Need for Speed: SHIFT Review

By Oli Welsh Published 15 September, 2009

Short shift.

Version tested: Xbox 360

Need for Speed has been having an identity crisis. EA's premier racing series - a guaranteed Christmas number one not so long ago - ought to be successful enough to feel confident in itself. It had the girls, it had the cred in a crude, streetwise way, it had the sales. But it wanted more. Like a Hollywood pretty-boy going paranoid, exhausted by a punishing schedule and a ruthlessly commercial agenda, Need For Speed craved respect.

After a wobbly couple of years in which open-world racing and police chases were thrown away and then hastily reinstated in ProStreet and Undercover (improving matters neither time), uncertainty has tipped over into full-blown schizophrenia. This year, Need for Speed is heading in three different directions at once: a free-to-play PC game for the Asian bubble-tea crowd (World Online), the old-school arcade thrills of Nitro on Nintendo, and SHIFT, a po-faced tilt at the gritty world of simulation motor racing. In other words, the burnt-out matinee idol is taking some time to tour the world, write a children's book and do some off-broadway theatre.

SHIFT is analogous to the latter: a worthy, well-intentioned stab at garnering some critical respect. EA's persistent charm offensive with reviewers has in this instance extended to making a list of car games we like (Project Gotham, Forza, Gran Turismo and Race Driver), hiring some talented British coders to copy them (Slighly Mad Studios, who worked with Scandinavian simulation heroes SimBin on GTR2 and GT Legends), and applying a thick patina of focus-tested EA gloss and gimmickry to reassure the man in the street.

'Need for Speed: SHIFT' Screenshot 1

The now-compulsory racing line indicator isn't as well-judged or responsive as Forza or RACE Pro's, encouraging early braking and a less than smooth style.

The result is certainly the highest-quality game to bear the Need for Speed name since 2005's brazen Most Wanted. But it's left caught between two stools. It's no longer a Need for Speed game in any recognisable sense, yet it doesn't quite have the sophistication or the grace to hold its own in the rarefied company it's now keeping. The poor little rich boy is out of his depth.

Of its illustrious new competitors, SHIFT is closest in style to last year's terrific Race Driver: GRID. That's to say, it's a game which wears the mantle of the simulation racer loudly but lightly, borrowing all the petrol-head pull of carbon-fibre body-kits, damage modelling and real-world race tracks, but aiming to improve accessibility and amp up the excitement by giving the handling a crisp, arcadey inflection. This is a delicate balancing act, and one that's always going to upset a few people. But the truth is that Slightly Mad doesn't manage it with anything like the same finesse as Codemasters Racing Studio.

Where GRID offered light but precise and predictable handling with a satisfying, grippy bite to it, SHIFT is a wild, tempestuous beast, prone to nervous oversteer (and not just in rear-wheel-drive cars). Steering is twitchy, and even with traction and stability controls switched on, your car maintains a tenuous relationship with the road at best. This isn't the elegant, tactile and progressive sliding of a PGR, either: it's sudden, and quite scary.

You can argue that driving racing cars should be scary, and there's something to that. Slightly Mad certainly seems to think so, underlining the point with ferocious camera-shake and extreme blurring and depth-of-field effects, making impacts jarring and high speeds nerve-wracking. With judicious tweaking of the control sensitivity, AI difficulty and driving aids to suit your skill level and style (none of which penalises rewards in any way), SHIFT's handling can be mastered. But you'll do so with grim satisfaction rather than pleasure. It's telling that even the normal setting for handling difficulty feels the need to offer heavy-handed assistance with braking and steering.

It just doesn't have the accessibility of GRID, the panache of PGR, or the heft and cast-iron credibility of true simulators like Forza, GT or SimBin's games. Wherever on the arcade/simulator spectrum it finds itself, a motor racing game should be about a love affair between tyre and tarmac, be it a quick fling or a deep commitment. SHIFT's version of the relationship is raw and passionate alright, but at times it verges on domestic abuse.

That's in stark contrast to the game away from the track, which is falling over itself to offer positive reinforcement. Few racing games have ever exhibited such a mania for showering the player in points, levels, trinkets, achievements and box-ticking unlockables.

Racing earns you money to buy and upgrade cars with (the Xbox 360 version tested also allows you to buy cars with Microsoft Points). You get profile points for certain on-track moves, which level you up. Driving levels reward you with cosmetic unlocks, special events and more money. Stars - earned for podium places, hitting profile point thresholds, and completing bonus objectives - unlock the content, which is split into four tiers of events plus the climactic Need for Speed World Tour. And then there are minor and master badges, a rather anal and pointless achievement system within an achievement system, which mostly seem to be doled out for pure grind: trade paint with X number of opponents, drive Y miles in a European car. The Achievements themselves are equally uninspired.

'Need for Speed: SHIFT' Screenshot 2

Damage modelling is either cosmetic or "full", the latter meaning "headlong crash makes you list to the left a bit".

The incessant fanfare of congratulation and swelling progress bars after every race is all very friendly, and obsessive completists will lose their marbles over it, but it's a bit overweening. You wonder if this tangled set of interdependent advancement systems couldn't have been streamlined a bit.

Profile points are the most unusual, and the headline gimmick for Need for Speed: SHIFT. They're earned for either aggression (drafting, sliding, contact with opponents) or precision (following the racing line, "mastering" corners, clean overtaking moves). These will then characterise you as either aggressive or precise for the rest of the world to see in your increasingly elaborate level logo. Aggressive ratings are initially hard to avoid, but as the game comes to you, you will find your style naturally reflected in your rating. But since you'll pick up points in both all the time, and both contribute to your overall level, it doesn't feel like a choice, and has little direction or purpose.

'Need for Speed: SHIFT' Screenshot 3

The in-car view is superb, but the "concentration" effect that blurs out the dash and mirror at high speeds is just impractical.

It's certainly not as successful in lending a sense of personal investment to the track action as GRID's team system, or its finely-crafted story arc of the road to racing greatness. One positive SHIFT does share with its inspiration, though, is lively, characterful and unpredictable opponents to race against. A far cry from Gran Turismo's processional obstacles, these drivers make mistakes, get in scrapes, hustle each other and even have identifiable styles. This seriously increases the entertainment value of the racing, and makes up for the number of times you'll have to restart after a first-corner pile-up.

It also helps that SHIFT is quite a spectacle. In a genre hardly shy of technical belles, SHIFT is never less than totally convincing, with superb, crisply-lit car models, subtle effects and solid recreations of a good variety of testing, technically interesting tracks (some fictional and some, like the ubiquitous Nordschleife Nurburgring, going under licence-dodging pseudonyms). It can't match Forza or GT's 60 frames a second, though. Audio is less distinguished, turning all the sound effects up to a brutal 11 and smothering menus in the whooshes and metallic crashes that we should have laid to rest with our copies of Tekken 3.

SHIFT's car catalogue is far from the biggest or the most diverse, sticking mostly to contemporary road cars, but Ferrari excepted, it has all the important, current high-end hardware. All of it can be upgraded in a fairly self-explanatory and linear fashion; some can be modified into works racing or drift models. The rating system for your car's power often seems out of whack, however, and as ever in games of this sort, the difficulty curve can be something of a lottery. Slightly Mad has tried to mitigate this by having opponents scale to your current car to some extent, but that just devalues the upgrades - and it doesn't stop some cars, Tier 3's Nissan GT-R SpecV for example, from destroying all comers.

For all its variable difficulty and tricky handling, SHIFT is not a punishing game to make your way through. The star system's varied goals mean you will still make progress on a bad day, and it's geared so that you only need to complete a third to a half of the events in any given tier, and low-tier events can be used to unlock high-tier ones. It's not an engrossing structure in itself, but it's pleasantly free-form; you're mostly free to pick and choose your favourites from its reasonably diverse suite of event styles, the main ones being open racing, single-model races, time trials on busy tracks, really quite difficult drift competitions, and duels.

'Need for Speed: SHIFT' Screenshot 4

London looks right but lacks atmosphere somehow. Maybe it's the sun. The fictional desert locations are much better.

These one-on-ones in set pairings of cars are best-of-three point-to-points, with one car leading, one car chasing - and, if it comes to it, a side-by-side rolling start in the third round. Duels are novel and fun, and offer the best entertainment in multiplayer too, where they're organised into knock-out championships. Otherwise, SHIFT online offers a standard selection of basic events in ranked and unranked modes behind EA's needless secondary account system. In line with the deplorable trend for the modern racing game, there's no split-screen play.

SHIFT is a solid basis to start building a motor sport series on. It's got all the features you expect, it looks fantastic, and the track action is exciting, if fraught. If the skittish handling and overbearing, messy advancement can be reined in, Need for Speed could have a future in its newly serious and somewhat crowded surroundings. But with the infinitely more comprehensive Forza Motorsport 3 and Gran Turismo 5 looming in the very near distance, it's hard to see the point in this second-stringer this time around, for console players at least. And given Need for Speed's recent, confused history, you shouldn't count on it wearing the same face next year.

7 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (131) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • bad09 #1 2 years ago

    This does look quite tasty for a NFS game TBH, still not buying though as Forza is looming. Like Dan I honestly wonder though why anyone would go for this when Forza and GT are just around the corner.

  • cianchristopher #2 2 years ago

    Woo! I love this time of year. There's usually one-or-two "big" reviews per week from now until Christmas, and the commentss sections are overflowing with goodwill and cheer. Makes me feel all warm inside!!!

    7/10's not bad, IGN gave it a 9/10 (or should I say 9.0 out of 10.0) - but then, they're a bunch of idiots so who cares?

  • UncleLou #3 2 years ago

    Meh. So they split the NfS series to appeal to different tastes, and what is supposed to be the sim NfS game turns out to be yet another identikit arcade racer.

  • DaveLev #4 2 years ago

    7 / 10? There's been loads of other reviews around 8.5 - 9 from other website ... All of them suggest the gameplay is the strong point!

    I'm still buying

  • Tomo #5 2 years ago

    Srsly - the point of having different websites is so they have their own opinions. Not so they all agree and have the same rating on Metacritic.

  • Oli Verified Reviews Editor, Eurogamer.net #6 2 years ago

    Dan's a dirty credit-stealer. I wrote this.

  • Tonne #7 2 years ago

    if i want a circuit racer ill buy grid forza gotham and gran turismo,
    i just want a need for speed like nfs 4 : road challenge, racing trough beautifull countryside tracks

  • DrDamn #8 2 years ago

    RE: the Forza/GT argument. This game fits more in a PGR type slot rather than the larger full on sims. The attraction is for those who would find Forza/GT a little overwhelming and too much. Not all that tricky is it?

  • JahB #9 2 years ago

    EA must be insane (or in denial) to publish a racing game within weeks of both Forza and GT.

    as far as all the "website x rated it much higher" goes, all these sites will have quite some "as good as need for speed then" backlash once the big boys hit. well played EG

  • wobbly_Bob #10 2 years ago

    While reading the review it really seams that the reviewer set out to dislike this game. I don't get eurogamer a lot of the time it seems the staff don't like games, especially Elile Gibson. This game has been getting good scores and I love the look of it. Its a day one buy for me!

  • JonFE #11 2 years ago

    The last NFS game I purchased and enjoyed was Most Wanted. I'll give the demo (if they deliver one) a try and see for myself, but with Forza 3 around the corner, I doubt I'll buy it any time soon unless it drops in price.

  • Darren #12 2 years ago

    The review makes the game sound better than the final score attests. Twitchy handling that mimics the scary sensation of driving fast, a career structure that rewards you even if you don't come first, a superb dashboard view, everything better than anything seen in a NFS game since Most Wanted, it's like the game has been intentionally marked down only because the reviewer considers something better is coming along.

    If you have a PC then Forza Motorsport 3 and Gran Turismo 5 are not considerations anyway (which the reviewer at least acknowledges) and if you have a decent PC then the 30 fps comment is surely redundant? Personally I'd rather a game was reviewed for what it is and compared with what has gone before, not judged against games that aren't even out yet... and proper sims at that.

    I have NFS SHIFT pre-ordered and am looking forward to it perhaps more than Forza 3 because it looks very exciting to play from the videos I've seen, more so from the dashboard view. I'm sure Forza 3 will prove to more realistic and have more longevity but that doesn't mean it'll be the more thrilling or rewarding game to play. Maybe that's the point of these games? ;)

  • DrDamn #13 2 years ago

    The reviewer also seems to be under the impression that GRID was a similar sort of game in handling style when that was very clearly arcade in handling.

  • Roarrr #14 2 years ago

    I'd love to know how it runs on the PC.

  • M_of_the_sys #15 2 years ago

    7/10 isn't a bad score. Do you guys want every game to get 9/10 or 10/10?

  • estoo #16 2 years ago

    The most important thing for me is the handling and this review compares it unfavourably with GRID. With GRID I thought everything was great except the handling, really couldn't stand it so I'm going to have to hope for a demo to make my mind up on this one.
    Also, in a sim, there really should be a mention of how well this works with a steering wheel.

  • mkreku #17 2 years ago

    The last Need For Speed I really enjoyed was Porsche Unleashed. Does that mean I'm old?

    It's just more fun to race along the Côte d'Azur than doing lap after lap in some concrete oval.

  • BigDaddy82 #18 2 years ago

    Thanks EG, cancelled my pre-order, maybe i'll pick it up second hand somewhere down the line

  • cianchristopher #19 2 years ago

    I'd like to get this on PC as well (GRID on PC is absolutely, completely fantastic!), anyone know if its coming to Steam?

  • DrRobotnik #20 2 years ago

    I think people should stop questioning Eurogamer's review scores. It's an opinion, people, and EG's happens to differ from some other publications'.

    Personally, I don't like the idea of a 'serious' Need for Speed. Where's the fun and over-the-top racing? If I want a simulation I'll play Forza or GT, and if I want fun I'll play Burnout or DiRT 2.

    Need for Speed has no place in the racing market.

  • bloke #21 2 years ago

    @hyperkineticninja - tone it down a bit pal, you're coming across like you're on royalties on this title :-)

  • BigDaddy82 #22 2 years ago

    @hyperkineticninja

    I will try the demo :) I was thanking Eurogamer for making the decision on which racing game to splash the cash on a bit easier, given that Forza and GT are upcoming and i just recently bought the excellent Dirt2, i will give the demo of this a fair shot though

  • estoo #23 2 years ago

    Going by a lot of these comments, this game is being judged by it's name.
    Obviously putting it under the NFS monicker is going to guarantee sales but it seems to be casusing a lot of people to turn up their noses at this.
    Just like DiRT should have dropped the Colin McRae prefix, this should have probably avoided the NFS branding.

  • DrRobotnik #24 2 years ago

    hyperkineticninja, if you're going to plant, then at least do it subtly.

  • local_celebrity #25 2 years ago

    Superbly written review. Even though I hate racing games, I read this all the way through. Oli's got a lovely turn of phrase and clearly knows his onions.

  • DrRobotnik #26 2 years ago

    "Just like DiRT should have dropped the Colin McRae prefix"

    It did, outside of the UK.

  • Stifler #27 2 years ago

    The fact that the reviewer thinks GRID has a good handling model and cant get on with SHIFT is enough to sell me on the games handling.

    GRID's handling was woeful, if its the polar opposite to that i'll be happy.

    EG always seem to let reviewers who hate the genre (or just dont get it) review the important games in that genre - what gives?

  • M_of_the_sys #28 2 years ago

    @estoo

    I gave DiRT2 another spin the other day and found I actually really enjoyed it. Even considering picking it up now.

  • Darren #29 2 years ago

    How come everyone is saying Gran Turismo 5 is coming soon... I didn't think Sony had announced a definite release date for it, only that it may make Christmas 2009? Given Polyphony Digital's track record for long delays and not meeting release dates does anyone really think we'll see it this side of 2010? :?

  • JohnnyWashnGo #30 2 years ago

    With Gran Turismo 5 on the horizon and the PSP version on the starting grid, is there any reason to look at another racing game?

    Big old pass for me.

  • DrRobotnik #31 2 years ago

    For a start, you're on the take or an employee because you've obviously already had extensive hands-on with the game (that isn't released until this friday!). Either that, or you're defending a game you've not played, which is worse.

    "comparing it to games that it is nothing like"

    Erm... it IS like GRID. That's clear enough from the trailers, let alone any demo.

    "saying the handling is bad when it is not"

    Their OPINION is that it is. Are you saying they aren't entitled to disagree with you? What makes you so right?

    "again direct yourself to the GameTrailers review"

    I'm sorry, but GT is a site that makes money by directing you to its videos. The higher the marks, the more videos get watched. I don't trust it as an editorial site. Eurogamer on that other hand is one of the best respected sites in Europe, and is independently owned, which means it's not tainted by corporate greed.

    But of course you know this already, don't you.

  • local_celebrity #32 2 years ago

    I can't believe someone's holding up Gametrailers as a bastion of quality journalism. Geoff Keighley's like a Pixar animation...a Ryan Seacrest with less polys.

  • kendoji #33 2 years ago

    I was tempted by this, but think I'll wait for Forza instead. The videos look cool, but I'm worried that all the visual effects will just end up giving me a headache and distracting me from the driving. I actually don't enjoy feeling TENSE and ON EDGE, if that's what I wanted I'd just put in some more hours at work instead. :-)

  • DrRobotnik #34 2 years ago

    What smacktards are giving me negative marks for stating a fact?

    DiRT 2 has dropped the CM prefix outside the UK - What displeases you about that?

    EDIT: Thanks for reiterating the stupidity of forum trolls by repeating the act.
    EDIT 2: Thanks for countering said trolling behaviour ;-)
    Edited by 2 at 15/09/09 @ 11:53

  • WinterSnowblind #35 2 years ago

    I like the return to Need for Speeds roots, instead of what they've been going for in the more recent games.. But the old school fans likely won't pay this one any attention because of the past few, and the younger kids will likely be completely turned off by the change of style.

    And I'm sure it's already been said, but Dirt 2 was just released, and we have Forza and Gran Turismo coming shortly. So this doesn't really fit in anywhere.

    Shame that just when EA seem to be clearling up their act, everyone loses interest in their games. I almost want to buy it, just so they continue with games like this, rather than going back to the days of having an Army Men game every 6 months.

  • cianchristopher #36 2 years ago

    @ Darren: the word is that GT5 will be out in Europe on 4th December. All the major retailers now have that exact date listed as its day of release.

  • Gnort #37 2 years ago

    Excellent review, Mr Welsh, told me everything I wanted to know about the game.

    It doesn't sound bad, but it's too close to Forza 3, and I don't have time to get into more than one or two racing games per year, so even though I'm the type of gamer EA is pandering to by moving part of the NFS series in this direction, they won't be getting my money. Sorry, guys.

  • Trendyninja #38 2 years ago

    Well at least EA have had the balls to finally make a change to the NFS formula. Fans have been crying out for EA to start doing something different with NFS especially after the rather poor Pro Street.

    I think it's a welcome direction and a much needed one too.

    No more cheesy cut scenes......Five Grand!.......FIVE GRAND!

  • local_celebrity #39 2 years ago

    @DrRobotnik

    Wear your negative marks with pride, son. They'll put hairs on your chest.

  • DrRobotnik #40 2 years ago

    "Wear your negative marks with pride, son. They'll put hairs on your chest. "

    I've got enough of those already thanks. Bloody Spanish heritage.

  • Darren #41 2 years ago

    @Trendyninja - NFS ProStreet was actually a step in the direction of SHIFT but it was poor because the developers didn't have a clue about how to make such a game. ProStreet is the most boring racing game I've played this generation by miles (no pun intended) so I was glad when EA dumped Black Box. (They couldn't even implement replays into the NFS games for crying out loud, something every other decent racer has had!)

  • Beano #42 2 years ago

    "GRID's handling was woeful, if its the polar opposite to that i'll be happy. "

    I can't agree more. GRID seems very overrated to me - very nice graphics and exiting style overall... but a bit boring to play.

  • Skurmedel #43 2 years ago

    I agree with mkreku, I would love to see them going back to what made NFS so good, racing on rural roads and such in nice cars (with the police on your tail of course). I also fondly remember the cheats in NFS 3 which made you into a log with wheels.

    Anyway this seems like a pretty nice game, although I would like to see a PS3/360 comparison, performance wise. I

  • JahB #44 2 years ago

    @CraigB

    I own a ps3, and i give you -1 for being a cock

  • b00n #45 2 years ago

    NFS = cops, high-end freely available sports cars, normal roads, fun & arcady handling.

    I truly don't get why they try and change that constantly. It worked a long time ago, they got it right with Most Wanted, and don't see any reason why it wouldn't work again. That's exactly the reason why Test Drive Unlimited did quite well too, just make an NFS version of that, and i'll buy it in a sec.

    Fighting against a lot more accomplished racers won't make them win the battle, even if this isn't a bad game. I'm sure the brand name is strong enough to sell well and make some money. Maybe that's all they want.

  • Trendyninja #46 2 years ago

    @ Darren - I'd call it more of a shuffle then a step but I see your point.

    And yes, it was very boring.

  • Eighthours #47 2 years ago

    Interesting review, but Oli's description of GRID's handling automatically makes the rest of the review a bit "hmmm" for me. I thought the handling in GRID was that game's weak point by a long way. I never knew where the "limit" was, and it ruined the game for me. Which is a shame, as it was immaculately presented and looked amazing.

    DIRT 2's handling model is far superior by comparison, particularly with a wheel.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/09 @ 12:15

  • dsmx #48 2 years ago

    They should go done hot pursuit 3. Great fun speeding down a straight at 240 mph in a mclaren f1 dodging police road blocks and that police helicopter dropping spike strips and explosive barrels. Now if they could do that in hot pursuit 2 imagine what they could do in 3.

  • Darren #49 2 years ago

    @b00n - NFS Undercover didn't sell very well but rather than bring in a new developer and continue the series, EA decided to experiment and go for a bite of the (almost) simulation cherry.

    Seems to me that they're afraid to go the 100% simulation route and that's why SHIFT still carries the Need for Speed brand name as people recognise it and they'll be hoping the last two woeful NFS games have not damaged the series' reputation too much. Ideally though SHIFT should not have used the Need for Speed name as I'm sure there will be some people who'll buy it expecting it be one thing (open world with police chases) when it's something else entirely now. I only hope that EA make it clear what kind of game it is in the adverts.

  • secombe #50 2 years ago

    As expected, despite releasing several different games, none of them are likely to really go far enough in their intended direction to have a real impact.

    If they want to make a sim game, half-arsed measures aren't going to cut it, the sim crowd want a proper sim and the arcade crowd want a proper crowd pleasing arcade game. What are we left with...something that sits inbetween.

  • Trendyninja #51 2 years ago

    @ Eighthours - It's funny as I found the handling in in GRID to be perfect (for my skills anyway) and the handling in DIRT 2 to be appalling! Admittedly I only sampled the demo but I was all over the place, I couldn't make the second corner without losing control and crashing. I must have re-started about 6 times.

    I think it's all down to what you feell comfortable with personally. Grid when released was like a breath of fresh air to me. Even when I crashed it was quite satisfying as I loved rewinding the crash and watching it multiple times in slo mo.

    As they say, each to there own though ;)

    Oddily I found the handling in DIRT 1 to be absolutely fine.

  • Scrumhalf #52 2 years ago

    It is interesting that people are holding up Forza and GT5 as bastions of a perfect racing game, personally I found them quite dry especially GT5: Prologue, and compared to the SimBin games or rFactor and Live for Speed not particularly amazing simulators.

    I love racing games and especially sims, and while Forza was good and I did play a lot I get so bored of Gran Turismo (played 3, 4 and 5:prologue). I was and still am looking forward to this, mainly for the dynamic cockpit - but also because it looks exciting and interesting.

  • HermitArcader #53 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • Keivz #54 2 years ago

    @Trendyninja

    I agree, I thought the handling in Grid was fantastic. As such, the handling comment in the review has me a bit worried. I'm a PC gamer so my choices are: this or sticking with Grid (at least I get v-sync'd 60 fps).

    Even though I rarely disagree with GT's reviews (I know, I know, they're corporate so logic dictates they 'shouldn't be trusted'). I think I'll wait for a demo.

  • HermitArcader #55 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • PlugMonkey #56 2 years ago

    Whatever you set it to be in the Threshold dropdown to the bottom right of the box you type in...

  • HermitArcader #57 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • oktava #58 2 years ago

    "...and cast-iron credibility of true simulators like Forza, GT or SimBin's games."

    "...and cast-iron evilness of true villains like Lisa Simpson, Mother Therese or Hitler"

  • dirk_aircool #59 2 years ago

    I don't think the review was enough about the game it was reviewing . Forza 3 and Co are not here yet . who cares anyway ,if this game is this week and its good I'll play it for ages and feel I've made a good choice and still buy Forza when its out and play the hell out of that too .

    And the reviewers comment ' It can't match Forza or GT's 60 frames a second, though.' has no meaning at all . why not tell us if the game drops to 3 FPS every time you turn 90 degree's left or right like all the last NFS games have done since ' Carbon '.

    The review was RUBBISH . Just tell us the graphix work or dont work .

  • Machiavellian #60 2 years ago

    What I would like to know is why people put so much weight on one person opinion. This is not EG opinion but instead Oli opinion. What other racing games has he reviewed that you can take from and make a personal decision that his opinion goes along the same lines as yours. All the, "I am dropping my preorder" means nothing unless the value of the opinion used to make that decision is credited as being sound.

    From this thread alone, you can tell there are wide variance of Opinion on how racing games handle. Some people believe the game Grid handles great while others think its crap. The same goes for Dirt 2 and most other racers as well.

    What I am wondering is do most of you just blindly follow one opinion no matter if its good or not. I know from experience that just trusting one person opinion, would mean I would miss out on a lot of games I totally enjoyed only because some reviewer didn't like a game from the start. Already had their mind up that the game would not be as good as the competition or just had apathy for what they were playing.

  • Spekingur #61 2 years ago

    I would love to see NFS go back to its roots. The old games were fun, simple and worked (mostly) well over LAN. We seem to be missing a proper LAN-abled arcadey racing game. GRiD works but that just seems to be the only choice.

    Porsche Unleashed was a fun game and I always hoped for another car branded NFS game.

  • Darren #62 2 years ago

    @TrendyNinja - Like many others no doubt, I could never understand the outright hatred some have for GRID's handling because I found it sublime, not too hard as to make it frustrating to play but not too easy either as to make it feel like the cars were on rails.

    As for DiRT 2, you're racing on dirt and mud much of the time so the handling is going to feel very different to a racer that has mostly tarmac tracks; much looser and unweildly. When you go onto the odd bit of tarmac in DiRT 2 the cars handle very much like GRID IMO. I love DiRT 2, sliding around a long corner at 150 mph is just so much fun when you get it right as is racing along at that speed knowing that you could be a split second away from absolute disaster (well until you use the Flashback feature anyway!).

  • SAH1977 #63 2 years ago

    Quite possibly one of the most pathetic reviews I've ever read. To compare the sophisticated simulation experience of NFS Shift with the second rate arcade dross served up in Grid proves how little credibility EG has when reviewing driving games.
    Why even review such a game if it's going to be wasted on a reviewer who's knowledge of the genre extends little beyond arcade trash?
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/09 @ 13:38

  • pha #64 2 years ago

    @ DrRobotnik: DiRT 2 has NOT dropped the CM prefix outside the UK. I live in Spain and I own the game, so I know it for a fact!

  • HermitArcader #65 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • BBIAJ #66 2 years ago

    Glad to see that replays are back in, finally!

  • Darren #67 2 years ago

    @Vertical Stand - So does "middle of the road neither arcade nor sim" mean the game is bad now? I'd consider PGR 4 one of these "middle of the road" racers in the sense that its handling is not as outright arcade-like as Burnout Paradise nor as realistic as Forza 2 but it's still one of the finest racing games this generation IMO.

    I don't believe a racing game has to be one extreme or the other, I think there's a place for half-way racers like PGR 4, GRID and SHIFT as they strike a nice balance between what's realistic and what's enjoyable. In my opinion obviously. Simulations by their nature can be extremely demanding and serious/dry and arcade games can lack substance and depth so where's the harm in blending the best elements of the two? It's not like most people will ever get to experience racing a car at 200 mph or have the skill necessary to do so but so long as the video game gives them a reasonable sense of that experience and excitement then isn't that good? Isn't that what video games are for?

  • muscleblade #68 2 years ago

    "DiRT 2 has dropped the CM prefix outside the UK - What displeases you about that? "

    Its displeasing because its WRONG! Dirt 2 has dropped the CM prefix outside of Europe is correct. Talking about smacktards eh.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/09 @ 13:54

  • Rodchenko #69 2 years ago

    7/10's not bad, IGN gave it a 9/10 (or should I say 9.0 out of 10.0) - but then, they're a bunch of idiots so who cares?

    IGN critizised pretty much the same things (especially the convoluted point system and that the game can't quite decide on its identity), but they focussed more on the good parts (the driving and immersion), which they really liked. Hardly makes them a bunch of idiots.

    I also have the feeling that the comparably low score was given here in order to make for some leeway for the reviews of Forza 3 and GT5 respectively, and because NFS has, as a rather mainstream/arcade franchise, not the 'cool' of the other two. And yes, Oli Welsh often leaves me with the feeling that he geniunely hates the games he is given to review.

  • jonsaan #70 2 years ago

    I think this looks really good, hopefully there will be a demo. I have to question though, if NFS has EVER been really good. I mean it's always been competent, but never truly jawdropping. Save perhaps for hot pursuit on PC many moons ago.

  • HermitArcader #71 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • wobblyman #72 2 years ago

    What you really have to consider is this. Cars with 700 BHP will be a ba**ard to handle. Can I ask the reviewer if he has ever played games like GTR. GTR2, GT Legends, rFactor and Live4Speed and if so did he complain about oversteer etc in those? If so then my questions about his review are all answered in a 1'er . Lack of grip isnt a problem and makes the game more challenging rather than a "On rails" handling type of physics which was the way GRID was. I'm a fan of race sims and I look forward to this, if not only for the online crack with my mates.

  • El-Dev #73 2 years ago

    "On rails" handling, basically means cars stick to the racing line. Like they do in all races.

  • El-Dev #74 2 years ago

    I agree with Rod, this gives them some room for the scores in Forza and GT.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/09 @ 14:09

  • LOLLERS #75 2 years ago

    Eurogamer should add a feature to reviews where people can vote on whether they agree or disagree, with the option of changing their mind when the game's released, I think it would make for some interesting statistics.

    I have a feeling this review is pretty accurate and that it's not going to stand up to Forza or GT5 on anything other than graphical polish. Which is great for a lot of people, but doesn't deserve much more than it got IMO.

  • SAH1977 #76 2 years ago

    Having played Shift I can tell you it drives like GTL with a more sophisticated tyre model. On the sound front it's reminiscent of the best PC mods. For those who want a realistic, simulation experience buy Shift. If your content with cars that defy physics, stick with Grid.

  • Darren #77 2 years ago

    According to C&VG's 8.9 review, Black Box co-developed SHIFT with Slightly Mad Studios so EA haven't dumped them as I claimed earlier. Whatever, the addition of a new developer seems to have done wonders for the series as it is getting the best reviews in years.

  • oktava #78 2 years ago

    GTL with no driving aids? Or GTL in Arcade mode?

    Anyways I am amazed that there seem to be so many people who think that Forza or GT are closer to reality than to Outrun.

  • silents #79 2 years ago

    there's a little known game that came out a couple of weeks ago called supercar challenge that wont sell anywhere near what this will doesnt get the coverage and yet leaves it standing when it comes to handling and gameplay its a shame theres so many zombies out there that always by shite !
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/09 @ 15:02

  • AtomicBanana #80 2 years ago

    'Anyways I am amazed that there seem to be so many people who think that Forza or GT are closer to reality than to Outrun. '

    Rubbish. Yes, the aren't 'full' sims such as GTR, Rfactor, LFS etc. But they are much closer to these sims than they are any arcade racer such as Outrun.

  • Darren #81 2 years ago

    @silents - That "little known" game is available only on the PS3 and has hardly been getting rave reviews from what I've seen, which again doesn't help create "buzz" for the game. One of the reviews I've read even claimed that it goes too far with the simulation angle and is a less enjoyable game for it. I suspect many PS3 owners are happy to wait for Gran Turismo 5 and that's the real reason Supercar Challenge won't sell not because games like Need for Speed SHIFT exist. ;)

  • oktava #82 2 years ago

    "Rubbish. Yes, the aren't 'full' sims such as GTR, Rfactor, LFS etc. But they are much closer to these sims than they are any arcade racer such as Outrun."

    Well I dont agree. GT and Forza are trying to be fun and making you feel like a race driver. Nobody would play it if it were realistic cause almost everybody would spin out every second curve trying to control a 500hp monster with fiddly thumbsticks.

    http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=yyVHj3sHVHQ

  • layleeloo #83 2 years ago

    Still dont get why this even gets compared to Forza or GT5. Totally different kinds of game. Only thing in common is there is cars in them. May as well compare Sega Rally and Race Pro if thats the case

  • patchbox360 #84 2 years ago

    eurogamer - sega rally 9/10

  • FooAtari #85 2 years ago

    @octava
    http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=yyVHj3sHVHQ

    Awesome video that, here is another version of it

    Group B Audi Quattro. The cars of the Group B were absolute monsters.

    In the 1986 season Henri Toivonen made two laps around the Estoril circuit in a Group B Lancia Delta S4, during a stage of the Portuguese rally, the fastest of which, in 1 minute and 18,1 seconds, would have qualified him in the sixth position of the F1 Grand Prix that same season. He reckoned he would be faster than an F1 car in the wet.

    Thats when rallying really was rallying, look at the size of the crowds. Perhaps should have been a bit of crowed control but the sport was so spectacular then that the number of spectators were huge. Hard to control I'd guess. Real drivers in real cars.

  • metalangel #86 2 years ago

    A good racing game is a substantial investment of time so I only get the ones I know I'm gonna play to death. With the guaranteed-to-be-huge Forza on the horizon and a new copy of SBK09 now on my shelf this doesn't have a chance of getting any playtime. Good on EA for trying something new but as a fan of the series since its debut on the 3D0 I don't want circuit racing, modded cars or gangsta street racing. I want beautiful real roads to race stock sport and exotic cars on. Which is what Test Drive does, and what NFS needs to emulate.

  • FooAtari #87 2 years ago

    @SAH1977
    Having played Shift I can tell you it drives like GTL with a more sophisticated tyre model.

    Pretty sure those were the exact comments in a Swedish Shift review. Haven't played it all have you?

    EDIT
    Review translated to English

    And the particular part of the review that compares to GTL tires;
    I would thus be lying if I said that körkänslan in Shift recalls in particular the GT Legends. For the do it, but a few important differences. The cars are slightly heavier, tires physics have improved and changed to simulate more momentum and the system of friction are bulls, more sensitive

    To much of a coincidence that you said the exact same thing and the game isn't even out yet (although may already be available from questionable sources)
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/09 @ 17:19

  • Dazzyman #88 2 years ago

    Very strange review. Why keep comparing it to Grid when thats an arcade game that pivots on the centre? If its skittish learn how to drive the car better, Forza is skittish so is GT. I would love to know what you would think of GP legends with oversteer and having to learn to engine brake just to get around the first corner. Would also like to know what you reviewed this with as using a wheel over a pad alters a twitchy game (you just have to go to Dirt 2 or Grid and change linerity down 2 notches to stop this as pad small range over compensates for turn ratio). Dirt 2 is a beautifull game on a G25 wheel but on a pad it aint that fun as they tweaked Grids engine and made it bordering on sim arcade instead of arcade.

    Grid is a great game but its an arcade racer. You should review a game also compared to what is currently out not marking it down because you think GT5 and Forza 3 might be better. I also fail to understand why you didnt do more than a couple of sentances on online when thats what is the bread and butter of racing games. Grid kept me going on TT for months but where blind to know what this has.

    It shouldnt matter what a racer is in anyway whether its full on sim which we still have yet to find on a console, arcade sim or arcade if its good but its pointless comparing a total different way a car handles by its physics engine when it leans arcade with Grid to compare that then to a arcade sim of Shift as even the grip physics on Grid you dont even have to brake on most corners just lift the throttle.

    Pretty scarey that you gave this a 7 compared to Race pro that was very broken out of the box

    EA would have been better off dropping NFS though as a name attachment gives across wrong ideas to people reviewing it that dont know any better.

    Gametrailers has a better take on it
    http://ww w.gametrailers.com/video/review...
    Edited by 3 at 15/09/09 @ 17:20

  • Rens11 #89 2 years ago

    this reviews very negative compared to all the others so far, shame cos the game was looking very promising to me

  • SAH1977 #90 2 years ago

    FooAtari the game has been demoed at a number of trackday/motorsport events across the UK for weeks, what else is there to discuss other than the physics and tyre model for a sim player, a couple of laps tells you all you need to know.

    Anyone who's played GTL or GTR2 knows what to expect, I doubt the reviewer has even tried Pro mode with a wheel, while the comparison with, and stranger still, praise of the horrendous Grid should tell you this is a genuine driving simulation.

  • Alkeno #91 2 years ago

    I love this kind of concept. I understand many car enthusiasts can't accept anything less than GT5 (PS3), Forza3 (360) or the_best_sim (PC) but not everybody is the same. There is a huge market for games like this: Focused, intense and fun.

    I enjoyed PGR4 a lot, I found it brilliant, jet never completed it. I did get a good bunch of achievements, unlocked most cars and played through 2 o maybe 3 full seasons of the game... but after maybe two months of casual playing I just stopped and went on to a new game. Not because PGR4 wasn't interesting anymore, not because I didn't like to finish it... And did I mention that I never used bikes unless forced? Most the cars in my garage where utterly underused also, I had a selection of 10 or so favorites...

    I would love to buy Forza 3, get a wheel and play for 200 hours, get all cars, beat most tracks, online play all night and have my own paintworks done... but doing so would kill my time-budget for gaming for the next two years at least and I just can't allow that to happen. I am more than happy if a game gives me 20-30 hours of good gaming (unless it's Mass Effect, which has double slot allowance!).

    So when the time is up for a new driving game, Shift looks like the better candidate. And by the way, I enjoyed hugely IGN's review, the guy loved the cockpit view as much as his girlfriend... and from the videos I've seen I could also love that feeling of looseness at 200mph and that sound behind my ears.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/09 @ 17:52

  • Dazzyman #92 2 years ago

    Aye I agree m8. I find it hard to swallow that one minute its too twitchy but then hes slating it saing its not sim enough because it has 4 modes to alter this from arcade > > sim. On sim it will switch off the anti lock brakes (so you wont even be able to do 100% pedal on a brake stamping) no steering assist and so on. Do we know what he played it on though nope which is daft as these alter the game immensly when you choose these aids same on Froza etc.. even Grid what is arcade feels different with no TCS and stability.

    Taking a pop at a game saying its too arcadey when you can switch the options off to stop this is abit daft but alot of reiviewers did the same for Grid and have also done same recently for Dirt2. You can always tell a proper sim over a arcade one by how you have to brake first then start to turn.

    Some of the glaring things missed are you get penalised for cutting online and have a speed limit for a few seconds, you can play with 8 or do 1v1 races up and down tiers and you can contiune and get your badges for online. Also has tweaking abilitys with gear ratios etc.. basic stuff that should have been added in the review. What did Grid have online erm not alot apart from a lobby that couldnt even keep tracks of points and whoever pressed the button first was in pole on the grid lol
    Edited by 2 at 15/09/09 @ 17:55

  • FooAtari #93 2 years ago

    You can always tell a proper sim over a arcade one by how you have to brake first then start to turn.

    That's hardly the definition of a sim...

  • Dazzyman #94 2 years ago

    Didnt say it was a defintion of a sim.

    Proper pivoting and tyre physics will make a car spin at speed if you try it when turning in. If you want a proper sim you have to start adding stuff like engine braking (shifting down gears) and power off then power on on counter steer to get into and out of a corner or you will understeer coming out. THen add torque and what car type it is (rear engine, mid or front).

    Proper sims you just cant go into a corner and turn and brake 100% without locking up then just slam full throttle on again without oversteer and spinning out. You should be constantly adjusting and counter steering and applying throttle to help you oversteer to get out of that corner. Brake fiirst turn in slow = faster out of corner.

    Stuff like GP legends and GTR series show this. Grid definetly does not as it cuts a heavty amount of speed just by blipping the throttle. Ive had a few WR on Grid on PS3 on TT what I didnt have to do anything other than blip the accel at worst.
    Edited by 3 at 15/09/09 @ 18:18

  • Miths #95 2 years ago

    Pretty much everything in this review - and the few others I've read - makes it sound like I'm going to love this game.
    I'm also with all those who found the car handling model in GRID absolutely dreadful (though the often very exciting races kept me playing for a fair while anyway) with its complete lack of weight and pivot point turning.
    Fortunately Codemasters did a much better job with DiRT 2, which I'm completely hooked on at the moment.

    It sounds like NFS Shift will be much more to my liking than GRID, and unless Polyphony has made vast improvements to the AI in GT5, and the general sterile feel of the whole thing, I suspect Shift might be a much more enjoyable racing game (though I'll certainly still be buying GT5).
    I guess I'll find out on Thursday. Well, not if it's better than GT5 obviously :), but at least whether it's a great game.

  • triple_a #96 2 years ago

    Racing games are an interesting genre. I trust quality reviews, such as EG, on most games but when it comes to the racing genre I don't trust most reviews. For me the quality of the handling is absolutely critical to enjoy a game. I can't stand Dirt or Grid or most Codemasters games. Haven't tried Dirt 2, heard that it's supposed to be better.

    This doesn't mean that I automatically like "hard" handling models. For example, GTR 1 was way too slippery for me. GTR 2 was way better - done by the same guys responsible for Shift. I also like LFS handling a lot. You can always feel the limit and it's relatively easy to drive "on the edge".

    I haven't had a chance to try Shift yet but considering the Slightly Mad Studios' background and the videos I've seen so far, I'm pretty confident I will enjoy Shift's handling model.

  • AtomicBanana #97 2 years ago

    'Well I dont agree. GT and Forza are trying to be fun and making you feel like a race driver. Nobody would play it if it were realistic cause almost everybody would spin out every second curve trying to control a 500hp monster with fiddly thumbsticks. '

    Most of the cars in the game aren't like that. Most modern cars approaching 4 or 5 hundred bhp aren't that bad - you've given a fairly extreme example using group b rally cars which even experienced drivers had problems with. I get the point you are making, but there's a massive, massive chasm between Outrun and Forza/GT5 from a very fundemental level. I would personally put them like this:

    LFS/Rfactor/RBR et al > Forza/GT5 > > > PGR > > > NFS > Outrun

    There is of course some interpolation going on when it comes to the thumbstick controls, but turn all the assists off and put together something that's a monster and it can be pretty hard to drive. I've poured countless hours in GT, Forza, and LFS (I've played the others but I've clocked up the most time in LFS), and yes there's a noticeable difference but not anything like what you're saying.

    I'd also take issue with claiming that it being 'fun' and making you feel like a race driver somehow prevent it from having heavy sim elements. But, anyway this argument could run and run; I've presented my side of it :)

  • mathesar #98 2 years ago

    Shift is a lot of fun Ive just made it to the Tier 4 races and although the game has a few quirks I'd easily give it an 8.5 rating, Eurogamers rating is the lowest of any website at the moment. Something to consider at least.

  • sherpa1984 #99 2 years ago

    I'm hoping I can avoid some of the negative points from the EG review (low fps and excessive oversteer) by getting it for the PC and using the DFGT Pro.

    Desperatley want a good racing game to sink my teeth into- Gran Turismo is too sterile and I got into Forza 2 and Live for Speed too late.

    SHIFT will at least tide me over until Forza 3!

    For those who have bought it- is tyre wear an issue in races? I saw they hired some company to model tyre physics but there's no mention of tyre wear.

  • db3 #100 2 years ago

    Given the reviewers love affair with GRID I'm optimistic that the Shift handling model will be excellent. Codies lost my pennies by making DIRT too Xtreme, so I'm still very keen to pick up Shift and see for myself whether NFS has returned from the dark side.

  • secombe #101 2 years ago

    I think the point that many are missing is that they were supposed to be going for a two tier approach, one sim game and one arcadey game. From what I've read so far, Shift is no more of a sim than Forza etc, it seems to be a half-hearted effort, all the more so considering they have some incredibly talented staff on board. At this rate the arcade-biased game is going to have to be a Mario Kart clone.

  • abject_rage #102 2 years ago

    Preferring GRiD's handling and comments like "true simulators like ... GT" says all you need to know about this reviewer's knowledge and experience of racing. I know it's been said by a lot of other posters, but GRiD and DiRT turn on a single pivot point, so hardly authentic.

    And to the poster who talked about this 'just being Oli's opinion': Eurogamer's staff and owners make their livings by representing their opinions as fair, credible and relevant, in order to attract advertising and get paid. It's a moot point to talk about reviews being someone's opinion, but since sites like this use opinion for commercial gain, it's fair to take them to task and make them accountable, if you (the reader, who pays their wages, in effect) feel you need to.

  • Phinor #103 2 years ago

    After having tried this for few hours with a wheel, on a PC, I can definitely say it has one of the weirdest physics engines I have ever seen. I can promise you this much, it's neither arcade nor sim thus it won't satisfy either crowd for very long. It's not arcade as in you have to actually drive the cars and brake too but you really can't call it a sim either - everytime you turn into corners, your car just starts sliding for no apparent reason. This game is just sliding, sliding and more sliding. I tried various cars from low powered to real beasts and they all drove the same, sliding at 50km/h, sliding at 150km/h, sliding at 300km/h. Want to accelerate from a corner? Sure thing, but you are sliding on *all four wheels* out of the corner, *going forward*. It's pretty crazy and I guess some people will like it but to me it feel just awful.

    There isn't much sense of weight with the cars and with all the sliding going on, it just feels like the game doesn't allow you to drive cleanly. After few hours of Shift, I had to check whether I had become insane for no reason at all but nope, iRacing still felt the most natural thing next to driving real cars. GTR Evolution still felt like you were driving a car of some sort. I just don't get that feeling with Shift (nor Grid. Now Flatout.. that's an arcade game with a driving model that makes you feel like you are indeed driving a car of some sort.)

    So while I don't agree with some parts of this review, I can agree with the score. Shift doesn't seem like a good arcade racing game but it really doesn't work as a sim either. Forza 2 did the middleground between a sim and an arcade rather well, Shift didn't.

  • Miths #104 2 years ago

    @Phinor

    That doesn't sound too encouraging. While I hated the handling model in GRID, sliding around on tarmac - and some of the cars in the game are supposed to be full blooded race cars on slicks, aren't they? - certainly doesn't sound like a good alternative either.
    Well, I'm still getting this game on Thursday, if nothing else then just to see the much touted "dynamic" cockpit view in action (preferably while looking at the beautiful interior of a Zonda). But perhaps all the reviewers (and most of the other reviews have been rather glowing) are just comparing to console racers and the head movement and G-force simulation isn't any better (aside from some added blur effects) than what we've seen in PC sims like GTR, rFactor, RACE etc. for years?

    In any case I'm not looking for a full blooded sim as I'll just be playing the game with a DualShock 3 (my G25 has unfortunately been stoved away in a closet since I moved to a new apartment where it just wasn't particularly compatible with my living room furniture, neither with my console nor PC setup).
    Still, even with a gamepad it's certainly easy enough to tell a crappy handling model from a decent or good one - whether we're talking sim or arcade racers.

  • BigDaddy82 #105 2 years ago

    @abject_rage

    Neither Grid or Dirt have cars that turn on a 'central pivot', thats just a term banded around by people who wish to discredit the handling in those games, if anything Sega Rally had a much bigger argument for the 'central pivot' handling, but even that i expect didn't actually have it.

  • darren1976 #106 2 years ago

    Played a demo of this in GAME, the handling is much more realistic than Grids 'arcade central pivot point rubbish' (really the game structure of Grid must have been where the high review scores came from because the handling was shocking IMO) and I was impressed with Shift.

    However I still think Forza will have more realistic handling and AI so not really sure where Shift will fit in! Not quite the same problem on PS3 because GT5 may be delayed, and unless they sort out AI for GT5 then Shift may actually shift (sorry) quite a few copies on PS3!

  • metalangel #107 2 years ago

    SHIFT doesn't fit anywhere. Want a sim? GTR, LFS, Simbin stuff. Want arcade? GRiD. Want like the old days of NFS? Test Drive. Want like the more recent street racing NFS? Midnight Club. Want to be Clarkson? Forza/GT :p

    You can see why the NFS name is on it, it certainly won't sell on its own merits, and will likely end up next to Superstars V8 as a forgotten game.

  • layleeloo #108 2 years ago

    BEEN PLAYING IT ALL MORNING so i can actually comment from experience. It is.....ok. Nothing great, nothing crap.

    The person above mentions it being forgotton alongside V8. I wouldnt go that far. I actually thought the demo of V8 was ok as it knew exactly what it was.

    So far in shift, I can say the first part of the game sorting your car and testing the beamer, the control seems a little off. it seems when cornering you are either not cornering hard enough as you are going wide, so you turn a millimetre tighter and it thinks you are on full lock. Also it feels like you are driving on grainy road? Its hard to explain but you will see what I mean when you play it.

    I will write more when I have played it more in a few hours but this is my first impression I hope. It should get better with luck.

  • Caspar_Esq. #109 2 years ago

    Read more like a 6 or less, was really very negative.

  • mikeck #110 2 years ago

    Shift is a lot of fun Ive just made it to the Tier 4 races and although the game has a few quirks I'd easily give it an 8.5 rating, Eurogamers rating is the lowest of any website at the moment. Something to consider at least.

    I'm up to Tier 2 at the moment, and loving the game, it's great fun to play and that's all I want from a racing game :) Tweak your car, pick an event, start your engine and race, bish bash bosh, this game does that and that's all I need.

  • layleeloo #111 2 years ago

    Up tp tier 3 level 5 and I have concluded this is not for me. I will be giving it back to my mate tonight and changing it for Dirt 2. The game is fine I guess, but FOR ME, the handing is simply appalling. Ive tried all levels of cars from GT40's, Porsche's, S2000, RS Cosworth, MX5, Skyline and they all handle so bizaare. No doubt you will get used to it but no - played it for 3 hours and thats enough for me thanks. V8 demo handling was way better than this.

    Got a few gamerpoints off it so all is not lost haha
    Edited by 1 at 16/09/09 @ 15:44

  • Dazzyman #112 2 years ago

    What level are you playing on arcade, sim etc...?

  • layleeloo #113 2 years ago

    Dazzyman

    The game configures its own settings to how you play the very first race. So you can set them all yourself but it measures how you perform during that race and adjusts accordingly. Which is a good idea, however your first race of a new game with hew handling you are never going to be great. I have tried it with custom settings and easy settings however the handling still has the same issues, all be it to differing degrees depending on your settings.

  • Dazzyman #114 2 years ago

    layleeloo are you using a wheel or a pad?

  • layleeloo #115 2 years ago

    Just a pad mate. Wish I had the room for a wheel. Used to have the Microsoft one which I used for Forza 2 and Dirt but moved and sold it due to lack of room. Gutted.

  • XdarXideX #116 2 years ago

    I've played the career mode on Hard for about 45 mins to an hour and I just can't see myself getting on with the controls. There's a long period of time between hitting full right/left on the stick and the wheels hitting full lock. But it still oversteers the moment you touch it... I haven't tried upping the steering sensitivity yet but I assume that will just cause more oversteer!

    Bring on Forza 3!

  • Scrumhalf #117 2 years ago

    Just got the 360 version and managed to try it a bit and my personal opinion is that it is very good. But it is stuck between two stools, as soon as you realise this it is excellent - it depends how you will let that affect it.

    As an example I have been playing DiRT 2 a lot, so I set off with the pad (getting the wheel out later) and played with the same technique, which is kind of feathering the steering - this doesn't work and you do get a lot of the oversteer mentioned (as I am sure I would in my own car if I kept slamming on the full lock at 70mph). When I realised this and slowly eased the controls (which is really not easy on a pad) it started coming together, 3 laps of Spa later and I really appreciate what they are trying to do. It was mentioned already but it is a lot like GT Legends - not that I ever played that on a pad.

    The feeling of speed is amazing - the blurring of the car interior works so well. It is the first game where the interior view is not annoying (see DiRT 2) it is a complete asset for the game it is very immersive.

    On early thoughts, I suspect the controls are going to be a bit marmite like and whether you have the perseverance it will take to use the pad with minute movements is questionable - I suspect on the wheel it is much easier and therefore better. I am personally loving this as a GT Legends or Race Pro with better presentation (minus the occasional graphical glitch) that takes a fair amount of dedication to get the most out of.

  • Miths #118 2 years ago

    I just got the game today and have been playing for a couple of hours. I'm on tier 2 at the moment with an M3 E92 and a 370Z, but the guy at the store gave me a pre-order code, even though I hadn't pre-ordered, which unlocked a tier 5 M3 GT2 race car I've been briefly playing around with as well in time trials. Plus the four or five other cars I've tried in invitational events etc.

    It's definitely not a sim - in fact I would argue it's just as much an arcade racer as GRID, just with a very different handling model. It can be a bit twitchy (even with a gamepad you've got a long list of controller sensitivity settings you can adjust though, but after some experimentation I've left them close to the defaults), but overall I like it quite a bit better than GRID so far. Which wasn't necessarily saying much of course :), but the NFS Shift handling is definitely growing on me.
    I think the point where I first realized that this could really be quite a thrilling game was when I got the chance to take a Lotus Elise for a ride on around a third of the Nordschleife (reverse, meaning all the very long straights or light curves). I barely hit 200 km/h, but damn the sense of speed in this game is really quite phenomenal from the dynamic cockpit view. And in general you really feel like you're driving right on the edge of control and traction most of the time.

    Much to my surprise I've also found myself loving the constant showering of points, levels, badges, cash etc. There's so much of it in so many categories that it's almost ridiculous, but somehow it still feels nice to be rewarded even if you're just doing a couple of test laps to test your controller setup :).

    Somewhat negative points so far are the damage model (I've had a few severe crashes but barely seen more than a few scratches and a broken windscreen - some people say the PS3 version doesn't have the same level of damage as the 360 version, but others claim they've had plenty of dents and missing car parts), the graphics - certainly more than serviceable, but overall not really stacking up to the competition, particularly since I'm also playing DiRT 2 at the moment - and the engine sounds which I frankly can't quite decide how to feel about. It's like they've cranked the distortion up to 110% on every one of them - well, those I've heard so far anyway, but they were all but one road cars rather than full blooded race cars. It certainly makes them sound savage and brutal, but probably a bit too savage and brutal in many cases.

  • sherpa1984 #119 2 years ago

    Clocked up a couple of hours on the PC version using a GT DF Pro wheel. All settings on sim except for light traction control.

    Same experience as Miths- the first "wow!" moment came when bombing around Nord in an Elise. Unprecedented sense of speed.

    Before playing the game I dismissed the in-game goals as gimmicks but they work surprisingly well.

    My only criticism so far is how twitchy the cars are at high speed. Whilst it is realistic (I drive an 04 Impreza WRX IRL and it gets insanely twitchy at 100mph+) it doesn't match with the arcadey bits (being able to slide around corners and smash into cars with little penalty). I should point out that I've only played a tiny bit, so maybe you can tweak some aerodynamic settings-a front splitter should help!- to alleviate this.

    I'm stuck between a 7 or 8 out of 10. Will give it more time! Regardless, worth the £25 I spent for the PC version- might not be as impressed if I spent £40 for a 360 copy and had to use a controller... Can't imagine how frustrating it is to use a thumbpad.

  • Miths #120 2 years ago

    "... Can't imagine how frustrating it is to use a thumbpad."

    Not really all that much in my opinion. I've got a Logitech G25 - mounted on a Wheelstand Pro - shoved away in a closet because it just doesn't mesh at all with the living room in my current apartment (ie. it's ugly as hell and takes up far too much space), and so far the inconvenience of setting it up and using it weighs heavier than the inferior experience and twitchiness of simply using my DualShock 3.
    Just make sure you keep speed sensitive steering at 100% (the default) - set it to zero and even if you're going 300 km/h, the slightest flick of the steering will make you turn (or spin).

  • Scrumhalf #121 2 years ago

    Having played the 360 version with a wheel I am now very impressed, the driving model is very good with a wheel - with the pad I found it very tricky, and slidey.

    It is a low 8 for me with a pad and a good 9 with the wheel - the in-car view played with a playseat and wheel is very intense :)

  • db3 #122 2 years ago

    First hour impressions....

    I am absolutely loving this game!!! The handling is fantastic as long as not using loads of assists and not arcadey at all. You can wrestle a car round a corner while balancing the throttle very realistically...which is really rewarding. Clearly the game is designed for the in car view and as such it's the best in car view ever. I imagine playing in any other view won't give the same realistic impression. Engine audio is superb and really adds to the experience. NFS is back!

  • LOLLERS #123 2 years ago

    not really impressed, played for an hour or so with pad and G25 on PS3 with all assists off. Found the handling weird and unpredictable, presentation poor, speed blur/desaturation glitchy, AI apalling. Pretty much agree with the review on most counts. Try before you buy.

  • dirk_aircool #124 2 years ago

    If your having difficulty driving with the pad ( Xbox360) there are a lot of Pc game like sliders in the controll menu that greatly affects the ' feel ' of this game . ( I dont use assists so it probably depends on that too ) . I'm actually thinking of a wheel and pedal setup for this game which is a first for my console driving game career .
    The game is suprisingly good as a driving experience and I think Forza 3 now has its work cut out .

  • Anslant #125 2 years ago

    This is a great game, but has two pretty big faults - 1) you can't tweak the controls during a race (essential for setting up a steering wheel) 2) you can't quit a race or return to title screen (which is where you can tweak the controls).

    Mind you, once the controls are setup how you like em, it's a cracking game.

  • Shwing #126 2 years ago

    This game seems to have divided many peoples opinions - to the point were I wasn't sure whether I should keep or return the game prior to opening it (my preorder arrived yesterday).

    In the end I decided to keep it - and I am SO happy I did!!
    Personally I think the game is great fun, with a fantastic sense of speed (in the faster cars) / superb engine sounds (lovely through a 5.1 setup :)) / nice graphics / and..... fun handling. It's not sim like or arcade like - but a sort of combination, and once you get used to it controlling the cars becomes great fun.

    Overall, at this stage, I think I would rate the game at least an 8 (if not an 8.5) out of 10.

  • Collymilad #127 2 years ago

    Best racing game to come out in ages. It walks all over grid and dirt 2 for me. I don't like the handling in either of those. Grid is just too twitchy and dirt its as if you're steering the car on a pole stuck through the engine, not as if you're actually on the road.

    Sorry to sound like a sheep, but my god the in-car view. You don't get that sensation from ANY other racing game, and for me it puts this game way up on the ratings scale.

    7/10 is way off imo....

    EDIT: you can quit races, try moving the stick down...
    Edited by 3 at 21/09/09 @ 17:21

  • Hybernaut #128 2 years ago

    Its really good racing GAME. btw. cool ingame video http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=6DUguPPx_0Q

  • Dop #129 2 years ago

    Anyone else found playing this game makes them a bit queasy?

    I'm alright at first, but after an hour and half I was starting to feel a bit nauseated.
    I used to be able to count the number of games which had made me feel unwell on the fingers of one hand, before this one. I think it's all the juddering around that does it.

  • spiny #130 2 years ago

    @Phinor "There isn't much sense of weight with the cars and with all the sliding going on, it just feels like the game doesn't allow you to drive cleanly."

    That's my impression too. You seem to be rewarded for throwing it into corners & sliding the back end round. Doing this is actually quicker somehow than driving a clean line. I can see how some people would like it but I prefer the adrenelline rush that you get from pushing the car to the edge but just keeping it there in something like race07 or gt.

    It does look loveley though and the tracks (e.g. Spa) are very well modelled)

    Guess I prefer finesse over fandango* ;)


    * For anyone old enough
    Edited by 1 at 23/09/09 @ 08:58

  • justbrett #131 2 years ago

    This is the first NFS game I've played since I owned a next-gen system, and I'm loving it so far. Steering took a second to get used to, but I'm getting the hang of it now. I love the realism, although some of the crashes are a bit too exaggerated (but that's part of the fun in playing video games anyway...)

    Also nice to see a good soundtrack, I was thrilled that they used Rootbeer’s “Under Control” – that’s definitely an awesome under-the-radar jam. Props to EA for improving their song selections as of late – all the games I’ve bought this year (Fight Night Round 4, NFS Shift, and NHL 10) have had pretty decent soundtracks.