My Review of Need For Speed Shift

[nmenon]

Hi!

I got my hands on NFS Shift original version from my cousin.
Here is my review. The PC specs and Game settings are as below
PC:
Intel C2D E7200 2.53GHz 1066MHz FSB
Intel DG31PR mobo
2GB DDR2 667MHz RAM
XFX GeForce 8600GT with 512MB DDR2
Samsung HD250HJ 250GB HDD
Samsung SyncMaster 794MG CRT 17" monitor
Keyboard controls

Game Settings:
1024x768 85Hz
2xAA
2xAF
High car details
Medium details for the rest
High texture quality

Medium Difficulty
TC, ABS, Stability Control, Steering Assist on, Auto Gearbox.

It seems to have borrowed elements from 3 games
Race Driver: GRID, Juiced: Hot Import Nights, Pro Street.
Tracks like Brands Hatch, Ebisu, London etc from the above games.
It also is probably the first NFS game to have the Legendary Nurburgring (Nordschleife 20.74km) circuit, as far as I know its only Gran Turismo that used to have it. The damage model is similar to GRID but on a lower scale with the extreme damage being very rare. However the effects on the driver are stunning. Brushing the barriers gives blurred vision, head on impacts elicit an 'Ooof' and a temporary blackout and reaction on the radio. It also has the return of the in Cockpit view where realistic head movements are mimiced by the camera, (i.e looking towards the corner apex etc.). Car handling is mixed with the TC, ABS, stability control preventing you from countering a skid unless very careful, strangely Front wheel drive cars also tend to have loose tails resulting in slides which are nasty.
AI reacts to your driving, barge someone off the road and they will ram you back, go through cleanly they'll show you some respect.
There are rivals to be challenged if you reach certain levels.
Driving style dictates the invitational events available after driver level ups.
Precise Clean driving results in more Hot Lap races while Aggressive driving results in more Eliminator races (Elimination of the last placed person after a set timer expires). The Start of a race look like the ones you see on TV; Ladies with Boards (NFS icon on them instead of numbers), mechanics talking to the drivers etc, radio from the pits providing last minute info and instructions).
The Car collection is pretty awesome with the possibility of in depth tuning
which is similar to the options in Colin McRae: DiRT. Unfortunately no Underground 2 style of Dyno and ECU tuning.
Personal Ratings
Graphics : 4/5 (GRID is better)
Gameplay : 3.5/5 (Car handling on the keyboard is temperamental, drifting is very difficult, else I'd give it 4 or 4.5)
Audio : 4/5 ( car engines sound great, effects such as the flexing of the armco barriers making metal sheet like noise, limited songs sadly )
Car Collection : 4.5/5 ( Puzzling omission of the 911 turbo when both GT2 and GT3RS are present, everything else is there even the Lamborghini Reventon :-> )

Overall 4/5 ( Probably will pull in a good number of non NFS fans along with all the fans, Can put the horror of Undercover to rest, personally I consider it the best since
Porsche Unleashed and Underground 2)

[rajkumar_pb]

Post some screenies dude. Along with the fps displayed at it. It'll be helpful for us.

[Krow]

Shift did not appeal to me as I'm an arcade racing person. Sim racers have always been in my hate list. I drive a real car for heaven's sake. Why would I want the same feeling from a game, except maybe to feel the thrill of racing at high speed (which I get from arcade racers anyway). Just my two rupees.

[NVIDIAGeek]

Great review! Yeah, SHIFT's deserves 4/5 or 9/10.

[vishalgmistry]

screenshots please

[nmenon]

Hi!
Will post some screenshots and will try to get the FPS. Give me an Idea to do that.
Sorry Techalomaniac you may have to wait till NFS Nitro comes out. They claim its an arcade type racer which should interest you.

[nmenon]

Trying to upload some pics but don't know whether they will work. Tried from IE8 (Win 7 RC built in) and Opera pics got corrupted. Will try again with IE.
I'll upload the pics when I'm using XP all pics are getting corrupted.
I've pasted the link to the album at Image Shack
http://img61.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=nfsscrn3v.jpg
hopefully that will work.

[Krow]

Upload to some image hosting site like imageshack.us and then post the link here under the [IMG] tag.

[sxyadii]

Good Review..Thnx

[ajayashish]

Great review... i am playing the game and i must say it is one of the best they have done...

[redmanc]

Originally Posted by Krow

Shift did not appeal to me as I'm an arcade racing person. Sim racers have always been in my hate list. I drive a real car for heaven's sake. Why would I want the same feeling from a game, except maybe to feel the thrill of racing at high speed (which I get from arcade racers anyway). Just my two rupees.

Err...Its a arcade racer

[saqib_khan]

Awe.sm graphics man. BTW, you are running Shift on Windows 7, right? And yeah...do post some gameplay screenshots.

[Krow]

^Really? I played it and it was nowhere as arcade as MW or UG2 or Burnout Paradise.

[vamsi_krishna]

^ You cant' feel that as it is not an arcade racing game...

To make things clear..

An arcade racing game is a racing game that places emphasis on gameplay and fun rather than accurate vehicle physics or control. The focus is on speed and driving skill the game physics are often fudged to give a more fun experience.

Simulation racing games focus on the "realism" element of racing, usually appealing to racing fans and gearheads. Physics in these games are usually as close to reality as possible.

Extracted from : GDN

[toofan]

Pro street is the first game I played in NFS series and the last because when I finished that game I pledged not to play car racers any more.

[Aspire]

^Naab Krow

[Krow]

Look who's talking!

[toofan]

Yup Aspire the enemy of krazzy your name also starts from K so might be....

[Krazzy Warrior]

Good Review...
Will surely try this game after my exams...NFS:Shift has brought NFS name back to the track!

@toofan
yaar! NFS used to be really good! try Most Wanted..its rocking...

Kaaaaw Kraaaaaw :P

[Krow]

This review was published in Digit Mag November issue last page.

[toofan]

Congrats. Nemonon

[nmenon]

Thanks to all, especially Digit!

[NVIDIAGeek]

^What. The. F***!?

[lywyre]

^^ Lol. There are 5 diff links in that post !