Cars go fast
| Platform | OVERALL |
|---|---|
| PC | 9.00 |
| Overall | 9.00 |
|
Firstly I must outline my approach to this game and the context in which I'm playing it because it has played a huge part in my experience of Need For Speed Shift. I regard myself as a semi-hardcore racing sim fan and have played most of the major racing titles such as Gran Turismo, Forza as well as sims such as GTR, GTR2, rFactor and RACE 07. I expected this game to be more geared towards sim racing so I have played solely with a racing wheel and very few driving aids (Experienced mode). Pro is just as playable, but I personally didn't want to put so much effort into driving. The Need For Speed series as of late has been a rather stale experience, straying too far from what makes an NFS game enjoyable - racing. Certainly they had some interesting features, but where they fell flat was the quality of the driving experience. This time around, Need For Speed has dispensed with the showiness and egotistical drama and focused solely on the racing experience. To start off, the game puts you onto a test track to 'judge' what skill level you are at and then gives you recommended difficulty settings based on the test lap. This is fairly sensible as it allows you to tweak the settings to your preference without fumbling around too much in the main Career mode (although you can adjust the settings at any time thereafter). After this initial test, you are thrust into the Career mode with a wad of cash and a selection of cars to choose from. From there your goal is to progress through five tiers of competitions and eventually reach the Need For Speed World Tour. Within these five tiers there is a broad scope of events to choose from such as Drift, Time Attack and Battle races (a 1v1 race where you have to gain a certain time gap ahead of your rival to win). To progress to the next tier you have to earn stars which are obtained simply by accomplishing certain goals during the race such as making a clean run or simply making a podium finish. You also have a Driver Profile, which records the actions you take on the track and awards points based on a Precise or Aggressive driving style. You also earn badges which further illustrate your driving behaviour. Each time you level up with a certain number of points, you gain access to more customisation options and cars. Shift's selection of cars is quite modest compared with its juggernaut rivals like Gran Turismo, however this is not entirely a negative aspect. Instead of having hundreds of cars to choose from, Shift centers itself on the most desirable cars in the world today and doesn't bother with pointless mini vans and countless variations of each car model. The visual customisation in Shift is your typical racing game affair with different paint and vinyl options as well as a reasonable selection of rims to choose from. The one gripe I have with this part of the game is the menu interface which is clearly designed with consoles in mind. So on the PC version it ends up being a clunky interface that, before a patch that allowed mouse control, required you to use the number keys (of all things!) to select the different menu options. On the performance and tuning side, the situation is similar with the usual mechanical upgrades and performance enhancements like NoS and weight reduction. The tuning can either be in "quick mode" which has sliders based on the requirements you need such as speed versus cornering ability, or in advanced mode where drivers can tweak everything from gear ratios to tyre pressure. While Shift is clearly equipped as a 'semi-sim', in the same field as Project Gotham Racing, Forza and Gran Turismo, the controls are superb and are close to being sim-like without being overly cumbersome and frustrating. This gives you the freedom to really push the car hard, rip it around the turns, and yet still keep it relatively stable and on-track. The driving physics in shift are remarkably similar to racing sims like the GTR and RACE series which, in my opinion, give the most true-to-life driving experience of all racing sims. This puts NFS Shift surprisingly above the Driving-Miss-Daisy feel of games like Gran Turismo and Forza where you tend to feel more distanced from your car. Each car in Shift is different in how it handles on the track. The difference is not just noticeable between a Ford Focus and a Lotus Elise or Pagani Zonda, but also between cars of a similar calibre like the Ford Mustang GT500 versus the Chevrolet Camaro SS. Each one has its own unique way of handling on the track and this plays perfectly into finding the car which most suits your driving style. Drift mode in Shift is an entirely different beast compared to its racing counterparts and takes some getting used to even when using a wheel. The cars have clearly been tuned for maximum torque to keep the back wheels spinning so you shouldn't come into it expecting to breeze through the competition. Initially, for me, it was almost impossible to attempt a single corner without spinning like a crazed lunatic all over the track (and off it too :3). After some practice I was able to adjust my driving style from a racing attitude to one in which the subtle nuances of throttle and handbrake control take priority. The cockpits have taken a direct cue from games like GTR2 and Project Gotham Racing by implementing a 'shaky-head' camera view as though you are seeing the road through the eyes of the driver. Every little jolt and g-force can be 'felt', especially when you plough into a tyre barrier sideways at 200 mph and you hear the driver give off a gut-wrenching OOMPH! as he tries to endure the carnage. The cockpits of each car are unique and highly detailed and typically don't give off the claustrophobic feeling you get in some games. With this attention to detail comes the raw sense of speed when you strap yourself into the top tier cars and hurtle down a straight at speeds reaching 250 miles per hour or more. At this point, every single bump in the road becomes like a giant mound and you begin to truly appreciate the difficulty of keeping that lump of metal on the tarmac. The sound design in Shift is well above par and really immerses you in the action. Everything from the engine revs reacting to bumps in the track, to the hoarse grinding of rubber tyres on bitumen, the soundscape in Need For Speed Shift is superb. Combine that with an adrenaline-pumping soundtrack that includes the latest music from the likes of Deadmau5, MSTRKRFT and The Prodigy and you have a blissful treat for the ears. The graphics in the game are also spectacular with a definite air of quality and polish. Even the attention to detail of the trackside audience and livery is superbly done (one of the few positive legacies of the previous NFS titles). Overall, Shift incorporates the realistic driving experience from the masters of racing sims and combines it with the spectacle and roaring enthusiasm of the Need For Speed tradition. Some think this game is a fence-sitter and that it should make up its mind rather than trying to be too much at once. I believe this game fits perfectly where it is. Need For Speed Shift is a fun racing game that combines the visceral intensity and severity of racing simulations with the spectacle and enjoyment of an arcade racer. Whether or not you agree, it would be wise to give this game a go and judge it for yourself. |
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Posted by selbie Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:33:06
Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:25:49
But you're not allowed to liek NFS any more!
Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:11:42
This NFS is different, Foolz. It's different in that it's actually good. I loathe the NFS series, and even I'm interested in this one. If it weren't for Forza 3 coming out soon, I'd consider getting it.
Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:09:21
Normally I would have scoffed at this game, and I initially passed it off as another pointless attempt by EA at being 'the cool kid in town'. However the mixed reviews led me to believe that this game was genuinely fun in some areas, and because I'm such a fan of the series (mainly because of the older games), I tried it out and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. If only I had a 360 because I would love to compare this with Forza 3.
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