Need for Speed: Shift Review

Final thoughts and Conclusion

Shift is undoubtedly a very different game to most other titles we've seen from the NFS franchise. However we couldn't help but get confused as to what kind of racer it actually is. It has elements of a hardcore racing simulator, with a realistic driving model and fine tuning but also has features familiar from arcade titles like points accumulation, and a lack of practice or qualifying.

It's a bold merging of the two which has worked in some ways and not in others. It sometimes seems as if the DNA of both former GTR and GT: Legends employees and regular Need for Speed team has failed to bond seamlessly.

The points system is slightly bizarre too. While you're rewarded for precision and aggression but you're essentially gaining points for any kind of driving style. For example you gain points for a clean overtake but you also gain points for pushing your opponent off the track. We suppose every situation is different and after all these points to go to make up your online driver profile as well as being a key part of the single player game. Even so, the kind of aggressive driving that's encouraged would see a black flag or a race ban in real life, not to mention about three cars actually surviving the race. Yes it's just a game, but you can't have it both ways.

The graphics were a let down overall. They're very detailed for the most part and clean, but the lack of HDR means the whole thing looks too clean and sterile with a need for heavy AA so it doesn't look awful. We've found HDR, while often a little too heavy, can give cars and the track in general a much more pleasing look with some definite wow factor thrown in too. Shift is detailed but there's more to a great looking game than just detail and motion blur.

The Podium

There are a lot of buts here. Every positive point has a negative one. The game is definitely worth playing if you're a fan of the genre but is not without its fair share of frustrating niggles that you'll either gloss over or want to strangle the nearest cute, furry, animal depending on the kind of racing game you prefer.

There's an awesome amount of cars to get your hands on too, but at the same time you'll need to learn to handle each one, especially as every upgrade will change it's handling in some form or another. As such, racing on tracks for the first time, or even following a new upgrade can be a little frustrating, especially in cars that have some serious grunt and quirky handling to begin with.



In the end you have to appreciate it's an attempt to appeal to a wider audience so there's bound to be some aspects that don't sit well with any gamer. Unfortunately it seems this type of game isn't uncommon and will probably lead to more sales after all. With Shift there's enough to keep you playing, but also enough to possibly see you lose interest before you get to the best bits of the game.

For all its confusion and negative points though, Shift did keep us coming back for more. Upgrading in particular is quite addictive, especially as you see your showroom car go from a tame poodle to a raging, body kit-clad twin turbo pit bull. Once you get into the stride of the game, things get better and become less of a grind. More importantly they get more rewarding and enjoyable and with the addition of an enjoyable multiplayer mode, Shift is almost certainly a sound, if not a classic purchase for racing fans.