Shift 2 Unleashed: Review

2010 BMW 135i Coupe

So, once again, Need For Speed has decided to get under Gran Turismo's nose with their own realistic sim game. This time, they say it's the most realistic racing game ever created. You will be able to feel the tension as a you drive at 200 MPH through a narrow straight. You will feel the terror as you navigate your way through the dark while racing against other aggressive drivers. You'll sit at the edge of your seat as you battle for first place against another racer. These are just the many descriptions people have told me about the game, so, of course, I had to experience this for myself. And guess what? I did, and more!

2010 Audi R8 4.2 FSI Quattro

I played the first Shift when it came out about two years ago and I didn't really like it as much as I thought I would. The handling was no where close to realistic and the physics were a bit deformed. But, a majority of NFS fans loved it, so they brought it back. And, I'm happy to report that this game has greatly improved. The handling is still slightly drifty, but you'll be able to find grip through corners. The physics have greatly improved as well. The cars are more stable at high speeds and you'll be able to control them more. The damage models are more refined for each car which makes them better to look at. For the first time ever, wheels and bumpers will fall off instead of having your car smushed up into a cube. They've even put in the automatic features that were absent in the last game. At long last, you can see the hydraulic spoiler rise up off your Bugatti Veyron at 200 MPH. You'll be able to the airbrake flaps rise as you brake into a corner in your Pagani Huayra. I don't know about you, but that looks absolutely awesome!

2011 Lamborghini Reventon Interceptor

As for gameplay, this game is much more exciting than the old Shift. For once, you'll stand at the edge of your seat as you race for first place. The eerie journey music from 30 Seconds to Mars and Switchfoot that have been accompanied with the game also provide another level of excitement. The drivers you race against aren't your boring Gran Turismo AI that just find the racing line and drive fast. These drivers are aggressive. If they find an opening, they will take it. If you block them, they'll fight you until they leave you in the dust. You're gonna need skill, aggression, and speed if you're gonna stay in first. Speaking of speed, there are 140 cars in this game that each will deliver enough speed for every event in the game, from the beginner's level all the way to the Works Championship, and even the FIA GT1 Championship. Each car has been styled almost flawlessly by the guys at Slightly Mad Studios, from the Alfa Romeo 8C to the VW Golf Mk. I GTI. They've even included some hot pursuit cars like this Lamborghini Reventon Cop Car, the Pagani Zonda Cinque HP Roadster, and, get this, the Porsche 918 Spyder Concept Study. You can even customize the 918 to look like an open top GT car. In fact, you can convert almost every car into a Works GT car if you have enough money and enough parts. You can customize everything in the car, including engine swapping your car's engine with a much more powerful car. For example, I was customizing my Audi R8 and I found out that I can swap my 420 horsepower 4.2-liter FSI V8 engine with a 500 horsepower 5.2-liter FSI V10 engine from the Audi R8 LMS. That's pretty sick, but Forza ricers have been doing this for years now.

Bugatti vs. Gumpert: a Race of the Hypers

As for online play, I am pleased to report that Autolog has been brought back for more online fun. Autolog helped make Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit one of the best online games of last year, so, of course you would expect NFS to make it better for Shift 2, and they did. Since you can tune your cars in this game, this will be key when trying to beat your friends time records or drift scores. Then again, it's all in the fingers and wrists so make sure you drive well. As far as sharing goes, you can now share screenshots taken from the game. You can even share iconic replays of one of your best races. You can also compare profiles to see who has more badges. I mean, there's nothing in this game that you can't share with friends. Sharing is caring, right?

Lexus LFA Race

When I review racing games, I try to compare them to driving in real life. I always ask myself this question: will this game help me become a better driver? My answer: yes, somewhat. There is a lot of realism to go with this game that will help you realize how dangerous racing can be if you're not careful. As far as driving goes, this game can help you become a better driver, that is if you don't mess around with it. In some ways it can't though. The handling is still too drifty and on some long curves where you're supposed to grip the racing line, you instead slide the whole way, which can get quite irritating. But, nevertheless, there is more grip in this game than in its predecessor which makes it very good.

LFA vs. Gallardo: V10 Supercar Duel

So, comparing this to Gran Turismo 5 or Forza Motorsport 3, I think Shift still has a lot of ground to cover if it wants to compete with them. But, this game has shown some potential and it definitely has taken some sips of reality. So, I'm giving this game 4.5 stars out of 5 because it's real, it's exciting, and it's much better than the last one. Well done, NFS!