“Need for Speed: Shift” Out Now"
September 18, 2009 by Jeanne Dupuis
Filed under Gaming
Need for Speed: Shift came out earlier this week on basically every platform except the Nintendo Wii. If you want this game, you can pick up a copy for any of the following consoles/platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, mobile phone, iPhone OS and iPod Touch.
Unlike the arcade style used in the earlier games in the Need for Speed series, which focused on street racing, Need for Speed: Shift is more of a realistic drifting and simulation racing experience. It’s definitely hardcore so if you want to know what it’s like to drive a race car (but can’t slip behind the wheel of a real one) this is probably the closest you are going to get right now. The early reviews are great with IGN.com giving it 9/10 so I am definitely going to try this game!
I love how detailed the in-car graphics are – it really feels like you’re looking out of the windshield and it supposedly shows the driver changing gears and moving around to get a better look in the mirror.
There are 72 fully-licensed cars to choose from including classic cars and modern sport cars. Players will be able to customize both the interior and exterior of their vehicle.
As would be the case in real life, crashes on the race course will affect the driver’s visuals. The whole thing is designed to really simulate a crash from the sound of the driver’s gasp to the crash sounds and blurry screen. Of course, the objective is to avoid crashing but I do like the fact that they went through the effort to make it more realistic.
I’ve been playing NFS since the beginning, and this is my favorite edition yet…the cockpit cam is great, and the physics are amazing. This is my first NFS on a next-gen system, and I’m blown away by the realism (Outside of some of the exaggerated crashes, which are part of the fun in playing video games anyway…)
Also nice to see a good soundtrack, I was thrilled that they used Rootbeer’s “Under Control” – that’s definitely an awesome under-the-radar jam. Props to EA for improving their song selections as of late – all the games I’ve bought this year (Fight Night Round 4, NFS Shift, and NHL 10) have had pretty decent soundtracks.