OVER the recent months we have seen the release of one of the biggest racing games to hit consoles for the last few years, yes I’m talking about Gran Turismo 5, but can a sequel to Need for Speed: Shift take on the master of all things racing?
Keeping in the vein of out of series sequels, the moniker of Need for Speed has been dropped for Shift 2 but still has all the markings of it’s parent series, albeit with less of an arcade feel to it’s racing.
Not to say that the graphics are not on par with GT5 in fact you could say that they are unparalleled. The inside of the cars look amazing, not that you have much time to look, but if you do manage to steal a glance you will not be disappointed.
There is a new camera which is attached to the helmet to give you an enhanced view of the action. This camera shows off the graphics perfectly, as well as changing the dynamics of the gameplay.
Shift 2 features a limited amount of cars compared to the rival titles but that is supposedly a decision made by the development team so that you concentrate on the primary objective of racing instead of playing a Pokemon style game of collection.
The lack of cars is made up by the return of track mastery and Shift’s EXP system.
These were the killer features for Shift 2’s predecessor, the better you mastered a track the more extra EXP you got and the more EXP you had the quicker you accessed new races and cars. The track mastery system used conditions such as how well you kept to the green racing line marker and how good you were at cornering while keeping relative speed and control.
These all fed into your EXP and gave you a sense of completion when racking up the 100 per cent tallies.
In addition the mastery rating is a constant reminder as you revisit tracks for new races you can try to improve your rating.
Control of the car is everything in an racing game. Shift 2 wants to make you feel like your taming a bull every time you settle into your driving seat, and it does that superbly. This is all to make the races feel more thrilling and death-defying.
Shift 2: Unleashed as a update to the series and a new entry into a racing landscape that has seen dramatic changes stands up well.
The tightening of focus and delivery has improved the feel of the game.
While current rivals may look slicker and offer keener driving experiences, there is no doubt that Shift 2 leads the way on social interaction.
RATING: 4/5