Need for Speed: Shift Review

Before talking about the gameplay we must mention that the developers have another type of collectables for you to worry about. Based on your actions on the racing track, you will be awarded with badges. The badges you earn have no direct effect on your gaming experience, but they do contribute to your achievements/trophy hunt.

Now, the part you have been waiting for. Is the gameplay actually any good? Or are all of these new features and collectables pointless? Well, the answer is simple. Racing any car in NFS Shift will give you the true sense of speed. Play the game on higher difficulties and you will sense just how much effort the developers have put into this.  Each car you pickup will drive differently, based on its upgrades and tuning too. The driving experience overall is incredible and is one that you have to try yourself to really understand. The controls also fit in perfectly, turning your Dual Shock 3 and Xbox Controller into a racing tool.

The game even features some fun filled online modes. First you have the typical quick races where you pick a track and a ride before heading out for a, well, quick race. The 2nd mode, the one you will be spending the majority of your online time with, is actually what makes the online part of Shift worth your time. The Driver Duel mode pits you off against drivers with a similar level of experience in small tracks and slow rides to start with. The more wins you manage to link together, the better the tracks and cars you will race in. The kicker here though? Lose one race and you are back to driving your little Ford Focus. The mode is fun depending on your internet connection, but surely adds value to the overall package.

As you might have expected from a game released in this age and time, the graphics are fantastic. The car design really highlights each and every car on the roster. The tracks too look fantastic with many things going on the field as you play. Racing from the cockpit view is a completely different experience in this game. Normally not our view of choice, each and every car comes with a unique view from inside and you will sense the speed and excitement with the way the car moves and turns while you look outside. Even crashing in this game is unique. The screen will actually turn blurry for a while after the crash with the colours turning into a black and white format.

So, NFS Shift features good looks and gameplay. What’s next? Did we mention your speakers will enjoy every single bit of this game as well? To realize just how fantastic the sound effects are in this game you just have to try the following: Stop the car in the middle of the race and wait. And as soon as the road clears start up your car slowly and listen to the mechanical beauty of a roar. Every single sound coming out of your car sounds realistic and is spot on.  When playing from the cockpit view you will hear the intense gear changing and braking aggressively.  Quite honestly, this game probably sounds better then the real life thing, so enough said.

So how does everything add up in this brand new NFS? Quite frankly this is easily one of the best Need for Speed games we have played for some time. Everything about it just stands out and the developers need to be applauded for their all around effort. The career mode in this game could have used some tweaks and fixes here and there, a Dirt 2 like career menu for example would have done wonders here. We also were left slightly disappointed with the loading times, even after installing the game on both consoles; the time it takes to load each race is a bit too long. At the end of the day, and if you manage to look past these little niggling issues, NFS Shift is a must pickup for any racing games fan out there.

About Rabie Hassoun

Rabie Hassoun prefers the 360 over the PS3 but still loves all 2 of his systems and that 3rd white motion filled dust collector as well. He prefers Sports games with NBA 2K, Football Manager and FIFA being 3 of his favorite games of all time. You can find him over XBL and PSN @ Rabie1.