Need for Speed: Shift Hands On

toonarmy · Post by **toonarmy** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:10 pm

I've split my time so far today between NHL 2K10 and Shift. I am really liking Shift in my short time with it. The graphics, especially with cockpit view, are really something else. This is as close to a photorealistic racing game as I have seen on a console. I think the star and points system is fun and adds something cool to the game. The AI seems pretty aggressive, which is a good thing for a game like this. I doubt if sim purists will be enthused about the game since it has so many arcade elements, but I rather enjoy the meshing of some sim physics with the excitement of an arcade-style game. So far, Shift is impressive in my limited time with it.

macsomjrr · Post by **macsomjrr** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:54 pm

Played a few races (4) in the single player mode (on Easy with the M$ wheel). Overall I think that Race Pro 360 is the better driving simulation and I definitely prefer that game over NFS:Shift. The sense of speed is good, and I like the dynamic cockpit view but to be honest I'm a bit underwhelmed. The driving is a tad too arcade for my liking. The cars lose traction with the track and go into "drift mode" way to easily (almost as much as Dirt 2 which is just silly). I love the presentation though, and I'm sure if we got a group of us playing online it'd be very fun with all the fancy overlays etc...

This game has definitely got my appetite up for Forza 3 next month.

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 7:27 pm

So, would you say that this quote from SMS's Ian Bell is not true, or have you all yet to try this Pro mode that is mentioned below.

“SHIFT is built on the most advanced physics engine we’ve made, and is by far the most advanced and realistic physics engine of any of the mainstream racing games. We’re talking about an engine that can run unlimited threads, detailed physics parameters running at around 400 Hz on consoles. Things like tire deformation based on g-forces, tire pressures, rubber thickness, which only the most diehard sim fans will notice, but we know it’s there.

We have a full realism hardcore mode called Pro that you can choose to race in from the start that will feel natural and comfortable as well as raising the bar for handling compared to anything out there (or due out soon) for all of our hardcore race sim fans.”

toonarmy · Post by **toonarmy** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:09 pm

Playing on easy is not exactly an accurate way to judge this game in terms of its sim quality. I tried some racing with the assists off and it improves things a lot. This game starts off ridiculously easy, but it gets real tough, especially when driving without all the assists.

macsomjrr · Post by **macsomjrr** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:13 pm

DChaps wrote:So, would you say that this quote from SMS's Ian Bell is not true, or have you all yet to try this Pro mode that is mentioned below.

“SHIFT is built on the most advanced physics engine we’ve made, and is by far the most advanced and realistic physics engine of any of the mainstream racing games. We’re talking about an engine that can run unlimited threads, detailed physics parameters running at around 400 Hz on consoles. Things like tire deformation based on g-forces, tire pressures, rubber thickness, which only the most diehard sim fans will notice, but we know it’s there.

We have a full realism hardcore mode called Pro that you can choose to race in from the start that will feel natural and comfortable as well as raising the bar for handling compared to anything out there (or due out soon) for all of our hardcore race sim fans.”

I'd have to defer to someone like Terry or Sim to comment on that. I haven't touched Pro mode but I'll have to give it a shot later today.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:31 pm

The sim crowd at VirtualR is ripping Shift pretty heartily:

http://www.virtualr.net/need-for-speed- ... /#comments

Take care,
PK

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:00 pm

pk500 wrote:The sim crowd at VirtualR is ripping Shift pretty heartily:

http://www.virtualr.net/need-for-speed- ... /#comments

Take care,
PK

People like that take s*** like video games a little too seriously. And there's a balance between bitchers and buyers, from what I read, anyway.

I always want to scream: "If you want the real deal, go drive a f***in CAR!"

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:09 pm

Teal wrote:
pk500 wrote:The sim crowd at VirtualR is ripping Shift pretty heartily:

http://www.virtualr.net/need-for-speed- ... /#comments

Take care,
PK
People like that take s*** like video games a little too seriously. And there's a balance between bitchers and buyers, from what I read, anyway.

I always want to scream: "If you want the real deal, go drive a f***in CAR!"

I think the vitriol is a bit more pointed because the developers of this game were part of the team that developed the outstanding PC sim GTR 2. The lead developer of Shift, Ian Bell, was promising a sim-like experience with this game, when early feedback indicates that's not the case.

Then again, people should know by now never to trust an EA claim about sim racing. I guess some of the guys at VirtualR were a bit gullible.

Take care,
PK

toonarmy · Post by **toonarmy** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:12 pm

Teal wrote:
pk500 wrote:The sim crowd at VirtualR is ripping Shift pretty heartily:

http://www.virtualr.net/need-for-speed- ... /#comments

Take care,
PK
People like that take s*** like video games a little too seriously. And there's a balance between bitchers and buyers, from what I read, anyway.

I always want to scream: "If you want the real deal, go drive a f***in CAR!"

Haha! Well said.

toonarmy · Post by **toonarmy** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:17 pm

Just got through racing at Spa and Laguna Seca in a souped up Porsche. Oh my goodness! Spa is absolutely stunning. The elevation changes have never been done better in a console racer, and the richness of the scenery is gorgeous. The sense of speed is really good as well. Laguna Seca is also modeled nicely, with the first corner being done really well in terms of slope and risk of runoff.

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 10:57 pm

toonarmy wrote:Just got through racing at Spa and Laguna Seca in a souped up Porsche. Oh my goodness! Spa is absolutely stunning. The elevation changes have never been done better in a console racer, and the richness of the scenery is gorgeous. The sense of speed is really good as well. Laguna Seca is also modeled nicely, with the first corner being done really well in terms of slope and risk of runoff.

You're killin' me, toon. Methinks I'll be popping into Gamestop after work tomorrow...

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 11:28 pm

This is good sh*t.

That is all.

WPatrick · Post by **WPatrick** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 11:44 pm

Really fun game, this and Dirt 2 should make the wait for Forza 3 easy.

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:06 am

TCrouch wrote:This is good sh*t.

That is all.

I humbly request for you to expand upon your ascertation.

Seriously, impressions are all over the place about this one, and strongly felt. (Sucks! Awesome! etc...)

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:12 am

Man I wish TRU had the B2G1 sale. I would buy Dirt 2, NFS: Shift and NHL 10.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:20 am

Rodster wrote:Man I wish TRU had the B2G1 sale. I would buy Dirt 2, NFS: Shift and NHL 10.

Isn't that usually around Nov?

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:22 am

TCrouch wrote:This is good sh*t.

That is all.

Could someone rank:

Grid
Race 360
Shift

seems like you would only need one out of these 3.

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:46 am

Three completely different games, Jack. I barely consider them in the same group.

Race 360 is much more realistic and hardcore.

Grid is a spaztic game, more like fighter jets in a high school gymnasium.

Shift is kind of in between.

Early in the evening I took their test and it told me "Medium AI", and "Experienced" handling. I switched everything over to Hard and no assists and immediately got obliterated. Last place in my test race, 9th out of 10th in the first official race (only reason I got 9th was 10th wrecked completely).

I bit the bullet and decided to go with what they told me, and then it was 100% wins again, so I'll need to find a happy medium in there somewhere.

It is a very strange animal. It *feels* like a Race 360 or GTR game at first. You drive it and it feels like a sim, so you drive it like a sim.

Then you get slammed into, cornholed, or crawl through a corner because the brakes are so overly powerful.

I started pushing it harder and harder and it's very much NOT a sim (you can push it incredibly deep into a corner and save it, etc), and you're faster when you drive that way, obviously. It's coded to really have you flying around by the seat of your pants or to get run over.

That really makes the cockpit camera even more gorgeous. I've misjudged some corners horribly and absolutely slammed into a retaining wall....screen blurred, went blacked out, stuff was cracked, etc. Everybody knows about that by now, I guess.

But I'm quite positive I had damage set to "full" and I hit a wall hard enough to total a car not once, but three times in one race and still won. Car didn't seem to be noticeably affected, either.

But the big pull for Shift is getting points everywhere and for everything you do. It's funny how there's a little mental angle where you go "that sonofabitch hit ME and I get the contact points?!?!?!". Or how drafting is somehow an "aggressive" move--same with sliding it through a corner.

You'll notice your driving style get more cautious or aggressive as you see fit. The one issue I've had with it so far is the AI. They'll brake HARD mid-corner sometimes, but I'm assuming that's because I p*ssied out and put them back on Medium.

Tonight I'm going to just take it in the pooper and see how bad I get obliterated on hard for multiple races. Some of the cars are hard to pass on MEDIUM without tagging them on the narrow streets, so it will be interesting.

It's a very visceral driving game, though. Just not on the realism level like Race Pro, or the over-the-top wheel jerkfest like Grid.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:55 am

JackB1 wrote:
Rodster wrote:Man I wish TRU had the B2G1 sale. I would buy Dirt 2, NFS: Shift and NHL 10.
Isn't that usually around Nov?

For the longest time it's been October. I wouldn't mind Nov as that's when around the time Forza drops (late Oct).

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:56 am

Thanks, TC.

Is the oversteer and twitchiness a big issue? Are you using a wheel, or the standard controller?

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:00 am

Tried both. With the controller, it was VERY twitchy.

With the wheel, not so much. But the strange thing is you have to go all the way back to the main menu to adjust steering dead zone, sensitivity, speed sensitive steering, etc. It's got all the usual adjustments (and the controller adjustments as well as wheel), so it's not a huge issue IMO.

It was a little sloppy at the dead zone, but I don't know if that's because I dropped the speed sensitive crap down to 0% or what. My wheel was 85% sensitivity with 0% dead zone and speed sens., so it SHOULD be a little twitchy and wiggly at the dead zone.

I'll end up playing with it some more to nail down the controls, but it was still very driveable w/ the wheel without touching anything.

The controller, on the other hand, will need some pretty serious tweaking to avoid fishtailing back and forth through every rhythm section.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:03 pm

Yeah...this game is pretty cool too. I think Dirt is better overall, but I'm around 40% through that and have only done one career race and a couple random quick races in Shift.

I'm playing on Pro w/ all assists off and I can finish in the middle of the pack if I race clean. It's REALLY tough with a controller at default as Terry said, so I'll have to do some tweaking tonight to rectify that.

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:23 pm

I was thinking of picking this up today after work, but I want more clarification on the controller sensitivity. I don't want to get any more wonky than Dirt 2 with a controller. If/when someone tweaks the controller settings, I'd like to know what kind of difference it makes. I don't use a steering wheel.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:59 pm

So far the twitchiness has depended on the type of car. I just can't get a handle on the BMW 1-series or M3, they oversteer like crazy at corner entry, apex, and exit. The corner entry problem might be a braking issue and I might just have to bite the bullet and turn on ABS like I had to do with Forza.

I drove the Falken Mustang and while it was twitchy, it wasn't nearly as bad as the M3.

But the Audi R8? Silky smooth, fast, balanced, and amazingly fun to drive.