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Need for Speed: Shift Review
Before making a purchase, I always do my homework. As much as I hate Electronic Arts I must say, they have a winner with Need For Speed:Shift. This is the reason why it is being attacked up here.Some reviews posted up here are not reviews but short narrow-minded paragraphs designed to scare people away from the product. It is called, "Fanboism" and is highly distasteful.Such "reviews" do not help the perspective buyer one bit.
I raced with Shift for a couple of weeks after installing it on my system before writing a review. This gave me time to earn some unlocks. It also gave me time to experience MORE of what Shift is all about.
The previous releases in the Need For Speed (NFS) series were all surreal arcade-style racing games. The physics were not that realistic. NFS:Shift however, leans heavily toward simulation.
Career
Shift is career driven. You start at the bottom and fight/race your way to the top. As you do, you earn money and points that unlock more vehicles, tracks and upgrades for vehicles that you own.
Profiles
You create a name for your profile when Shift starts up. Any progress made in your racing career will be saved under that name.
During a race, you earn points both in AGRESSION and PRECISION driving.
An aggressive driver is likely to block other drivers from passing them on the track or cause other drivers to spin out of control. Such behavior is risky and may cause the aggressive driver to spin out and lose valuable time as well.
The Racing Line
By default, there are green arrows on the race track. These arrows form what is called, the Racing Line. The Racing Line shows the shortest route around the track. If you keep your car on the arrows, you minimize the amount of time it will take you to complete a lap. Staying on those arrows maximizes precision points you earn during a race.
The arrows also change color with your cars speed. Red arrows mean you are going too fast and are going to turn wide, run off the track and most likely crash. If the arrows are yellow, you will most likely make the turn but your turn will be wider then it should be. Green means you are traveling at a speed optimal for cornering.
The Racing Line in Shift helps you to master the track and its brake points faster. It also helps you to become a better, more precise race car driver.
Earning Aggression and Precision points increases your Driver Level and unlocks more tracks, cars and upgrades for cars that you already own.
When you feel you have mastered the tracks, the Racing Line can be turned off in Options.
Stars
If you come in third place in a race, you earn one star. Coming in first earns you three stars. As star counts are built, you unlock new competitions and advance your career.
"Bonus stars are available for pulling off special objectives like racing clean or holding a drift long enough. You can even earn stars by racking up enough Profile points in a single race."
Badges
As you hit minor milestones, you will be awarded badges. Racking up mileage on a car, mastering corners, winning consecutive races, or defeating rival drivers will earn you badges.
Minor badges add up to major badges as you continue to excel at racing.
Garages
Every driver starts with a two-car garage. You earn more garages as your Driver Level increases.
The cars you purchase with the money you win from racing can be upgraded, downgraded or sold. Aerodynamics, power train, wheels, tires, brakes, for example can all be upgraded and downgraded at will.
There are some cars that may be a bit too wimpy for your liking. I have upgraded the engine in only one car so far my career because I didn't think it had enough horse power. Its acceleration was very poor (Nissan).
Cars can be painted any color or have decals assigned to them. This includes custom jobs.
You will race Front Wheel Drive, Rear Wheel Drive and All Wheel Drive vehicles in Shift. If you race enough, you will notice that each car has its own personality as they do in reality.
Race events include:
Race - This mode allows you to set up a race with up to 15 opponents. You can even set it to "0" opponents and race by yourself.
Eliminator - race against others and the last one to complete a lap is eliminated. The race isn't over until there is only one car left (maybe you?). There is also a time variation of this race where the last place holder is eliminated every 30 seconds.
The other events include; Drift, Driver Duel, Series, Endurance, Manufacture, Time Attack and Hot Lap.
AI Cars
The AI cars do not have glue on their tires. I've seen quite a few lose it on a corner and even spin out on straight-a-ways. They do seek revenge if you show aggression towards them though.
Multiplayer
Yes, you can race against other people over the Internet.
Game Screen
The Game Screen has a mini map in the lower left-hand corner showing your position on the track in relation to other drivers.
Perspective views include; chase view of your car, cockpit view and hood view.
Tunnel vision blurring
When a driver is speeding down a straight-a-way, his mind is focus on what is on the road ahead of his car.The peripheral view will somewhat blur in this situation. This simulates tunnel vision. At slower speeds this effect does not occur of course.
G-Force
The cars have more detail in them then most other racing games presently on the market.
The cockpit view in Shift is quite impressive. The dashboards are accurately modeled and look quite realistic. The gauges work, the steering wheel turns with your action and you can see the arms of your virtual driver steering and shifting as well.
If you accelerate quickly in a real car, you will be pushed back into your seat. This is simulated within Shift. It's a nice touch and adds to the realism.
The race tracks are quite detailed as well. Not just in texturing, but in terrain mesh as well. There are small bumps in the track (as you would expect). You will become air born briefly on some tracks, so watch your speed!
There are crowds in the stands, photographers with flashes and guys waving flags lined up sporadically along the banks of the tracks in strategic parts, too.
If you have a supported steering wheel with force feed back you will feel the bumps and dips in the track. You will even feel the steering wheel vibrate and hear the rumbling noise as your tires run over the red and white cornering markers.
When you drive over dirt, dust is kicked up. When you drive over grass, grass is kicked up and when your tires lose traction, they squeal and smoke.
During the race you can cycle through 4 different perspectives. Two of the most popular are; chase car view and cockpit view.
Screen Shot
When the race is over, the race is replayed. The VCR controls allow you to fast forward, rewind or pause the replay for a screen shot. You can even cycle through perspective views in this mode.
Controllers
I am using the Logitech G25 Steering Wheel with Shift. All functions this wheel has are supported by Shift, including the CLUTCH.
Recommendations for installing:
Make sure your system meets the minimum requirements!
Make sure you are running the latest Graphics driver for your video card before installing Shift. Many people fail miserably at doing this and when it comes time to install a new game, they get the dreaded Blue Screen of Death at runtime.
If you have sound difficulties during runtime, update the driver for your sound card.
After installing Shift, defrag your hard drive to maximize system performance then reboot to clean out main memory. When Windows is through loading, run Shift.
Final Words
Shift is receiving high marks in reviews all across the web, including Youtube.
There is more to Shift then even my review reveals. I am not going to write a book about it here. I just hope my review helps you make a more educated decision.
I'm out.
Have fun racing!
Need for Speed: Shift Overview
Imagine the experience of being a race driver. The adrenaline rush of driving at breakneck speeds, the pressure of fierce competition, the fear of losing control, the intense concentration and athleticism needed to harness the power of speeding chrome and steel. This is the true driver's experience of Need for Speed: Shift. Through the combination of perception-based G-forces, an ultra-realistic first-person cockpit view, an accurate, accessible physics-based model and the all-new, brutally disorienting crash dynamic, you'll be thrust into the driver's seat amid the chaotic noise, intensity, and physical and emotional demands of the race. Imagine the emotions race drivers go through. The thrill of driving incredibly fast, the pressure of the competition, the fear of losing control, the intense concentration and effort needed to harness the power of a racing car. The all-new driver profile is the ultimate extension of the true driver's experience. This system gives each player a unique persona based on a player's driving skill and style - aggressive or precise. Driver profile impacts how a player unlocks cars, overall career progression and online matchmaking. In Need for Speed: Shift, how you drive is who you are behind the wheel. For Racers By Racers In Need for Speed: Shift, EA has brought together some of the world's best racing game talent and real race drivers. Developed in a unique collaboration between Slightly Mad Studios--developers and designers of the critically acclaimed GT Legends and GTR2 games--Michael Mann (executive producer at Black Box) and Patrick Soderlund, senior Vice President of EA Games and part of a racing team that recently competed in the fourth edition of the TOYO Tires 24H Dubai 2009, the result is an authentic driving experience unmatched on any game system. Additional Screenshots:Want to learn more information about Need for Speed: Shift?
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