Shift Review on IGN(more reviews added)

[Raduque]

Originally posted by: R Nilla

Originally posted by: jdport
I guess I'm a little confused becasue when this was first announced, I thought they had said they were going to be releasing multiple games under this brand ... one a realistic sim and one an arcade type. Is there only going to be one now? Trying to please everybody with one game will just piss off everybody.

They are working on multiple games under the NFS brand. Shift is supposed to be the realistic sim. Nitro is the arcade racer.

Nitro is only on the Wii and DS. Every other platform is stuck with Shift. No NFS Arcade-style games for PC, PS3 or X360.

 

[R Nilla]

Originally posted by: Raduque

Originally posted by: R Nilla

Originally posted by: jdport
I guess I'm a little confused becasue when this was first announced, I thought they had said they were going to be releasing multiple games under this brand ... one a realistic sim and one an arcade type. Is there only going to be one now? Trying to please everybody with one game will just piss off everybody.

They are working on multiple games under the NFS brand. Shift is supposed to be the realistic sim. Nitro is the arcade racer.

Nitro is only on the Wii and DS. Every other platform is stuck with Shift. No NFS Arcade-style games for PC, PS3 or X360.

There's also NFS World Online coming to the PC.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: jdport
I guess I'm a little confused becasue when this was first announced, I thought they had said they were going to be releasing multiple games under this brand ... one a realistic sim and one an arcade type. Is there only going to be one now? Trying to please everybody with one game will just piss off everybody.

Shift is decidedly more sim-ish than just about any other NFS before it. It's clearly not sim-ish enough to satisfy the most hardcore of the hardcore sim-heads. But it doesnt seem to be aiming for that. It seems to be aiming to be the sim racer for people that arent so already into the sim thing. It doesnt like it's trying to satisfy those who would ever be in a position to actually drive these cars on a track in real life.

Clearly that not going to make everyone happy, but these are still video games, and compromises need to be made. The only way you're going to recreate being in the car is to actually be in the car - even the best wheel available is a far cry from actually simulating a driving experience. If you're using an analog stick, how sim-ish it is should be the furthest thing from your mind.

 

[jdport]

I'll have to check out the demo if/when it comes out. It'll probably be right up my alley, by that description

What are people's experiences with wheels? I used to have a wheel for my PC that I really enjoyed playing racing games with.... but that wheel clamped onto my desk. I have a hard time envisioning how a console wheel would work where I don't have anything "fixed" to clamp the wheel onto. It seems like the wheel would just move all over the place as I was trying to steer...

A friend of mine had this sweet set up for GRID on his PS3 where he had this seat and pedals basically mounted in a metal frame... and he had a projector that allowed him to play the game on a huge screen so it was almost like getting into a car. It was very cool but he dumped a boatload of cash on all of that, so that won't be me anytime soon

 

[BenSkywalker]

Also, remember that at low speeds the tires are fairly cold...I distinctly remember that the Lister Storm (from the GTR demo) was a bit of a handful with cold tires but once I had put in a couple of laps there was definitely more grip...I never tried what you describe at slow speeds though.

It's the level of speed and how the car responds that gives me issues. Any car running 335mm width tires of any sort isn't going to spin out at the drop of a hat on dry pavement at 30mph under mild throttle applications because of steering input.

I think maybe the setups in GTR2 are to blame then...I know I always preferred a slightly oversteering (or even neutral) setup and changed the setup accordingly (and noticed definite changes in the car's handling). Diff settings had the largest impact for me and was usually the deciding factor on whether the car under or oversteered.

Of course you can tweak settings to try and get it to push, the reason I mention the easy way to get it to spin is it is a very good check if devs are using a real physics model or if they are cheating. If they are cheating you will end up spinning where you wouldn't have IRL and vice versa if you play the game for any length of time. No game is perfect in this sense, but cheap physics make it far more common unfortunately.

I loved that game. One of my first console racers that didn't suck on 3DO. There were fmv clips featuring a guy that would react to the ability of your racing. I never laughed more than him saying "You suck more than a hoover with a full bag" the first time my mother picked up the controller. Oh those were the days.

Yeah, the first one was a hell of a game- first one that offered actual models of car interiors, all sorts of info on each of the cars in the game, a really good enthusiast offerinig for its time.

It's clearly not sim-ish enough to satisfy the most hardcore of the hardcore sim-heads. But it doesnt seem to be aiming for that.

Why I'm let down is that they kept telling us all they were making it for the sim heads, and they weren't. Honestly, if they hadn't been telling us that all along I probably would have picked the game up first thing this mornnig, as of now I'm still debating if I ever will or not.

What are people's experiences with wheels? I used to have a wheel for my PC that I really enjoyed playing racing games with.... but that wheel clamped onto my desk.

You can get the, hmm, what are they called, lap bars maybe? Anyway, it's like an upside down T that you sit on and it connects to the wheel.

A friend of mine had this sweet set up for GRID on his PS3 where he had this seat and pedals basically mounted in a metal frame

A good wheel is about $150, you can get one of the framed seats for slightly more then that, it's really not that bad if you are a huge race game fan.

 

[EvilComputer92]

I just picked this up on the PC. It's an excellent racing game from what I've seen. I would call it a GRID 2 if anything. The graphics and sound are great.

The best part of this game is the cockpit view which is simply phenomenal. The driving experience just beats any game I've seen before. I wish more games would put some effort into a good cockpit view because it really helps with immersion.

Why I'm let down is that they kept telling us all they were making it for the sim heads, and they weren't. Honestly, if they hadn't been telling us that all along I probably would have picked the game up first thing this mornnig, as of now I'm still debating if I ever will or not.

I think you'll be missing out. It wasn't being made for the hardcore sim fans any more than GRID was. It's certainly no GT or Forza, but its not trying to be. However its not like Burnout either. Its a balance and I think people should accept that. It's very good at what it tries to do. Without a doubt its the first good NFS game I've played since NFS3.

 

[RedRooster]

Is it like PGR4 with car customization?
I really like those kinds of games, this might be a purchase.

 

[stag3]

Originally posted by: EvilComputer92
I just picked this up on the PC. It's an excellent racing game from what I've seen. I would call it a GRID 2 if anything. The graphics and sound are great.

The best part of this game is the cockpit view which is simply phenomenal. The driving experience just beats any game I've seen before. I wish more games would put some effort into a good cockpit view because it really helps with immersion.

Why I'm let down is that they kept telling us all they were making it for the sim heads, and they weren't. Honestly, if they hadn't been telling us that all along I probably would have picked the game up first thing this mornnig, as of now I'm still debating if I ever will or not.

I think you'll be missing out. It wasn't being made for the hardcore sim fans any more than GRID was. It's certainly no GT or Forza, but its not trying to be. However its not like Burnout either. Its a balance and I think people should accept that. It's very good at what it tries to do. Without a doubt its the first good NFS game I've played since NFS3.

yes cockpit view is the best I've ever seen, it's really easy to keep people from passing and finding the lines to ride out, really feels like you're in the car

 

[BenSkywalker]

Said to hell with it, went and bought it, several different observations-

The game is way more accurate then the reviews make it seem if you do the first run you have properly. The game makes a whole bunch of calculations based on how you drive what types of assists to give you, you can alter them afterwards, I backed it down from no assists at all to manufacurer level(you can toggle them on and off still, but the BS auto steering/braking are gone) as I don't have my wheel setup going on my PS3 at the moment. If you butcher your first run and drive like you are playing an arcade game, the game makes adjustments to compensate for that. Really an interesting setup.

Tried a couple different things, real gentle bend in a long straight on an Elise, cornered a bit harder then I needed to can dropped throttle, got proper compression braking response from the car- nothing overly drastic but it needed to be dealt with or it could have gotten ugly. RX8 stock won't go into snap oversteer unless I do something really stupid, but can bring the tail out and hold it in moderate state fairly easily and in a controlled fashion. FWD cars can be pushed into fairly heavy understeer going in with too much throttle, exhibit power off oversteer too(all good).

Framerate is too low, 30fps is something you have to adjust for in terms of braking points, I don't like that. Tracks and cars I know can be driven reasonably close to normal, but I have to start breaking 1/10th of a second sooner solely because of the framerate- this shouldn't have shipped in this state. The graphics aren't bad, but they are not in the league of F3 or GT5 both of which run at a silky smooth 60fps.

I guess if you like cockpit view you'll probably love some of the effects in the game, really add a bit of cinematic flair I guess you would say. I'm still a front bumper guy, until I get a 100" screen at least

Sense of speed is exceptional- they really did extremely well with this. The only thing that has me concerned is how this is going to play out when I get into the 200+ mph cars in a game that runs at 30fps, but I haven't gotten there yet so don't want to pass judgement.

Playing back to back, this is light years beyond Grid- Grid is far, far closer to Burnout when set for sim style play. This is not GT or Forza by any stretch, but it is a hell of a lot closer then anything we have ever seen in this series, or really, anything besides GT or Forza.

Apparently the test they do at the beginning of the game works for people, seems like those who favor more casual driving are getting what they want, and the more hard core are getting what they are after too. Have to get the wheel setup going on the PS3 and check it out in all out mode to see how it plays, but using a controller made me back down in the settings and all of the issues I was having were those that would be rectified easily with proper feedback from a wheel as long as they have decent support(which I am fairly certain they will).

 

[spidey07]

I'm not seeing a demo? Is there a demo?

 

[SandEagle]

Originally posted by: EvilComputer92
I just picked this up on the PC. It's an excellent racing game from what I've seen. I would call it a GRID 2 if anything. The graphics and sound are great.

The best part of this game is the cockpit view which is simply phenomenal. The driving experience just beats any game I've seen before. I wish more games would put some effort into a good cockpit view because it really helps with immersion.

Why I'm let down is that they kept telling us all they were making it for the sim heads, and they weren't. Honestly, if they hadn't been telling us that all along I probably would have picked the game up first thing this mornnig, as of now I'm still debating if I ever will or not.

I think you'll be missing out. It wasn't being made for the hardcore sim fans any more than GRID was. It's certainly no GT or Forza, but its not trying to be. However its not like Burnout either. Its a balance and I think people should accept that. It's very good at what it tries to do. Without a doubt its the first good NFS game I've played since NFS3.

dammit. i am on the edge whether to run and get it or wait. walmart has the ps3 version for $59 and the PC version for $49.... both come with a $10 gift card too. eff it, im out to go pick it up NOW. everything i've seen and read so far sounds good to me...


btw, how close is it to Burnout Revenge? that was my favorite racing game back in the days... havent gotten into these genre since

 

[nitromullet]

Framerate is too low, 30fps is something you have to adjust for in terms of braking points

Sounds like this might be a PC purchase instead of a console purchase. Either way, I'd like to see a demo before I buy.

 

[stag3]

yea there's no fps issues on the 360 here

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I picked it up today. I really like it so far.

I have been a racing game fan since Night Driver. In terms of fairly modern car racing games, I really started with NFS 2 SE in about 1997. I really liked that game, and Need For Speed - Porsche Unleashed might have been my favorite racing game, ever. In terms of newer games I love Forza and Forza 2, but also really enjoy Burnout 2 and 3.

I think Shift might have the most fun and satisfying arcade/sim balance since Porsche Unleashed. While I enjoy Forza, I don't always want to drive a tricky 6-lap race while knowing that one mistake on the last lap will put me from first place to last (particularly given the Forza games' propensity to spin the car every time you have even slight contact with a car or barrier). Shift provides a rewarding driving experience with nice handling and road feel if you want a sim, while also providing a more forgiving and fun gaming experience when you want something more casual. The graphics and sound are amazing, and the cabin view is by far the most impressive of any game I've ever seen. I think this one will get a lot of play for me . . .

 

[Stuxnet]

I would love to give this game a shot, but just can't bring myself to do it without a demo. How is there no demo?!

 

[stag3]

i suck at drifting , i have an idea of how to do it but i just don't see a point in drifting
just give me a straight time attack or podium match plz

anyone do the invite challenge with the pagani yet? that car is insane
the sense of speed is superb, took me 3-4 tries to beat the stupid
AI since it never makes a mistake EVER

 

[Imported]

I caved after reading a handful of reviews and picked up the PS3 version yesterday after work. Its been pretty fun so far. It isn't as hardcore a sim as GT5P or Forza, but its close enough. Wish I still had my G25.. sold it when they announced the G27 and that won't be out for a few more weeks.

I must say, the in-car view is amazing and the sense of speed is pretty spot on.

I heard a demo is coming out late September, but don't hold me to that.

 

[BenSkywalker]

yea there's no fps issues on the 360 here

The 360 version of Shift also runs at 30FPS, it has exactly the same problem the PS3 problem does there.

anyone do the invite challenge with the pagani yet?

Haven't gotten that one yet, got to the one with they Veyron on the Ring- absolutely get the sense of speed on an extreme level. Really going to need to get the wheel setup going for this game, the faster cars are worlds different then the scrub mobiles. I don't know if it's just me, but did they make the tracks more narrow? Seems the tracks I have run that I am most familiar with I have way less room for positioning while passing(particluarly Laguna Secca and The Ring).

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: BenSkywalker

yea there's no fps issues on the 360 here

The 360 version of Shift also runs at 30FPS, it has exactly the same problem the PS3 problem does there.

anyone do the invite challenge with the pagani yet?

Haven't gotten that one yet, got to the one with they Veyron on the Ring- absolutely get the sense of speed on an extreme level. Really going to need to get the wheel setup going for this game, the faster cars are worlds different then the scrub mobiles. I don't know if it's just me, but did they make the tracks more narrow? Seems the tracks I have run that I am most familiar with I have way less room for positioning while passing(particluarly Laguna Secca and The Ring).

I know The Ring has always felt insanely cramped. In fact, from screens from real lap videos, I am pretty sure that track is definitely cramped, part of the reason it's such a famed track.
Racing on the Ring in Race 07 offers a lot of brutal punishment.

btw:
I picked up Shift yesterday as well, haven't had much chance to play it yet though.
I have my G25 set up with my PS3. I've used the set up on both my PS3 and PC, so right now I'm not sure if I want to keep Shift on the PS3 (the 30fps is surprisingly bothering me, apparently only in racing games do I really notice the lower framerate), or get it for PC and make use of my rig for better framerate. The issue, if I do that, it'd make it a harder decision whether to get one of the cheaper cockpit kits, as then I'd have to do some work to switch between using the wheel with the PS3 and PC.

However, for now I am digging into the physics and how racing feels. As I dial in settings, and get used to the presentation, I am getting better at driving. At first the settings were off and I was everywhere. Now I am also learning the braking points for tracks (and only one track at that so far), so I am starting to find out the real potential of the underlying physics models.

I'm going to dial it in a little more, but I am close. So far, racing on Pro, and absolutely no aids, 50% sensitivity on everything (supposed to be linearity with the G25, not sure yet) but no speed sensitivity, and 540º steering lock, it feels mighty nice. In the first SEAT vehicle available, I am getting close to a great racing setup. Might dial back the steering lock though...
And on a similar note, it appears the driver model uses barely ANY steering rotation when driving. Must have pre-programmed a 270º steering lock into driving models, regardless of actual lock chosen by the player.


The only thing I won't be able to deduce is how accurate controls are for each vehicle with the absolutely Pure sim settings. I don't know the characteristics of most cars out there, whether they are more prone to under or oversteer, how quick a certain car is to exhibit body roll and lose grip at what speeds. So I cannot offer much on the exact behaviors of cars, but it feels like I am close to a very simulation control set.

 

[RedRooster]

Dammit you guys, I'm gonna have to go buy this now!
Sounds awesome, hopefully I can still give it some lovin after Forza comes out.

 

[BenSkywalker]

I know The Ring has always felt insanely cramped.

Absolutley, but this seems extreme, maybe I need more time but I had a very hard time going 2 wide on the straights without swapping paint. The Ring is tight, but not that tight. Again, this situation may have appeared worse then it was as the Veyron tends to get down the straights in a hurry(need some interesting braking points in that car, to avoid going airborne for too long).

 

[AstroManLuca]

After reading the reviews and the posts here, I just ordered it from NewEgg. It looks like exactly what I want - basically GRID without the GRID-style handling. Or PGR 5 except it exists. An arcade/sim hybrid racer that focuses on fun rather than boring, endless repetition (Forza).

 

[stag3]

yea i read all these reviews about pgr and grid, and i hated them both after getting them
felt like i was playing san francisco rush on those

the star i know i wont be able to get is the last one on the veyron level
i gave up trying to get it, perfect lap

 

[Stuxnet]

Picked it up at lunch; game is fun. Only complaint at this point is that it suffers from carturnsaboutastaticaxisitis. Maybe that's just because it's not a sim, but Grid suffered from it too. It's like there's a pole that goes through the center of the car, and it pivots about it.

 

[artemicion]

Originally posted by: BenSkywalker

Well, us sim-fans want that cockpit view combined with the developer's history - not mucked up by EA.

Read a piece the other day and thought of you, heh- GT5 will use the eye so when you turn your head in cockpit mode, it will pan the camera left and right. Thought that was a nice little touch for the cockpit guys(still riding my front bumper, maybe when I get a projector and can go 100" I'll change it up ).

If you turn your head, doesn't that mean you can no longer see the tv?