NFS Shift vs FM3

[gar655]

I demoed both games. NFS Shift gives a much better sensation of speed, has a better in car view (the driver actually shifts) crash damaged seems to be better modeled. I don't know about different cars and tracks though.

Only one major drawback- it's like driving on jello. The car is all over the place. Nearly impossible to control with the 360 controller.

FM3 has all the great cars, lots of tracks, drag racing, tuning etc... but it really lacks in its sense of speed. I just don't get the feeling I'm going fast in FM3. Plus the crash damage modeling has some serious issues unless the demo is different than the full game.

For example, I took the Porsche and headed the wrong way (full damage on) and crashed head on into another at 200mph closing speed. Both the car I hit and my car could still be driven. Heck I drove the wrong way and had another 6 or so head on crashes, ran into walls at full speed and at no point did the car become undrivable.

That's realistic or full damage?

I had a 4yo PC racer T.O.C.A. (can't remember the version) that had much, much better damage modeling, just as good driving dynamics and a better sensation of speed.

What gives? FM3 is not better than a 4yo PC game? I'm pretty disappointed in the damage modeling and the in car view.

Just my $.02.

 

[EvilComputer92]

The lack of speed in FM3 was disappointing after playing NFS Shift. The interiors themselves aren't nearly as well done. It really sucks that after spending so much time with adding cars and tracks they didnt even bother to spend some time on the driver experience. Sense of speed is one of the most important things in a racing game and most games never capture that. Going 100mph in FM3 feels like 60mph in real life.

The rest of the game is really good, but it seems that even GT5 is going to have a better racing experience from the trailers that have been released of the interior view.

 

[chorb]

I'm not positive since I'm not in front of my console but I think you can set the damage from arcade to simulation. In FM2 when you set that and you crashed head on you were out of the race for good, I would expect FM3 to be the same

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: EvilComputer92
The lack of speed in FM3 was disappointing after playing NFS Shift. The interiors themselves aren't nearly as well done. It really sucks that after spending so much time with adding cars and tracks they didnt even bother to spend some time on the driver experience. Sense of speed is one of the most important things in a racing game and most games never capture that. Going 100mph in FM3 feels like 60mph in real life.

The rest of the game is really good, but it seems that even GT5 is going to have a better racing experience from the trailers that have been released of the interior view.

this. plus head motion tracking using PS Eye? AWESOME. At least, in theory. Should be awesome.
What that means is tilt your head ever so slightly to the right, your driver view (from cockpit view mode) will look to the right. I know with the head tracking systems used on the PC, the head movement is extremely minimal, so you can easily maintain focus on the display while getting a hands-free left and right view.

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

So the only drawback of NFS: Shift is the most important part? Ok..

 

[RedRooster]

Shift was crap, after giving it a chance for a week solid.
Burnout Paradise plays even faster than Shift, does that make it even more realistic?

Don't even compare the two, Forza @10fps with a broken right trigger on my controller is still 10x the game Shift ever will be.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: gar655
I demoed both games. NFS Shift gives a much better sensation of speed, has a better in car view (the driver actually shifts) crash damaged seems to be better modeled. I don't know about different cars and tracks though.

Only one major drawback- it's like driving on jello. The car is all over the place. Nearly impossible to control with the 360 controller.

FM3 has all the great cars, lots of tracks, drag racing, tuning etc... but it really lacks in its sense of speed. I just don't get the feeling I'm going fast in FM3. Plus the crash damage modeling has some serious issues unless the demo is different than the full game.

For example, I took the Porsche and headed the wrong way (full damage on) and crashed head on into another at 200mph closing speed. Both the car I hit and my car could still be driven. Heck I drove the wrong way and had another 6 or so head on crashes, ran into walls at full speed and at no point did the car become undrivable.

That's realistic or full damage?

I had a 4yo PC racer T.O.C.A. (can't remember the version) that had much, much better damage modeling, just as good driving dynamics and a better sensation of speed.

What gives? FM3 is not better than a 4yo PC game? I'm pretty disappointed in the damage modeling and the in car view.

Just my $.02.

All Need for Speed games are more Arcadey than they are Sim. It's to sell games cus majority of people will find games like Forza or Gran Turismo unforgiving and too boring. Damage modeling in TOCA has always been good. TOCA has a small amount of cars compared to Forza/GT5 and you have to give up certain things to to have space for all those cars. Sure the damage isn't perfect but it works ok.

 

[Kabob]

I gave NFS: Shift an honest chance...really I did. I'm not sure where you're coming up with this "lack of speed" thing but if what you mean is the fact that "you get tunnel vision" then you're missing something. Shift felt REALLY slow when I played the demo. I was hoping to buy it but after 20 or so mins with the demo I decided it wasn't even close to worth it. The game felt really slow. Maybe it's the 30 FPS, maybe it's the fact that on the Spa track it was getting maybe 15 or so FPS, but it felt really sluggish. And the sense of speed? Might as well have been go-karting.

Doesn't hold a candle to FM3's demo which actually feels quite fast to me.

 

[Hadsus]

All you need to do is tweak the settings (NFS:Shift) to make a big difference in the way the cars handle. Been posted in a few places. Yes, Forza does feel boring in comparison. It feels quite a bit like Forza 2 in fact.

 

[Lotheron]

Originally posted by: kabob983
I gave NFS: Shift an honest chance...really I did. I'm not sure where you're coming up with this "lack of speed" thing but if what you mean is the fact that "you get tunnel vision" then you're missing something. Shift felt REALLY slow when I played the demo. I was hoping to buy it but after 20 or so mins with the demo I decided it wasn't even close to worth it. The game felt really slow. Maybe it's the 30 FPS, maybe it's the fact that on the Spa track it was getting maybe 15 or so FPS, but it felt really sluggish. And the sense of speed? Might as well have been go-karting.

Doesn't hold a candle to FM3's demo which actually feels quite fast to me.

I completely agree. I also wanted to give NFS: Shift a chance. I got out the steering wheel and everything. The game does feel slow, the cars handle like crap (read unpredictable). The tunnel vision you get is stupid, it seems slow.

FM3 on the other hand, does not seem slow. The sense of speed is a much better accurate representation than NFS:Shift. The handling/input is way more precise, and other than the interiors (which I still can't use to race in) it looks better. I like seeing mountains rather than racing walls.

All and all, while I actually thought I might pick up both, but I will only be picking up FM3.

 

[supastar1568]

From the demo I played, NFS:Shift to me, seems like it is trying to be waaaaay to much like GRID. Thats just me though.

 

[Kabob]

I guess what we can all take away from this thread is that there's more than one way to make a racing game, one way will appeal to one crowd and the other way will appeal to the other crowd. In the end the consumer wins as they need to outdo each other.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Meh. I have enjoyed both games so far, in totally different ways (I hope to enjoy Forza much more once it actually comes out). NFS seems like more of a thrill, while Forza should have more replay value.

One thing that I'm a little embarrassed to admit is that Shift's twitchy steering pushed me to turn the steering assist to "Low" rather than leaving it off. Even with all the changes to the handling model, my car kept flying all over the track. I also tried setting it to "Casual" (high steering, braking, traction, and stability assists) and it felt like the car was driving itself. Low steering smooths it out a lot (in a way that a lot of people probably wouldn't like, but that's why it's optional).