[REVIEW] Precision & Powerslides: Shift 2 Unleashed

As soon as I loaded up Shift 2, I knew it was going to be good. I was a fan of it's predecessor, NFS:Shift,  as I have been with just about every racing game EA has put out, so it was interesting to note that they'd dropped 'Need for Speed' from the title (yet retained the logo). For me, that sent a clear message. This isn't a Need for Speed game anymore. It's a full-fledged Racing Simulator, much along the same lines as your Gran Turismo or Forza franchises. Even still, the heritage is clearly there.



There's few racing games I've played that actually get your heart pumping like Shift2... Grid comes to mind (though the lack of customisation, it's gruelling career mode, and my inability to drift meant I shelved it pretty quickly), but this is in an entirely different league. Every hit, every corner, every straight, you feel millimetres away from a crash, on the edge of your seat as you fly down a dark straight, narrowly missing shipping containers (Who's in charge of OH&S for these races? That can't be good!). And it's Exhilirating!

As a simulator, Shift2 is miles ahead of the original title. The new Tuning options give you almost the same amount of control as you'd have trackside, and the brand-spanking-new On Track Tuning system allows you to set it all up, road test it (on any track), and tweak it on the fly. My biggest gripe with it's predecessor was that as soon as you clipped the ripple strip, or the dirt, that was it. Complete spin out. The risk is still there in Shift2, but you can fight the pull, and regain control.

Upgrading cars has a very NFS feel to it, though the UI controlling it all is much improved, and is as simple as picking the category and pressing a button. No 3-Stage confirmations, just pick it and fit it. And, like all good NFS games, visual customisation is definitely at it's best. I've loved how the visuals have evolved over time, and even more so how the Shift series contains preset race vinyls to really trick the car out. It was a feature i sadly missed from the Hot Pursuit reboot, so I was glad to see it hadn't been cut forever.

I can't go any further without mentioning Autolog. What a gift and a curse that system is. Finish a race, heart pounding, only to find out that someone else on your friends list beat you by a full 5 seconds, in the same car (Yes. You, Pidgeo)? Devastating. Retrying that race 6 more times, only to find that you can't quite get him? Equally devastating. Realising three races later that you've just utterly destroyed their time on a different track? The single most fulfilling experience a game can deliver. Autolog is a definite game-changer. I knew it the moment I saw it in NFS:HP, and it's only been improved since then.

Previously, Autolog would let you share pics with friends, comment on theirs, and pop up telling you that someone had beaten your time. It allowed you to jump straight in and have a crack at taking that place back. Now it's a full ecosystem of its own, monitoring your most frequented event types, car types, driving style, and recommending races based on the info it collects. It's not just limited to your friends list so much now either, with regional times and world records there ready for the taking. And of course, you still see who's been creeping up behind you slowly and stealing your records... and you can still take them straight back.

My dilemma with racing sims, and even most racing games, is that eventually I get tired of them, They're always so massive that completing the game all the way through just takes too long. Yeah, I'll throw them back on a month or so later, but there's just not as much of a drive to finish them as your standard action/adventrue games. I can happily say though (as anyone who follows me on Twitter will already know) that Shift2 isn't one of those games for me. It flows so nicely, without the need to penny-pinch to save money for upgrades and cars, feeling so balanced at every step of the way.

I'm absolutely in love with this game. The cars looks spectacular, the tracks are beautifully (and faithfully) recreated, and Autolog means you'll never be satisfied with 'just winning' ever again. And I haven't even mentioned Helmet Cam... What a way to race! If you like racing games (or love motorsport and haven't quite found the game for you) then pick it up. You won't be disappointed.


Oh, and I still can't Drift to save my life.