OXCGN’s Shift 2: Unleashed Review – Exhilarating New Series For EA

OXCGN:

"In this generation it’s a daunting task to plan on working on a sequel to a certain game that surprisingly received more than positive reviews and sold quite well. It’s a no brainer when it was announced Need for Speed would have three new titles in the franchise, and NFS: Shift 1 was the cream of the crop that stood out of the three.

"Overall, Slightly Mad Studios have improved in almost every way with Shift 2: Unleashed over Shift 1 but in a generation now where every racer needs something to come out on top above the rest they will need to definitely keep their A game up."

[XboxOZ360]

Now all EA have to do is get the normal NFS players to realise that this title is separate to the actual NFS franchise, and a sub-franchise on its own.

Great game, even for a racing nut. WHile it's not a 100% sim, like they might say it is, it IS a long step towards it, and have used some nice ideas from Firza 3 in there as well.

Looking forward to the next iteration, which I believe they are working on now - no, NOT NFS: Run, that's a completely different game.

[Godem]

good to know its a good sequel, but I really just want them make Underground 3.

[XboxOZ360]

You'll get that sort of game in NFS: Run, just like NFS: Hot Pursuit.

This is a separate franchise now, which is why it is simply known as "Shift" rather than NFS: Shift, like the first one was.

The handling is much more direct, and unlike arcade iterations in the past. Tracks are based on re-world tracks, as well as made-up tracks, yet using true-to-earth track characteristics, similar to the characteristics that you'd find in other well known real-world tracks.

Actually, while the author states there's heaps more tracks in this than Forza 3, there's around the same number, and many are the same real-world tracks.

So if ppl are looking for made-up tracks and huge long expanses that you find in Hot Pursuits, then you won't find them in the 'Shift' series.

[Belgavion]

Shift is the only NFS that matters

[XboxOZ360]

Have to agree with you there mate, and it'll be very interesting to see where they go with Shift 3 in the next 12 months.

By then GRiD 2 and Forza 4 will have hit the shelves, and racing fans of this style will be looking for something else to pit their skills against.

[bumnut]

I couldn't get into this game because I didn't like the handling.

[XboxOZ360]

If you go into the settings, advanced, you can alter the steering dead-zone so that it's much less 'touchy' and more earthy and you feel much more in control.

Same goes for many of the settings such as brakes, acceleration, steering suspension settings etc, much like you can in Forza 3.

But not quite to the extreme levels in Forza 3. Plus it offers actual roadhandling statistics so you know how the set-up is working - or not as the case may be.

SO EA is turning this series into a much more down-to-earth series than the actual arcade NFS series, which will STILL remain, and is actually getting more iterations out.

The idea is to supply racing fans of BOTH genres games that they can sink their collective teeth into.

SO play with the settings and then give it another go, especially the endurance races.