Need For Speed Shift

[wedge]

Anyone played this?

Thinking of buying this considering its supposed to be more of a simulation.

[Bruce D]

Lets put it this way - my friend bought it last Friday, played it and thought it sucked. He lent it to me last night to try - I installed it, played 2 races and it sucks badly, so I uninstalled it and gave it back to him. The physics are just wierd, I've never been in a car that feels even close to that. The graphics are good though. Oh and you have to sit through HOURS of bloody videos before you can actually do anything. Its really annoying. I don't recommend buying it at all. Save you bucks for something else.

[steve_spackman]

Want simulation? Get Race Pro...Great game, enjoy the WTCC, US MUSCLE CARS, OPEN WHEEL, CLASSICS etc. Track selection is very good too.

[MrJan]

Are you high? Race Pro is one of the worst simulation games I have ever played, the cars have no real feeling and don't act in anything like a realistic way, the brakes are all wrong and I seem to remember that cars either go in a straight line or spin rather than having the middle ground of balance.. I played it for probably 2-3 hours and it's remained in the box since. Forza is streets ahead in terms of simulation.

[steve_spackman]

Are you high? Forza is streets ahead in terms of simulation.

Forza has a slight problem when it comes to car handling. The ride is smooth as glass, feels like my car is running on wax paper. The sense of speed just doesn't seem to be there graphically and barreling along at 180km/h just doesn't look like it. Forza 3 does look better than number 2 though, don't get me wrong, but where's that speed adrenaline?

FM3

Steering; Buffered, once again! From a complete stop I was able to rotate my Wheel in Cockpit-view almost a full 200 degrees, yet at full Race speed I could only turn the Cockpit-view Wheel maybe 100 - 150 degrees. This is indicative of T10 utilizing the same Physics Engine from FM2. This also brings me to another point; the fact that I couldn't turn the Wheel a complete rotation, forcing me to loose much cornering speed due to lack of steering input.

Now Steering set aside let's have a look at the New Physics; mind you we have already discovered that it's the same Engine as FM2. I read a little Blurb on the Loading Screen proclaiming T10 using 360 clock-cycles for Physics, ROFLMAO! Completely untrue. While FM3 may use 360 Cycles, it is definitely not all for Physics considering I read shortly afterward that FM3 uses 60fps, of which this power must be subtracted from the proclaimed 360 Cycles. Subsequent removal of 'Cycles' for Graphics, Audio, Gameplay, etc.. and your left with very little "Physical Horsepower." So a little mixed messaging there and anyone with PC knowledge will read right though this hype in a second. But irregardless the Game feels good. While the lack of inertia and the in-ability to check my Mirrors, any of them, left me feeling like I was driving in the Space Shuttle with only one Window I did find experience to be pleasant. The lack of vehicle dynamics however removed all inhibitions of trying to drive Clean and Fair. T10 is touting FM3 as a Simulator, when nothing could be further from the truth.

Some of the other Features include Camera Angles, from which you can manipulate the data to create unique Videos and will be most welcomed by Videophiles. These 'Angles' however do not add any depth to Gameplay whatsoever. They are simply pointless to use outside of Video Editing, in fact they are absolutely annoying; who wants to watch only the Right Rear tyre for the duration of the Race? Not this writer...

Audio, while not the best I've heard in a Racing Title it is quite good. Although it is not very accurate. I have heard a Ferrari 'California' and it does not sound anything like what I heard in-Game. The 'Music' also seems to suffer from the same tasteless generic sounds that plagued FM2. Yes I could probably include my own Soundtrack in the Game but Driving Tunes would have been very nice. Engine and tyre sounds are very subtle and I had to turn my volume up to hear some potential Tranny whine or Blow-off valve. T10 should have put microphones inside these cars to capture authentic Cockpit audio, they jump up and down about Cockpit-view Graphics so why can't I hear anything? Because all the Audio is coming inside from outside.

T10 has also revamped the 'P.I." system. There seems to be a smaller difference between Vehicle comparisons. This should theoretically cause the elimination of 'Leaderboard' Cars and help improve a healthy balance. Unfortunately, this difference is too small. Case-in-Point; I drove the 'Evo' and closely monitored the maximum cornering speed, for this car it was 59 kp/h on Turn 6. Next I took the Audi R8 and maximized cornering for the same corner. Result: 62 kp/h. Several Classes separate these cars yet they almost similar in Track dynamics. So once again T10 has put faith in the 'Clock' as a means to differentiate between more powerful vehicles. I think the game will be a good one, but they have concentrated far too much on the graphics and not the game play...this is were Race Pro beats it hands down.

[steve_spackman]

I will buy FM3, as its got the V8's and Le Sarthe and the LMP/GT cars. :D

[Bruce D]

All of which you can get as mods in GTR2 already. Would be cheaper too...

[MrJan]

All of which you can get as mods in GTR2 already. Would be cheaper too...

Not really, the PC needed to play games like that as well as a console can costs far in excess of the £200 you can get a new 360 for.

Forza may lack a real sense of speed but the handling is way better, although you have to turn the driving aids off. On Race pro you can arrive at a corner and slam on the brakes 200 yards too late and still make the corner, if you're 2 yards too late on Forza you either lock up or run wide. With the steering wheel it really comes into it's own whereas Race Pro is abysmal with the wheel.

[Bruce D]

Yeah its cheaper to buy a 360 than to buy a pc (although a GTR2 spec PC would be cheap these days), but at $24 versus $85 for games, I'd rather have the PC.

Besides, I think steve has GTR2... ;)

[wedge]

My reason for not getting GTR 2 is that I broke my PS2 and Xbox and decided to upgrade for a better console/home entertainment system ie. Xbox 360 than upgrade/new PC.

[harsha]

I don't think NFS as such was good at simulation racing games....Shift and the previous one whatitsname....

NFS is more of the arcade racing games which are fun to play...but Simulation games..,they pretty much suck at it

[lugnut_usa]

I'm really enjoying Shift; easily the best NFS since Porsche Unleashed.

I don't think the simulation was meant to be 100% accurate, but it doesn't have to be. It's very similar to the RACE series IMO, in that it's not overly difficult to get used to the cars but you can't just sling them into the corners and expect them to stick.

This is a great game, it's one that beginners can pick up and play while the sim enthusiasts can find a challenge as well. Now, the hardcore elitists who aren't happy with anything less than pure realism, there's no helping THOSE guys. So screw them. ;)

[harsha]

@lugnut...I don't mind arcade racing games,I don't mind simulation games...I don't think Shift is good at either of the two.It's not a arcade game and it damn sure is not a simulation game