Need for Speed Shift News, Strategy Guides, Screenshots & Videos

Really good graphics but simply not what Need for speed is meant to be. I always love good graphics but this kind of simulation racer is meant to be made by Gran Turismo and Forza.

Nothing special. Uninspired.

Edited: Too much like every other racing game.

Great game at the start, you'll have fun in the first week of playing... You'll love the first person cockpit camera. You'll love working on grabbing all the stars you can and using the vast amounts of cash to upgrade and tune your cars... but by the tail end of the career mode you'll start to experience some bothersome flaws in the game... "Why did my car just bounce itself off the track on a straightaway?" "Why do these flying cars remind me of that police chase scene in Bad Boys 2?" "Why is it that I can win a rivalry car duel by taking shortcuts on the track?" "Why does my car always spin out whenever I tap into the side of my opponent, but he can get away with the same tactic without losing any traction?"

I think it makes for a good rental game. However, other racing games like Project Gotham, Forza, Gran Turismo, Grid, Dirt 2 are more focused and all do it better.

Rented it and didnt like it at all...Jack of all trades but does nothing too well.

addicting game...tons to do in it from career mode to buying parts & tuning your car. i dont think i'll be putting this game down for a while...at least until GT5 is released

What happens when a publisher give a seasoned sim developer access to the top manufacturer licenses, a big budget, uncompromising deadlines and puts final veto power to the marketing department - Shift happens.

Shift feels like EA took what was probably a decent physics engine by Slightly Mad Studio and broke it to appeal to a power-slide friendly audience. Unlike PGR, that succeeded at finding a creamy smooth center, Shift never seems sure which side of the fence it wants to land on and instead just keeps falling down on itself. The twitchy default controls will give even the most seasoned Burnout fan nightmares and the dash of realism isn't enough to please the Forza fans appetite.

All the typical modes are here including a very generic career ladder that has you competing in short arcade style heats to earn you way up through the games various tiers. Even the developers probably felt this was a little dry so they tried to spice things up with 'badges', little mini achievements that keep adding up, and driver profile points that will reward you for being both good and evil. Yes, a racing game that claims to be 'sim' which also rewards players for take downs. Doesn't make sense to me either and in the end just feels like to many people tried to season the soup.

Graphically the game shines and the in-car view will surely find some fans but everything else about the presentation, from the menus to the hud to the end race stats all are just trying too hard to be trendy. One of the biggest disappointments is that with all the cars, customization and eye candy in the game you almost never get a good look at your cars. The player has no control over the view when looking at his garage or even when adding parts. The game is trying so hard to show off trendy camera angles it never just lets you sit and drool over the cars.

The volume is turned up to 11 and sound effects work really well when you are not inundated by the sound of your screeching tires - which is what you will hear most of the time as the physic engine abrutbly and unnaturally decides your car should be drifting.

The AI is not on a tight rubberband or taking parade laps but it is brutally stupid in corners an viciously evil toward your ride and everyone's safety. At the lower levels it can be childishly easy. As the game progresses it isn't that the AI gets that much better, it is just that they will be that closer and that much more in range for their side swiping and blocking antics.

Shift makes for an interesting diversion that should entertain for a week or two. The career isn't all that deep and online modes are rudimentary at best. It could be a nice new direction for the series in the future but EA needs to pick sides and either stop posing as a sim and slather the game in its gimmicky gloss or let Slighty Mad Studios try and make a real run at the Forza's and Race Pros of the world.

I rate racing games on the actual feel of racing the vehicles and not on how many cars and tracks there are. This is simply the best feeling racing game I've played.

Incredible racer, simply incredible.

it sounds pretty good i just personally can't get into racing games