The next NFS installment: Shift

After about 6 hours straight of NFS: Shift on my PC with my G25 @ a resolution of 1920x1080 on my 47" HDTV and a beer in the cupholder... wow.

For time trialing, I can rock 8xAA with maximum detail settings and the frame rate, measured with FRAPS, ranges from 75-125. Awesome. Nordschleife has never looked so good in a videogame. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for when other cars are on the track. I'm forced to turn down the AA and set the track detail settings to 'medium' in order to maintain a solid frame rate while racing against a full field of opponents. I kind of expected to have to do that though, since I'm only running a single 4890 1GB graphics card. All four cores of my quad are being utilized.

The handling seems pretty good to me, pro settings with no assists. It took me a few races to get the hang of it, but once you figure out your car's braking threshold, everything seems to click. I find the cars to be a little bit twitchy, personally, but a FWD car certainly feels like a FWD car and the same can be said for AWD and RWD rides. The e46 M3, for example, gives a really satisfying little tail snap as you jump on the throttle while rounding the apex.

I have yet to jump online. I've progressed into tier 2 events in Career mode and just can't seem to get tired of time-trialing Nordschleife via the Quick Race option; which incidentally happens to be an awesome spot to rack up profile points to level up your driver and rake in some cash for upgrades.

The sound... out of this world. The whine of the supercharger in the Cobalt SS is just phenominal and the hiss of the turbo in the e46 is spot on. You can definitely sense the VTEC kick in, yo, when ramping up the RPM's on the Civic Si. If you're not rocking some 5.1/7.1/9.1 speakers, you're truly missing out. I'm sure my neighbors are a little upset with me at the moment.

I'm having a hard time finding anything negative to say about this game. It's fantastic and an absolute treat for any wheel owner.

BUY IT!
 
Quick question. First off, based on the screenshots and what people are saying about the handling of the cars, it sounds great, and I can't wait to test this game out. Are the tracks all official racetracks? One thing I liked about the early need for speeds was racing along country, or mountain side roads, during different times of day, in different weather conditions. Anything like that in the game?
 
I'm pretty sure all the tracks are real locations. There is some great scenery though, but nothing point to point like you're looking for.... at least nothing I've found yet.
 
Jynio said:
Are the tracks all official racetracks?
Click to expand...
Some are some are not.

Need for Speed SHIFT track list:

2. Autopolis International Racing Course
3. Ambush Canyon
4. Brands Hatch
5. Dakota
6. Ebisu Circuit
7. Glendale
8. Hazyview
9. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
10. London
11. Miytomi
12. Nordschleife
13. Road America
14. Rustle Creek
15. Silverstone
16. Circuit de Spa Francorchamps
17. Tokyo
18. Willow Springs

Jynio said:
One thing I liked about the early need for speeds was racing along country, or mountain side roads, during different times of day, in different weather conditions. Anything like that in the game?
Click to expand...
Each track has 3 different times of day.
 
I wonder how the game will fair with my old Logitech MOMO racing wheel. I wonder if I should get it for 360. I would love to play on my 42inch HDTV and surround sound. Humm 360+ Playseats Evolution Gaming Seat+ xbox 360 Wireless Wheel would put me in heaven.
 
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Vengance_01 said:
I wonder how the game will fair with my old Logitech MOMO racing wheel. I wonder if I should get it for 360. I would love to play on my 42inch HDTV and surround sound. Humm 360+ Playseats Evolution Gaming Seat+ xbox 360 Wireless Wheel would put me in heaven.
Click to expand...
Even though I'm a staunch supporter of PC gaming, I think you should get the Xbox 360 edition. There may be achievements (if thats important to you) and the console may be easier to setup than your pc and you know that the devs put an emphasis on console development. Just take a look at Grid for the pc, those devs have yet to put out the DLC that the console versions of Grid have had for months and months, fucking Codemasters. :mad:


{edit}

One lap of Spa with the 72 Skyline GT-R

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_kJdqSBh70

or

http://www.filefront.com/14540375/nfs-shift_spa_72-skyline.wmv/ 140MB

1920x1200 @ 4xAA with all settings on High, recorded with fraps at 1/2 res and then edited in Vegas 8.1
 
I have to think about it. But I am leaning towards the 360 version. Does anyone own the XBOX 360 Wireless wheel? Looking for a decent honest review.
 
Vengance_01 said:
I wonder how the game will fair with my old Logitech MOMO racing wheel.
Click to expand...

Been playing it for past few hours on my Logitech MOMO Force wheel. Works perfectly and has pre-defined controls already for that wheel. I was having crazy issues before but that was related to drivers and W7 x64 RTM.

The first race is with a newer M3... man I was FIGHTING with my wheel to get the back end straight. It's fuckin awesome! Don't even get me started on the sound. Best sounding game EVER.
 
I'm going to have to give this game a try. I have an old MS Sidewinder Wheel.
 
snaggletooth said:
The sound... out of this world. The whine of the supercharger in the Cobalt SS is just phenominal and the hiss of the turbo in the e46 is spot on. You can definitely sense the VTEC kick in, yo, when ramping up the RPM's on the Civic Si. If you're not rocking some 5.1/7.1/9.1 speakers, you're truly missing out. I'm sure my neighbors are a little upset with me at the moment.
Click to expand...
lol really? i really doubted that vtec would ever be noticeable in nfs games. gotta try it out :D
 
i played it on the 360 version and here is a short summary after nearly an hours worth of play.

Graphics:

Not has good as the videos i have seen but looks better than forza 2.

Sound: Loving it but when the car skids in the round the sound is a bit too high.

Gameplay: Best part of this game is easily the gameplay. it feels a bit like GTR evo with all aids off. i tried two cars. one was a slow audi car you get to buy at the begining of career mode which i though the handling was a bit too easy with all assists off but when i played a race on a manufacture type race where you and the AI have the same cars, it was difficult and hard to drive!

That was with some Honda (think it was a honda S2000)car and it was faster and more powerful off the blocks then the audi car i started off with!

Overal this is a must buy for anyone looking for a forza type of game. The handling physics from my initial impressions are VERY good and not floaty as well. it seems as though the car has a firm grip on the track at the appropriate speeds.

The sense of speed and adrenaline is better than forza 2 and gt5p imo.

Loved it and will most definetly buy this now! if only ea came up with a demo early on! I got a feeling this may equal the handling and physics found in forza 3.

This new franchise has HUGGE potential and im not surprised given the fact that the people beingd GT L and GTR2 are behind this.

in a nutshell? its a cut down GTR2 engine under the hood but with next gen graphics. its challenging enough for any racing fans with all aids off. it may take less time mastering this game than GTR EVO/R factor but this is nowhere near a pick and play arcade game.

I played with a pad and the Force feedback from the bad is brilliant!

Every little bump on the track or collisions you have with other drivers you feel it from the pad. i think its one of the best force feedbacks i have had on a control pad!

cant wait to try this on my i7 rig with my g25 wheel. It really is a good game. Another thing is the AI is very challenging at hard settings! i kept on coming last! had to bump it into medium lol

i dont like the fact that you get points for ramming into people! Hope we can arrange some clean races amongst us!

Some hard on collisions doesnt really mess up your car as in not being able to race on it anymore but the physical damage is there and similar to forza 2's physical damage.

i think the damage internal from the car is a bit weak as you can still race ok when you just had a full on collision on a barrier or something.

When i crashed into a barrier head on, the physical aspect of teh car was fucked but i could still drive it. only difference internal i can see wrong with the car was that the steering of the car was just a "tad" difficult. If this was in forza or even GTR Evo, The car would have been obsolete.

So the negetive points i have found of the game are:

Loud skidding noises.
Weak Car damage (internal)

Thats all the negetive aspects of the game i have found so far.
 
So overall good then?

Not into racing games in a big way but like them from time to time. I'm more into games like DiRT than games like GRID, reckon this would suit me?

I've got a logitech wheel + pedals which made Dirt a lot of fun!
 
well this games more like grid.. arcade style racing with upgradable vehicles.. well that is if they stick to the normal NFS game play like NFSU had..
 
Any hardcore iracing, nr2003 season, rfactor, or live by die by gtr guys able to weigh in on this?

I'm very intrigued, especially based on the reviews in so far - but I love a good sim racer (i race damage off though, not that brave haha =D). is this too arcadeish or "real enough" to satisfy someone who runs these types of games near daily? I'll gladly drop $50 on it, but I don't wanna kick myself in the ass for dropping $50 on it if it sucks haha.

especially when I can still run nr2003season with the plethora of modded cars and tracks without getting bored...
 
thisperishedmin said:
Any hardcore iracing, nr2003 season, rfactor, or live by die by gtr guys able to weigh in on this?

I'm very intrigued, especially based on the reviews in so far - but I love a good sim racer (i race damage off though, not that brave haha =D). is this too arcadeish or "real enough" to satisfy someone who runs these types of games near daily? I'll gladly drop $50 on it, but I don't wanna kick myself in the ass for dropping $50 on it if it sucks haha.

especially when I can still run nr2003season with the plethora of modded cars and tracks without getting bored...
Click to expand...

I am a rfactor/gtr evo owner and this game is brilliant. read my review
 
Not getting AA or AF in this game with my HD4890. Tried forcing through CCC and application controlled. Tried turning off CAI - no dice. Users with HD48XX cards - what are your working settings? (Running Windows 7 Pro x64 here)

Also, the game has many controller presets, including the most common wheels. It also recognizes all controllers plugged in, not just the 1st one on the device list. That's nice - drove me crazy unplugging everything before I launched Grid every time.
 
Just a word of caution: do not adjust the VIDEO settings. I have experienced CTD after changing the resolution. According to the official board, seems like that changing the resolution will crash the game.

If you crash due to changing graphical settings, try deleting the SHIFT folder under MY DOCUMENTS. (you will start from scratch though)

As usual, there is no word from EA yet.
 
jonneymendoza said:
I am a rfactor/gtr evo owner and this game is brilliant. read my review
Click to expand...

does the game have a "garage" for setups or is it a "run what you brung" type approach?

also, do the upgrades realistically increase performance without making overpowered spaceships like most NFS games traditionally were (looking at you Underground...). basically, is an upgrade in suspension realistic to the effect of driving? does new intake or exhaust add realistic (noticeable, but not terribly tremendous gains)? etc...

and I did read your review - I missed that you were a gtr player the first time around somehow haha.
 
thisperishedmin said:
does the game have a "garage" for setups or is it a "run what you brung" type approach?

also, do the upgrades realistically increase performance without making overpowered spaceships like most NFS games traditionally were (looking at you Underground...). basically, is an upgrade in suspension realistic to the effect of driving? does new intake or exhaust add realistic (noticeable, but not terribly tremendous gains)? etc...

and I did read your review - I missed that you were a gtr player the first time around somehow haha.
Click to expand...

Yes, there is a garage and there are upgrades available for purchase. The upgrades do make a noticable difference, even in the sound of the engine, but yeah the overall effect of each individual upgrade is fairly subtle. Even the nitrous isn't tremendous like it was in Underground 1 and 2. It definitely helps, and you can hear its effect on your engine's sound, but it doesn't toss you to the front of the pack like it did in earlier games.

There are some races that don't let you bring a modified car, but for those, they supply the car anyway.
 
Mark_Warner said:
Yes, there is a garage and there are upgrades available for purchase. The upgrades do make a noticable difference, even in the sound of the engine, but yeah the overall effect of each individual upgrade is fairly subtle. Even the nitrous isn't tremendous like it was in Underground 1 and 2. It definitely helps, and you can hear its effect on your engine's sound, but it doesn't toss you to the front of the pack like it did in earlier games.

There are some races that don't let you bring a modified car, but for those, they supply the car anyway.
Click to expand...

good to hear in my book... very cool on the engine noise too - i was wondering about that but figured i wouldnt even ask because i just doubted theyd have went that far into ti lol. glad to know i was wrong.

can you still use the garage in races that dont allow modified cars?

anyone who has extensively tweaked cars in games known to be accurate and as true to form as possible able to comment on the garage settings? Does adjusting swaybars and springs and shock values and gearboxes and weight distribution behave like it should?

i'm really trying to find SOME excuse not to drop $50 on this and blow my budget haha. so far its pretty difficult...
 
thisperishedmin said:
can you still use the garage in races that dont allow modified cars?
Click to expand...

You mean to fine tune things like suspension and transmission? Not that I have seen. All of the tuning happens outside the race interface, and can only be applied to cars in your garage.
 
Love it way for than grid because

1. the game supports sperate wheel and pedal combos

1a. wheels actually feel right now, unlike grid, which only felt right with a 360 gamepad.

2. cockpit view is awesome

3. easy is easy and hard is hard

4. it's a lot of fun

5. doesn't destroy your car in a hit (less realistic but more fun for me)

as for negatives

grid does have better graphics
grid career mode is a bit more interesting
 
This game really looks damned good. I'd basically written this series off of after Carbon.
 
Hmm I didnt like GRID as much, primarily due to how easy you'd just spin off the track, dont know if that happens in Shift?
 
PrincessFrosty said:
Hmm I didnt like GRID as much, primarily due to how easy you'd just spin off the track, dont know if that happens in Shift?
Click to expand...

yes and no.

the big difference is that in grid it always felt kind of arbitary when you spin. In NFSS at least with a FF wheel. you can kind of feel when you are about to spin. Some cars will spin out more than others, The dodge challenger for example is very loose, it's will fly out if you push it too hard. The lotus elise (my favorite, car so far, esp when you do the conversation) is very sticky.
 
I am looking forward to this soooooooo much....my copy arrives today, but it will be third last in line (after Batman and RE5, but before Red Faction!).

I absolutely adore GRID, so hopefully this will give me something more.
 
i may have to pick this up for my 360 so i can play with my 360 wheel as i dont have a sweet G25/27 setup for my computer, but i think that would be the sweetest thing ever.

maybe sometime around christmas, lol.
 
I like this game. Luckily you can set the dmg mode to either just visual or to full, so casual racers like me won't have problem :) Lots of cars, finally they added cockpit view (hurray, hurray :D)... and no more gangsta tuning nad cop chasing - hated those, really hated all those underground, undercover and other "I'm badass night chaser" games. It also works well on my xbox pad, though I believe for the hardcore, max difficulty levels you need real wheel.... but for my sunday driving pad is okay :). The A.I driving level really depends on the settings, and on hard mode, they will ram you, crash you and do all the nasty things to stop you from victory. THough, they do the same to all the other racers, so it's really fun

Biggest gripe - I set this game on max, 8 aa/16 af, everything on high and on the rig in signature the game jags a bit (1920x1200), not really a slideshot, but when driving through most crowded stands, or in the starting crowds of car, you feel the frame rate dropping, though visuals are one of best I've seen so far. So waiting for 5870 to be released...
 
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sparky1_2007 said:
i may have to pick this up for my 360 so i can play with my 360 wheel as i dont have a sweet G25/27 setup for my computer, but i think that would be the sweetest thing ever.

maybe sometime around christmas, lol.
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Doesn't the Microsoft 360 wheel work on PC's?

EDIT: Just read up and no Force Feedback, which renders it useless on the PC.
 
MorgothPl said:
Biggest gripe - I set this game on max, 8 aa/16 af, everything on high and on the rig in signature the game jags a bit (1920x1200), not really a slideshot, but when driving through most crowded stands, or in the starting crowds of car, you feel the frame rate dropping, though visuals are one of best I've seen so far. So waiting for 5870 to be released...
Click to expand...

Whaaat? On an OCed 920 with 280 SLI? That's a bit disappointing. I don't need to run that level of AA/AF, but still...
 
Definitely can feel some slowdowns on a quad core 3.3ghz 8gb ram and a 4890. I was at medium details on 1080p and I can still feel some choppyness. ATI is having trouble with this game for whatever reason.
 
Anyone know when you apply vinyls to one side of the car is there a way to mirror the other side like left or right? I spent 30 min trying different positions/sizes/angles on the right side of the car for symmetry only to find out i had to do same thing to the left side of the car i was like seriously now? I cant remember how I did the other side its a pain in the ass to keep looking back and forth to make sure left and right side vinyls are symmetrical...
 
I like it more than Grid.

They mixed an arcade with a sim, and Shift was the result: and it works. The in car view is the only way to play it. You really learn to respect speed and racing lines, which I never felt with Grid (hell i used to cut corners to win all the time.) Your brakes are very, very important in this game, as they are in real life.

They give you two options: muscle your way through, or drive properly, and both reward you. Unlike in Grid where you lose a race and you earn nothing, every time you drive your car in shift you're being rewarded with something, whether its unlocks, levels (I am SO tired of levels in games!), etc...and its a great decision.

The selection of cars is so-so, around 60 with them split into 4 'tiers' - mostly 08/09 models. They included some older cars, like my personal favorite, the BMW M3 E36 - a car I've owned and tracked. But for the most part any "newer" car can be souped up from the basic 276-350 stock HP, to 550-600 with the 2nd level upgrade tiers. This isn't Gran Turismo, but it has heart.

With the rig in my signature below I'm not seeing massive slowdowns at all high, 8x/16x 1920x1200 - but its definitely not as optimized as I'd like. Grid runs at a solid 100+ FPS, id say Shift is more in the 35-40 range.
 
should i get this for
PS3 or PC ???

i have a 55 inch tv 7.1 surround sound vs 22 " dell 2209wa 2.0 creative t40 II speakers
i own a 360 controller for pc
 
jonneymendoza said:
iSome hard on collisions doesnt really mess up your car as in not being able to race on it anymore but the physical damage is there and similar to forza 2's physical damage.

i think the damage internal from the car is a bit weak as you can still race ok when you just had a full on collision on a barrier or something.

When i crashed into a barrier head on, the physical aspect of teh car was fucked but i could still drive it. only difference internal i can see wrong with the car was that the steering of the car was just a "tad" difficult. If this was in forza or even GTR Evo, The car would have been obsolete.

So the negetive points i have found of the game are:

Loud skidding noises.
Weak Car damage (internal)

Thats all the negetive aspects of the game i have found so far.
Click to expand...

Dumb question, but do you have damage turned on full, or is it set to visual only?
 
strend said:
Not getting AA or AF in this game with my HD4890. Tried forcing through CCC and application controlled. Tried turning off CAI - no dice. Users with HD48XX cards - what are your working settings? (Running Windows 7 Pro x64 here)

Also, the game has many controller presets, including the most common wheels. It also recognizes all controllers plugged in, not just the 1st one on the device list. That's nice - drove me crazy unplugging everything before I launched Grid every time.
Click to expand...

i have a 4890 too should i got with ps3 verison ?
 
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