Need for Speed: SHIFT (PS3)

Most of my Need for Speed memories involve fast and furious street races, police chases in an open world and laughably lame stories.

THE VERDICT by Will Herring Will Herring's Avatar Need for Speed is a spectacular racing series known for its high octane thrills. With the series' latest release of SHIFT, the popular franchise doesn't look to be slowing down any time soon.

Obviously, simulation racing isn't the most organic evolution for the series. Sure, ProStreet had a dose of realism injected into it, but it wavered indecisively between circuit sim and arcade racer. So it's appropriate that the latest NFS title is called SHIFT because it's obviously trying to "shift" the franchise in a new direction.

Need for Speed: SHIFT

Top Gear

SHIFT is executed so effectively that it will grab Forza fans without alienating its speed obsessed audience. True to tradition, SHIFT is incredibly accessible. For example, if you don't ace the corners during your evaluation race the game will automatically regulate your speed around tight bends. Driver assist and AI difficulty settings are all adjustable, of course, so hardcore players can tone down the hand-holding helpers to better reflect a realistic racing experience while n00bs can up them to compensate for their lack of skills. I wound up somewhere in the middle and it was a near-perfect fit.

Thanks to the brilliant new experience and leveling system I found myself obsessing over my races. Whether you're drafting, blocking or smashing into opponents, you're always earning experience which, when combined with podium finishes, earns you higher ranks and stars. Stars unlock access to higher tiers, better cars, and profitable invitational events. The standard pyramid structure is saved by the RPG elements and rapid stream of rewards, though, and it's a gratifying pyramid to climb-for a while, anyway.

Need for Speed: SHIFT

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lbailey84

I might check it out until Grand Tourismo gets here. I'm so done with Midnight Club type racing.

displacedbrett

I've been playing NFS for over 10 years, and I think this is the best edition yet...the cockpit cam is great, and the physics are amazing. This is my first NFS on a next-gen system, and I'm blown away by the realism. Some of the crashes are a bit too unrealistic, but that's part of the fun - as far as the controls, they really feel real.

Also nice to see a good soundtrack, I was thrilled that they used Rootbeer's "Under Control" – that's definitely an awesome under-the-radar jam. Video can be found at : http://displacedbrett.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/nhl-2k10-and-need-for-speed-shift-debut-with-rockin-soundtracks/

WarrenGK

This review says nothing about the broken tech in the game. Of course as a game developer myself I seem to notice these things. The review is pretty good but totally disregards the broken physics system and plagued bugs/glitches within the game

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