Need for Speed: Shift

by Electronic Arts

Product Features

• A combination player tier and achievements system that ensures that drivers are matched against those of similar experience on the track and that rewards for victories match the win.
• All-new 'Need for Speed' release that combines the true driver's experience with real-world physics, pixel-perfect car models, and a wide range of authentic racetracks.
• Developed by the world's best racing game talent and real race drivers, including: the team behind critically acclaimed 'GT Legends' and 'GTR2' games and VP of EA Games and race car driver Patrick Soderlund.
• A wealth of highly tunable cars available in an equally diverse range of events including: quick race, standard races, manufacturer races, time trial, online options and more.
• The all-new driver profile system that assigns a unique persona based on a player?s driving skill and style: aggressive or precise. This system also affects career progression, unlockables and online matchmaking.

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B001TORSHO
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches ; 1 pounds
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: September 15, 2009
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (166 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #503 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

  #5 in

  Video Games > PlayStation 3 > Racing

Product Description

Platform: PLAYSTATION 3

Amazon.com Product Description

Get ready to Shift your game into high gear! Designed to deliver a true driver's experience that reflects contemporary motorsports, Need for Speed: Shift is built by racers for racers. Need for Speed: Shift delivers an authentic and immersive driving experience, replicating the true feeling of racing high-end performance cars like never before. Players are thrust into the heart of the action with immersive and exciting features including a stunningly realistic first-person cockpit view camera and an all-new crash mechanic, providing an unrivaled sensation of the speed and feeling of racing a car on the extreme edge of control. A true high-end racing experience. View larger. Imagine the experience of being a race driver. The adrenaline rush of driving at breakneck speeds, the pressure of fierce competition, the fear of losing control, the intense concentration and athleticism needed to harness the power of speeding chrome and steel. This is the true driver’s experience of Need for Speed: Shift. Through the combination of perception-based G-forces, an ultra-realistic first-person cockpit view, an accurate, accessible physics-based model and the all-new, brutally disorienting crash dynamic, you'll be thrust into the driver’s seat amid the chaotic noise, intensity, and physical and emotional demands of the race. Imagine the emotions race drivers go through. The thrill of driving incredibly fast, the pressure of the competition, the fear of losing control, the intense concentration and effort needed to harness the power of a racing car. The all-new driver profile is the ultimate extension of the true driver’s experience. This system gives each player a unique persona based on a player’s driving skill and style - aggressive or precise. Driver profile impacts how a player unlocks cars, overall career progression and online matchmaking. In Need for Speed: Shift, how you drive is who you are behind the wheel. For Racers By Racers In Need for Speed: Shift, EA has brought together some of the world's best racing game talent and real race drivers. Developed in a unique collaboration between Slightly Mad Studios--developers and designers of the critically acclaimed GT Legends and GTR2 games--Michael Mann (executive producer at Black Box) and Patrick Soderlund, senior Vice President of EA Games and part of a racing team that recently competed in the fourth edition of the TOYO Tires 24H Dubai 2009, the result is an authentic driving experience unmatched on any game system.

Additional Screenshots:

Varied event types. View larger.

New driver profiles. View larger.

Extreme customization. View larger.

Multiplayer action. View larger.

Product Description

Imagine the experience of being a race driver. The adrenaline rush of driving at breakneck speeds, the pressure of fierce competition, the fear of losing control, the intense concentration and athleticism needed to harness the power of speeding chrome and steel. This is the True Driver’s Experience of Need for Speed ™ SHIFT. Through the combination of perception-based G-forces, an ultra-realistic first-person cockpit view, an accurate, accessible physics-based model and the all-new, brutally disorienting crash dynamic, you'll be thrust into the driver’s seat amid the chaotic noise, intensity, and physical and emotional demands of the race.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good, September 18, 2009

By	J. Leigh "jleigh7" (chicago) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Need for Speed: Shift (Video Game)

I am predominantly a simracer rather than an arcade racer, so I am reviewing this from the biased perspective of someone who typically likes Forza2, RacePro and Gran Turismo. I have never played any of the NFS games. But I have played and enjoyed the Burnout games. So I DO like arcade racers now and then too.

Pros:
- The presentation is hip and energetic with pulsing sound effects and visuals.
- The audio is cranked all the way up by default. So if you are using a driving seat with some kind of vibration system like an Aura Bass Shaker or Buttkicker, you will need to turn it down. Mine started getting pretty hot in a matter of a few minutes compared to games like Forza 2 and Race Pro- which would barely warm the units up.
- Cockpit view feels less claustrophobic than GT Prologue. Not sure why.
- Camera shake does definitely add to the realism and excitement.
- Money is earned pretty quickly so you can buy new cars- a lot less grinding compared to GTP. Also when you buy a car, you can later turn around and sell it for the same price as you bought it.
- The beginning of the game puts you through a trial race from which it provides you with a recommendation of the gameplay settings. This is a nice touch- especially for introducing newbies to the genre.


Cons:
- Although the presentation is more "hip" it is also much more cluttered. There is often too much graphics and too many statistics presented to you both in the HUD and after the race.
- Program is not entirely bug free. It froze on me twice. And on another occasion I was able to start racing BEFORE the green light!
- Load times are pretty long so I recommend installing it on your harddrive- which helps a little.
- Even in Pro mode (i.e. no traction control, stability, and abs) it felt easier to control than Forza 2, and definitely easier than Race Pro.
- The force feedback on the wheel appears weaker than Forza 2. I was surprised it was already set at 10/10 by default.
- Cars do not appear to be visually as pleasing as Forza 2 or as accurate as GT Prologue. For example, the rear airfoil in the Audi TT does not raise automatically at greater than 75mph- which it does in GTP.
- Quick Race mode gives you a limited set of cars to start with. Although you earn cash pretty quickly and you can buy them.
- Cars are pretty aggressive on occasion, forcing you off the track on purpose. But at the same time, sometimes you see it do some really weird turns (that are not a result of a spinout) and decelerations that seem to indicate the AI decided to revert to following its rail.

On the whole NFS is simracing from a NFS perspective. It's a good effort for the NFS franchise. They presumably want to try and keep their existing customers (who tend to prefer a more arcade-style experience) but at the same time take a small nibble at the simracing piece of the pie currently dominated by Forza, Gran Turismo, and others.

Hardcore Simracers will probably be better off sticking to the Forza and Gran Turismo series. Forza3's new ability to wind back time so you can redo a portion of the race will likely be the top feature in the game- allowing you to practice a corner over and over.

I think casual games will still find this game enjoyable for the excitement-drenched visual and audio experience. I find that even though I am a semi-hardcore simracer, this title does grow on you after a while.

Addendum:
I recently played the demo version of Forza 3. Here's a quick comparison against NFSS:

F3's driving physics definitely does feel more accurate. E.g. on the Audi R8 about 70% of the power is supposed to be in the rear wheels and 30% in the front. In F3, it feels right. If you do too sharp a turn and hit the gas too hard, you will oversteer. In NFSS however, the R8 feels like a front wheel drive vehicle- in a hard corner, I can usually turn the wheel in the direction I want to go and just floor the gas, and eventually the car will straighten out. Your car almost never oversteers. I do admit though that NFSS' version of the R8 physics does make it more fun sometimes- you can whip your wheel around on a hard corner and just floor the gas- gives you a heroic feeling when taking an insane corner- which admittedly is not a good way to drive on a real race track.

The steering vibration in F3 is much stronger, and it really adds to the illusion of weight of the car. So if you through a serious of left/right turns quickly, the wheel will pull very hard in both directions and it really gives you the sensation that your car's weight is being flung from side to side.

NFSS' gas pedal feels a lot less "analog" than F3. NFSS' response tends to feel like it's a 1 or 0. F3 feels about right. You step on the gas gradually and you can feel and hear the gradual build up of power.

F3's cockpit is closer in view so you can see the dials more clearly. However the rendering of the cockpit is not as detailed as NFSS- and certainly much less detailed than Gran Turismo Prologue. Also with the closer cockpit view in F3, half of the rear-view mirror is truncated.

Even though I tend to prefer realistic racing sims, I find I really missed the camera shake in NFSS. It really does add a lot to the experience. When I play F3, it just feels rather tranquil by comparison.

NFSS' replay camera view is incredibly weak- there is really only 1 view. F3 has brilliant camera views. Just about every conceivable camera view is included. I have never seen so many views in a racing game. This is particular important if you are serious about analyzing your driving. And just as in Forza 2, you can toggle on/off detailed telemetry about your car.

However, still, the one feature that makes F3 the hands down winner, is the ability to rewind time so you can retake a corner. I found myself using this quite often and really appreciating it the more I use it- especially so that I don't have to restart the race just because I spun out toward the end of the last lap. However, I can see that this can be such a powerful crutch that people will over use it... perhaps forgetting that in real life there are no undos when it comes to real car racing... But for now I am thankful the feature is there. It is such a great learning tool.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Need For Speed:Shift, October 9, 2009

By	Roger S. Bullock - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Need for Speed: Shift (DVD-ROM)

Before making a purchase, I always do my homework. As much as I hate Electronic Arts I must say, they have a winner with Need For Speed:Shift. This is the reason why it is being attacked up here.

Some reviews posted up here are not reviews but short narrow-minded paragraphs designed to scare people away from the product. It is called, "Fanboism" and is highly distasteful. Such "reviews" do not help the perspective buyer one bit.

I raced with Shift for a couple of weeks after installing it on my system before writing a review. This gave me time to earn some unlocks. It also gave me time to experience MORE of what Shift is all about.

The previous releases in the Need For Speed (NFS) series were all surreal arcade-style racing games. The physics were not that realistic. NFS:Shift however, leans heavily toward simulation.

Career

Shift is career driven. You start at the bottom and fight/race your way to the top. As you do, you earn money and points that unlock more vehicles, tracks and upgrades for vehicles that you own.

Profiles

You create a name for your profile when Shift starts up. Any progress made in your racing career will be saved under that name.

During a race, you earn points both in AGRESSION and PRECISION driving.

An aggressive driver is likely to block other drivers from passing them on the track or cause other drivers to spin out of control. Such behavior is risky and may cause the aggressive driver to spin out and lose valuable time as well.

The Racing Line

By default, there are green arrows on the race track. These arrows form what is called, the Racing Line. The Racing Line shows the shortest route around the track. If you keep your car on the arrows, you minimize the amount of time it will take you to complete a lap. Staying on those arrows maximizes precision points you earn during a race.

The arrows also change color with your cars speed. Red arrows mean you are going too fast and are going to turn wide, run off the track and most likely crash. If the arrows are yellow, you will most likely make the turn but your turn will be wider then it should be. Green means you are traveling at a speed optimal for cornering.

The Racing Line in Shift helps you to master the track and its brake points faster. It also helps you to become a better, more precise race car driver.

Earning Aggression and Precision points increases your Driver Level and unlocks more tracks, cars and upgrades for cars that you already own.

When you feel you have mastered the tracks, the Racing Line can be turned off in Options.

Stars

If you come in third place in a race, you earn one star. Coming in first earns you three stars. As star counts are built, you unlock new competitions and advance your career.

"Bonus stars are available for pulling off special objectives like racing clean or holding a drift long enough. You can even earn stars by racking up enough Profile points in a single race."

Badges

As you hit minor milestones, you will be awarded badges. Racking up mileage on a car, mastering corners, winning consecutive races, or defeating rival drivers will earn you badges.

Minor badges add up to major badges as you continue to excel at racing.

Garages

Every driver starts with a two-car garage. You earn more garages as your Driver Level increases.

The cars you purchase with the money you win from racing can be upgraded, downgraded or sold. Aerodynamics, power train, wheels, tires, brakes, for example can all be upgraded and downgraded at will.

There are some cars that may be a bit too wimpy for your liking. I have upgraded the engine in only one car so far my career because I didn't think it had enough horse power. Its acceleration was very poor (Nissan).

Cars can be painted any color or have decals assigned to them. This includes custom jobs.

You will race Front Wheel Drive, Rear Wheel Drive and All Wheel Drive vehicles in Shift. If you race enough, you will notice that each car has its own personality as they do in reality.

Race events include:

Race - This mode allows you to set up a race with up to 15 opponents. You can even set it to "0" opponents and race by yourself.

Eliminator - race against others and the last one to complete a lap is eliminated. The race isn't over until there is only one car left (maybe you?). There is also a time variation of this race where the last place holder is eliminated every 30 seconds.

The other events include; Drift, Driver Duel, Series, Endurance, Manufacture, Time Attack and Hot Lap.

AI Cars

The AI cars do not have glue on their tires. I've seen quite a few lose it on a corner and even spin out on straight-a-ways. They do seek revenge if you show aggression towards them though.

Multiplayer

Yes, you can race against other people over the Internet.

Game Screen

The Game Screen has a mini map in the lower left-hand corner showing your position on the track in relation to other drivers.

Perspective views include; chase view of your car, cockpit view and hood view.

Tunnel vision blurring

When a driver is speeding down a straight-a-way, his mind is focus on what is on the road ahead of his car. The peripheral view will somewhat blur in this situation. This simulates tunnel vision. At slower speeds this effect does not occur of course.

G-Force

The cars have more detail in them then most other racing games presently on the market.
The cockpit view in Shift is quite impressive. The dashboards are accurately modeled and look quite realistic. The gauges work, the steering wheel turns with your action and you can see the arms of your virtual driver steering and shifting as well.

If you accelerate quickly in a real car, you will be pushed back into your seat. This is simulated within Shift. It's a nice touch and adds to the realism.

The race tracks are quite detailed as well. Not just in texturing, but in terrain mesh as well. There are small bumps in the track (as you would expect). You will become air born briefly on some tracks, so watch your speed!

There are crowds in the stands, photographers with flashes and guys waving flags lined up sporadically along the banks of the tracks in strategic parts, too.

If you have a supported steering wheel with force feed back you will feel the bumps and dips in the track. You will even feel the steering wheel vibrate and hear the rumbling noise as your tires run over the red and white cornering markers.

When you drive over dirt, dust is kicked up. When you drive over grass, grass is kicked up and when your tires lose traction, they squeal and smoke.

During the race you can cycle through 4 different perspectives. Two of the most popular are; chase car view and cockpit view.

Screen Shot

When the race is over, the race is replayed. The VCR controls allow you to fast forward, rewind or pause the replay for a screen shot. You can even cycle through perspective views in this mode.

Controllers

I am using the Logitech G25 Steering Wheel with Shift. All functions this wheel has are supported by Shift, including the CLUTCH.

Recommendations for installing:

Make sure your system meets the minimum requirements!

Make sure you are running the latest Graphics driver for your video card before installing Shift. Many people fail miserably at doing this and when it comes time to install a new game, they get the dreaded Blue Screen of Death at runtime.

If you have sound difficulties during runtime, update the driver for your sound card.

After installing Shift, defrag your hard drive to maximize system performance then reboot to clean out main memory. When Windows is through loading, run Shift.

Final Words

Shift is receiving high marks in reviews all across the web, including Youtube.

There is more to Shift then even my review reveals. I am not going to write a book about it here. I just hope my review helps you make a more educated decision.

I'm out.

Have fun racing!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SHIFT DOWN AND ACCELERATE!, September 16, 2009

By	NeuroSplicer (Freeside, in geosynchronous orbit) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Need for Speed: Shift (DVD-ROM)

After the previous, well...disastrous NFS releases, the franchise was in need for a breath of fresh air. Luckily the new developers seem to love racing and provided just that.

The first thing that you realize is that NFS-SHIFT is not just eye-candy (although I have rarely seen better looking cars on a PC): it is more of a simulation game than previous installments of the series. Metal gets bend, windshields get cracked, performance gets affected and crashes will leave you dazed.
I especially enjoyed the in-cockpit perspective (every model with its accurate interior and the helmet-mounted camera tilting back when accelerating and dipping when braking). Having said that I have to make clear that SHIFT is NOT strictly a driving-simulation game. A number of assists take care of whatever you cannot (or do not want) to handle. You can tweak them or let the initial test-lap to determine the optimal level of difficulty for you. All in all, this game is true to its arcade pedigree but is also makes more than an honest effort to accommodate simulation gamers.

There are 5 tiers of events with each tier consisting of a series of events (races, time trials, head to head, drifts, endurance and eliminator). Each event awards a number of stars, cash and points towards your overall driver rank. Precision, aggression and drafting get rewarded. As points get accumulated, new cars and items get unlocked.
The competition will adapt to your level of competence so any amount of experience with racing is welcome. On the minus side, this may be one of the shortest NFS carriers ever (hence the star withheld).

When it comes to the DRM front, it is a bad-news/good-news situation. The bad news is that, yes, this game comes bundled with SecuROM 7.xx. The good news however, is that (similarly to FALLOUT 3) it uses only a disk-check: it does not require neither OnLine Activation nor limit the number of installations. Personally, that is where I draw the line of barely acceptable. However, if you are boycotting SecuROM, you now can make an informed decision.

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