each time you race a track it will show you how many corners you have mastered and will analyse your corner and pass you if you met the criteria. There is certainly a lot more to each race than just finishing in 1st and you will find yourself repeating races just to go for the extras, the lure of nailing that final remaining bend is strong. It's refreshing to see a racing game offer this sort of variety to each race and it does give you plenty of incentice to replay races. The extras are completely optional if they hold no interest to you.
In addition to the stars that can be awarded and corners that have to be mastered, Shift also has a wide selection of badges to obtain. There are many categories covering many aspects from the number of cars you trade paint with to the number of miles you do in a car from a certain country. Badges are awared in minor, bronze, silver and gold variety and add yet another element to the game.
Race events can see you involved in a standard race, a time trial event, a head to head tournament or a drift competition. Time trial events see you trying to get the fastest lap time within the allocated time. Other racers are on the track at the same time and can hinder your progress although you can use them to your advantage when drafting. The head to head events involve a mini 3 stage competition against 1 other driver. In race 1 you have to defend your lead, in race 2 the AI opponenet has to defend its lead and in the 3rd race you start at the same time. The winner in each even is the first to cross the line or the first to open a 5 second gap and the overall winner is the first to win 2 events. My driving style leans heavily towards the precise end of the scale butt when these events come along and the red mist comes down. The drift events are an acquired taste and were my least favourite parts in Race Drive GRID and prove to be the same in Shift, however I cannot fault their execution. As you progress through the game you will open invitational events which can see you racing at a higher tier level than your current career progress. It's a good taster of what lies ahead and lets you drive in cars you cannot afford (or control) yet.
Shift allows you a set number of garage slots in which to keep cars with more slots being awarded based on your progress. There is a good selection of well known cars in here so you will easily find your favourites, whether you can affored them or not is another thing. Cars are graded by tier and therefore you can only use them within the applicable tire however lower tier cars can be upgraded to the higher tiers. I'm not really one for tinkering with my cars but there are plenty of standard upgrade options such as engine and turbo upgrades, weight reduction, different tyres, different exhausts, spoilers and so forth. The upgrade options are not quite to the level of Gran Turismo so real petrol heads may be disappointed but the rest of us will be quite happy. There is also advanced tuning where you can fine tune the various handling categories to your desired level. If the default handling is not to your liking then it certainly looks like there is plenty of room in which you can get it right.
Grpahically the game is pleasing without really blowing your socks off. I can't fault the car models, they are all lovely and shiny (and usually fairly dented by the end of my races) but the tracks themselves suffer when you compare them to games like Project Gotham since the track side scenery is never as impressive as city courses but of course, you should be concentrating on the road so you might not notice. The in car view is very impressive certainly stands out especially with the realism that is applied with head movements, you will know when you are accelerating hard, breaking hard and especially know when you have hit a wall. Sadly for me, I cannot get used to the in car view so I'm missing out on the best viewing option.
There are a good number of tracks on offer in Shift without it overwhelming you. There are some familiar faces with the inclusion of the likes of the Nurburgring (just try mastering the 37 corners on that track), Laguna Seca and a standard Daytonna style oval. London also makes an appearence and is certainly more pleasing on the eye than the track courses.
Outside of the career mode there is the online mode, essential in any racing game and the Quick Race. Shift handles these a little differently than other games. Both modes add to your points, ranking and the many badges that can be obtained so the often ignored Quick Race mode becomes worthwhile. The online mode is pretty standard affair with all the modes on offer in the single player being available on multiplayer. The online mode possibly does suffer as a result of the Precisions and Agression scales and you can find yourself being needlessly shunted by another racer which can be frustrating. However, do not underestimate the satisfaction that revenge brings. As with all online modes, there is fun to be had but it can depend on the people you are playing against, get a good crowd and you have yourself a fine online racing experience.
In summary, Need For Speed Shift is a brave more by EA which has worked out very well. It is an impressive racer which has picked the best bits from some other racers and presents you with a lot to work through if you want achieve every badge, star and master every corner. The replayability of races is higher in Shift than other races I have played recently. The Precision and Agression is an interesting touch although it can feel like the choice is taken from you at times with some events awarding stars based on you forcing opponents to spin off the track and people can also spoil an online race at times by being needlessly agressive. The drift mode will also not be to everyone's tastes but don't let these minor points take away from what is an excellent entry into unfamilair territory for Need For Speed
8.5/10
Another top review there Dav,nice work mate.Agree 100% with your review NFS: Shift is WAYYYYY better than anyone thought it was going to be.Biggest gaming surprise of 2009 IMO.
Thanks Pete. I'd agree with your biggest surprise comment and I think the only reason EA kept the NFS name was to cash in on some of the regular NFS customers who might have ignored this otherwise.
dav2612 wrote:
I think the only reason EA kept the NFS name was to cash in on some of the regular NFS customers who might have ignored this otherwise.
But how gutted must any NFS fan have been to have accidentally bought a decent racing game for once instead of the usual chavved to max garbage that the franchise had most certainly become prior to Shift ?.
I think the only reason EA kept the NFS name was to cash in on some of the regular NFS customers who might have ignored this otherwise.
But how gutted must any NFS fan have been to have accidentally bought a decent racing game for once instead of the usual chavved to max garbage that the franchise had most certainly become prior to Shift ?.
pete_21 wrote:
> dav2612 wrote:
>
> I think the only reason EA kept the NFS name was to cash in on
> some of the regular NFS customers who might have ignored this
> otherwise.
>
> But how gutted must any NFS fan have been to have accidentally
> bought a decent racing game for once instead of the usual chavved
> to max garbage that the franchise had most certainly become prior
> to Shift ?.
Apart from the early ones, of course, which were some of the best racers of their time (Original Road and Track Need For Speed on PC and Saturn, NFS II on PS1, Hot Pursuit...)
Anyway, I enjoyed reading that dav.
> dav2612 wrote:
>
> I think the only reason EA kept the NFS name was to cash in on
> some of the regular NFS customers who might have ignored this
> otherwise.
>
> But how gutted must any NFS fan have been to have accidentally
> bought a decent racing game for once instead of the usual chavved
> to max garbage that the franchise had most certainly become prior
> to Shift ?.
Apart from the early ones, of course, which were some of the best racers of their time (Original Road and Track Need For Speed on PC and Saturn, NFS II on PS1, Hot Pursuit...)
Anyway, I enjoyed reading that dav.
Thanks pb.
Agree with what you say about the earlier NFS games and I'd like to see Hot Pursuit make a come back, ome good multiplayer potential there.
The Shift online mode really does try the patience with so much willingness to ram you out of the way, it takes a bit of getting used to... still, just won 2 in a row so must not grumble.
Agree with what you say about the earlier NFS games and I'd like to see Hot Pursuit make a come back, ome good multiplayer potential there.
The Shift online mode really does try the patience with so much willingness to ram you out of the way, it takes a bit of getting used to... still, just won 2 in a row so must not grumble.