And were under-starters orders.....Red, Red....GREEN....AND THERE OFF!!!!!!!

NFS has well and truly established itself in the racing genre over the years with moderate success on multiple platforms....Now I will be the 1^st to admit that when I heard that NFS were releasing ANOTHER game in the series, I was not exactly racing to my nearest store to pick it up. You see the general consensus among serial racing fans in relation to the NFS franchise is “YOU SEEN ONE-YOU SEEN THEM ALL”. While every game is different in its own right and marketed with a new twist to much fanfare & applause (which let’s face it E.A are masters at) as a stand-alone game it was not different enough to buy if you had the previous instalment.

So what’s different this time around.....Quite alot to be honest. E.A have gone down a different route with SHIFT, gone is the pick up and play throw caution to the wind arcade “Outrun” style  game in favour for a totally new and more serious simulation. And to re-enforce this issue the game was developed from the ground up by the same race freaks that brought us the very much acclaimed GTR series. This game truly is different to previous titles in the serie’s, the level of detail gone into the game is truly epic. From menu voice over’s to in-game clips and narratives to the cars from all the best known manufacturer’s are here too, from Bugatti Veyrons & Pagani Zondas to BMW’s which really do look so vivid and lifelike and more importantly handle so well it’s incredible. Gone is the flimsy feel of racers of old with the cars now feeling almost heavy in so far as they actually feel like they are in contact with the tarmac. Therefore offering a real simulation feel, that is not easy to recreate and has seen many other developers attempt to do but fail. The tracks themselves (over 20+) are very well laid out and offer very good diversity and span all over the globe from Japan to the US and Europe, all the most popular tracks are there including the iconic Brands Hatch and Laguna Seca.

The main stay of the game is career mode, which upon playing the game for the very 1^st time you are given a brief intro to the world of racing and asked to perform a lap to your very best capability. After doing your very best Jenson Button impression you are graded upon your performance and the game is setup according to your style of play. If you a budding speed racer the game will setup on a higher difficulty with less driving aids for a tough challenge, for everybody else the game will be more forgiving...and let you off on easy with highest assists possible. After this brief test the aim of the game is to reach the exclusive NFS LIVE tournament, which only attracts the “BEST OF THE BEST”. The game is divided into 5 tiers, with the highest tier the top gun elite. As with most racing games you race for money and prestige, the more races you win the more money you acquire and then you have the financial grunt to access the best cars and upgrades......nothing new there then. 

Where NFS:SHIFT differs is upon racing you are constantly “GRADED” so to speak, so if you are an aggressive in your face destruction derby type player with all the grace of a sumo wrestler on ice you will get points for “trading paint” and “drafting opponents” basically all the naughty stuff. If you like to cleverly out brake opponents into corners and overtake cleanly while keeping to the racing line with your front headlights still intact, you will be awarded accordingly....it is a different take and a fresh approach that brings out the best in you and the game as you really need to focus on the challenges set for each individual race as they differ according to the Tier you are currently racing and the difficulty. Also thrown into the mix is the ability to tweak and upgrade the cars you buy, with most cars graded for DRIFT, RACING & WORKS....with the latter giving you the option to totally race optimise you car for a hefty price premium but really does change the appearance & make it all the worthwhile (well if you can afford it in the 1^st place) Another feature that I really love is the cockpit view, fully equipped with motion blur....and it’s a real visual treat. Basically the faster you drive the more the cockpit gets blurred and shaky, then as you brake going into a corner for example it returns to normal in real time back to the crystal clear cockpits with extremely detailed views. It’s a super feature that makes you want to drive constantly in this view and gives an incredible feel of speed and adrenaline. I can only imagine this game with a proper set of pedals and steering wheel.  There is also a pretty comprehensive online mode, with players able to partake in both LAN (with a small patch D/L) and internet modes available. You can also race in ranked and unranked races to get you up to speed before you get UBER PWND online.

So that’s the stuff that would make you want to buy the game....what about the stuff that would not. Well thankfully there is not alot to report here, EA really have come up trumps with this game that is polished off very well indeed. If we really wanted to be fussy here at the BONE-idle offices we would say that NFS:Shift is trying ever so hard to be a full on simulation, seeing the game reward you for actually damaging other cars and being aggressive behind the wheel is a bit ironic. Another slight problem I found is the assist mode, with the game so focussed on simulation you do need a high setting just to complete a lap never mind a race. While it’s much the same as “real life” needing to keep traction control etc on in supercars (just ask any pro footballer with a powerful car) having it strictly enforced in a game seems a tad too extreme and can get a little frustrating when the computer brakes for you for example when you would have left it a tad later. Although I am sure you will gradually need less and less assist’s the more you play and get familiar with the game and cars...as they all do handle differently.

So in NFS: Shift (PC) E.A find themselves in POLE POSITION with a finely polished racer that should appeal to all. And well worth your hard earned pocket money / mortgage payment......

BONE-idle SCORE : 90%