Need For Speed SHIFT Review
Written by Anchorman Mazda Sunday, 13 December 2009 17:09
No franchise has known controversy like Need For Speed has. Over the past sixteen years, gamers have been treated to both fantastic racers by the likes of Underground and Porsche Unleashed, to some unfavourable ones like Undercover and ProStreet. But, all this aside, if any game was going to turn this recession around, it would be this one. So, with new developers at the helm and a fresh new direction for the game, did this title SHIFT the franchise back to the top?
Need For Speed SHIFT strays away from what we have typically seen from this franchise and returns to closed-course track racing. Unlike past games there is no real-storyline, instead, you are introduced as a new racer who is on his way to the elite racing league, the ‘World Tour’. The game begins much like any other we have seen from this series before as we are given the keys to a tuned vehicle and asked to complete a lap. Depending on how you go here, the game tailors the difficulty and physics settings to compliment your driving style, and from here your game begins. I must point out, that from just these few minutes of racing, you can notice the degree of effort that has gone into this game.
Moving forward to gameplay and it is what you would expect from such a title. Career mode is simple enough. Races modes in this game are simple – circuit, sprint and drift. You progress through the game by meeting objectives and earning stars. These objectives can range from obtaining a podium finish, to spinning a certain amount of drivers out to completing a clean lap. Overall it adds to the variety and longevity is also achieved as you return to some races to meet all the requirements.
The game does suffer a shortcoming with its physics and this can prove a little problematic for the inexperienced gamer. At speeds the cars do tend to slide turning into corners and even with tuning set-ups applied, it can be a little difficult to control at times, especially when your approaching one of those high-speed long-sweeping bends which might see you and your precious metal become acquainted with the tire walls and concrete barriers on the odd occasion. There are however a combination of driving assists to use and this does help soften the difficult at times. I do though recommend against driving using the chase-camera as the camera tilt and steering can become problematic and thus I suggest either the cockpit or bumper views.
Graphically-speaking, SHIFT delivers in bounds. The cars look great and so do the environments, but there is no denying the level of detail the developers have gone to in this game – it honestly is better than anything you’ve seen from a NFS title. I must also point out the accuracy of the cockpit view and how well Slightly Mad Studios have done here.
The audio of this game is also quite solid. The soundtrack is great but the emphasis is on the racing sounds. Engine notes are loud, tire squeal is spot-on and damaging your car sounds as it should. I was particularly impressed when I heard the turbo chargers whine as they sucked air into the engine – something which really hasn’t been seen before from any racing title. All these factors come together to really add to that realistic feel SHIFT is trying to portray.
There is also quite a variety of tracks and cars to race and drive with in this game too. Ranging from the legendary Laguna Seca to the infamous Nurburgring, many iconic tracks are included here and some. There is also a nice mix of cars – from the Audi TT to the Lamborghini Gallardo to the Maserati MC12 meaning that all the good cars are included, and once again, in stunning detail too.
Customisation has also made its return in SHIFT and while it isn’t as grand as we have seen before, it is enough. You have the option to buy different performance parts (and tweak them to your liking) as well as physical modifications like body kits – all of which affect performance in some manner. Online has also been dramatically improved. I didn’t notice any significant lag while online and the ability to earn cash, driver points and badges which go towards you Career progress is a massive plus.
SHIFT also does well to include features which gamers mightn’t notice immediately, but which add to the whole notion of the “driver’s experience”. The first is the way in which the screen begins to shake when you approach those higher speeds. Traditionally we’ve seen the developers used speed lines and convey that feeling of speed, but this is far more effective. As your car tilts and the screen blurs, you can’t help but feel like you’re pushing that car of yours to the limits. The damage is also top-notch and you see this particular in the windshield which shatters as you get involved in more serious accidents which has the potential to impede visibility greatly if it gets too out of hand.
In the end, SHIFT is a fantastic game which has been developed extremely well by Slightly Mad Studios, and is one of the very few games available which actually makes you feel like you are a race car driver. It shows that track-racing games can still be enjoyable and realistic at the same time. It has definitely raised the bar for future NFS titles and is an indication of good things to come.
Rating: 80 out of 100
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
