Reviews
If Paris Hilton suddenly announced that she wanted to be taken as a serious actress, most people would raise an eyebrow before falling in fit of laughter. It’s much the same for EA’s Need For Speed franchise when they announced their next game, Need For Speed Shift, that it would take on an entirely different direction and go for a simulation circuit racing game. That’s in the territory of the big boys, Forza and Gran Turismo. The NFS series although a commercial success, has taken a fall from grace when gamers became tired of its flamboyant street racing and more style than substance gameplay. The series needed a reboot and through its new developer (with personnel harking back to hardcore race sim coders SimBin) they promised a reinvention of the NFS brand and a game that caters to simulation racer fans. It’s a tough ask by any stretch, especially when you’re known more for nitrous boosts and 20” chrome rims rather than tyre and weight distribution physics.
I was certainly sceptical but after Race Driver: GRID I was a little more open minded about the possibility of meshing arcade adrenalin with a solid physics engine making a fun game. I’m definitely in the crowd where NFS Shift wants to reach for. I won’t play sim racing games without a wheel and I even built my own cockpit from a car seat and PVC piping. I like to play with all or most assists off, A.I. on Medium or Hard, in-car view and use manual gears. I like my racing games realistic but I’m not completely anal about it as long as it’s fun. NFS Shift begins with a montage of some great racing moments and I could tell this was going to be more along the lines of Race Driver: GRID than the pedantically realistic Forza or GT series. You start off with a trial race where the game assesses your abilities and suggests a difficulty and parameters for traction control, etc. You can either retake the race or just set it up the way you want. You earn some money from this race and then pick your first car from the stable. Your garage space is limited at first but more are unlocked as you level up. Cars are split into several tiers and only the first tier are available until you start winning races to unlock the other cars. There are only around 70 cars in total, but at least it’s 70 you actually want to drive. If you have any money left over you can purchase performance upgrades (also locked by tiers), tune your car or change the livery and appearance. The progression system in Career Mode is based on Stars, which you earn by finishing on the podium or completing a certain achievement during a race, such as a clean overtake. These Stars are required to unlock the next tier, new events, upgrades and cars. Money is earned from races to purchase new cars or upgrades. Nothing new here that you haven’t seen before and mimics tried and true progression systems of other sim racer career modes, although it’s nicely executed and you have freedom to pick the events you like.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|