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Paradigm SHIFT
EA's Need for Speed games have gone through a number of changes of direction over the years, but this latest is going to blow your socks off.
The fact that this game is titled SHIFT is no accident. Need for Speed SHIFT moves everything up a gear, or five. From the visuals to the cars, courses and in-game effects this is a racing experience designed to assault the senses.
It's a Beauty
SHIFT looks stunning. The courses themselves are finely detailed, not that you'll notice when the world blurs past at 150mph, and the car models too are beautifully realistic. But it's the visual effects that really generate the sense of realism and excessive speed that puts SHIFT ahead of the competition. There's a driver's eye view (first-person essentially) from which you can see the dash, the view through the windscreen and your own arms. It's not the first time this has been done, but it is the first time it's been done quite so effectively, the reason being that the car and the driver's head move independently of each other. As you corner, the car will tilt and judder, while your overall view will alter too due to the effects of g-forces on your driver's head.
As you corner, the car will tilt and judder, while your overall view will alter too due to the effects of g-forces on your driver's head.
The game's graphical realism is enhanced by more subtle effects too, like the fact that when you carelessly fling your motor into a barrier, you don't just carry on as if nothing happened, no. Instead your vision is impaired for a short period while you recover from the impact.
It's not all cosmetic though. The act of driving is a pleasure as well, thanks to the distinct handling characteristics of the cars. As you would expect, a nippy little Lotus Exige performs in a dramatically different way from the thundering powerhouse that is a McLaren F1.
The Cars are the Stars
Which brings us neatly onto the roster of cars in SHIFT's garage. And what a fine collection it is too. Comprising 65 vehicles and spanning 37 years of motor manufacture, players will get to drive classics such as the aforementioned F1, a 1972 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R and 1996 Ford Escort RS Cosworth. More up-to-date vehicles include a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, next year's Ford Shelby GT500 and, the icing on the cake, the monumental BMW M3 GT2, which is exclusive to this game.
The icing on the cake is the monumental BMW M3 GT2, which is exclusive to this game.
What good would all of these beautiful machines be without the courses on which to drive them. Need for Speed SHIFT features 18 tracks comprising a total of 50 course variations. The courses are a combination of real world and fictional locations so, as well as ripping it up around Brand's Hatch, Silverstone and Spa Francorchamps, you'll find yourself in the ridiculously named Autopolis International Racing Course (oh hang on, that's a real one too).
One more feature worthy of mention is the new Driver Profile system. This system is implemented both in the single player career mode and online multiplayer modes and basically generates your own unique profile over the course of your career. Depending on your driving style, victories, points gained and badges earned, your profile will become enriched thus establishing rivalries with other drivers, triggering special events and unlocking bonus content. In other words, the way you behave on the track materially affects the way your game progresses.
In the battle to create a new benchmark for console racing, Need for Speed SHIFT is certainly in with a chance of a podium position.
GAME's Verdict
- Amazing looks
- 65 different cars
- 18 courses
- Excellent special effects
- It'll make your head spin
Review by: Simon 'Speed Freak' Kirrane
Version Tested: PS3
Review Published: 18.09.09