Shift 2 Unleased Info

[Jason]

Career Mode Revealed:

Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed - Career Mode Trailer

[Jason]

Team Xbox preview:

http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/2577/Need-for-Speed-Shift-2-Unleashed/p1/

[Jason]

IGN has just posted their review: Shift 2 Unleashed

[Jason]

Very quick thoughts: I'm a bit underwhelmed by the graphics and thought the first Shift looked better....it seems I'm not the only person that thinks so either. I didn't like the original Shift when I first played it either, so I'll hold off on any final judgements for a while.

[GB_Simo]

How's she driving, mister?  Any major handling and AI changes from the first game or am I likely to go bouncing controllers across the room in frustration again?

[Jason]

Like NASCAR, I haven't gotten much time in with Shift 2, but the driving seems a bit less twitchy than Shift 1. Having said that, if you didn't like the handling in Shift 1, I can't imagine you liking them in Shift 2. I'm anxious to get some more hands-on time with it this weekend to see if it grows on me.

[Jason]

I played some more of Shift 2 tonight and enjoyed it a bit more. The selection of tracks is much better this year, but you can only use the cars you own in "Quick Race" mode, so I can't test out any of the good cars  . Of course you can pay to download all the cars to your garage  . It's a little annoying that EA didn't give you any other cars to choose from and sticks you with a shitty car until you play enough to earn better ones...or pay for them.

[Jason]

I played some more of Shift 2 tonight and enjoyed it a bit more. The selection of tracks is much better this year, but you can only use the cars you own in "Quick Race" mode, so I can't test out any of the good cars  . Of course you can pay to download all the cars to your garage  . It's a little annoying that EA didn't give you any other cars to choose from and sticks you with a shitty car until you play enough to earn better ones...or pay for them.

I had it freeze on me once in the menus too. Apparently many others are having freezing issues too.

[Jason]

I played Shift 2 for a while last night and as expected, the game is growing on me. I used the recommended adjustments to make the handling better:

http://captainstarball.com/news/shift-2-unleashed-advanced-control-tweakguide

I've also upgraded my car, so it handles better now too.

One thing I have to point out is that the game is tough. I'm playing on "Easy" right now and losing a majority of my races (usually finishing around 6-8 place). I was glad to see that other people are having trouble with that difficulty level too, because I was really beginning to think I was ridiculously bad at the game. The Autolog feature is a nice addition and I actually beat one of Adam's times on a track by less than a second. In all fairness, my car had a much higher performance index, but I'll take it anyway . I'm sure he'll beat my time the next time he races on that particular track.

[GB_Simo]

I like the handling out of the box.  Really like it, in fact.  I might have a look at those changes all the same.  They can always be taken straight back out again, after all.

Not that I'm in any way competitive, you understand, but I know Jason beat me on one of the shorter London tracks driving an Infiniti G35 and this will not be allowed to stand.  Autolog's an odd one, because it feels like the experience is that much more involving and compelling for having it around, even though it's really nothing more than a well-integrated leaderboard.

I put together some other impressions at DSP and not all of them are a complete match for Jason's.  I'll come back to those in a tick.  For now, though:

"- The cockpit view remains excellent. My first car was a Ford Focus ST, selected because it's the tuned version of my real-world daily driver, and the view from the driver's seat is spot-on. Casting a glance downwards, I noticed the stereo was accurate too. Helmet cam is a mileage-may-vary inclusion but I like it. This is partly because it does a reasonable job of conveying the limited field of vision and slightly claustrophobic feeling wearing a crash helmet can induce, partly because having your head automatically turn towards the apex acts as a kind of line guide, particularly on circuits you don't know.

- With the Elite handling model, no aids and manual gears, the cars in the lowest classes (serious machines all the same, mind - Focus ST, Audi S4, BMW 135, that kind of thing) deliver something close to the authentic driving experience Slightly Mad promised. There's a very real sense of weight about the cars, while the steering feels much tighter and more precise than it did in the first Shift game. Dead ahead, a fairly important 'however'...

- However...my garage has a Pagani Zonda Cinque in it. I think I've been given this car because I was kind enough to play some other Need For Speed games at some stage. The Zonda reminds me much more of the handling in the first Shift, though it's still easier to hold a precise line than it used to be. The car has much less weight to it, sensationally powerful brakes and turn-on-a-dime handling which is sharper and more immediate than any purpose-built racing car in the world. If a full-on realistic handling model isn't what you're after, I'm sure you could tune the game to feel like that at all times and not just when the quicker cars arrive. You can probably also tune the game so that the front of a Lotus Exige doesn't weave down the straights. I couldn't.

- The drifting is hateful. It might just be me having no feel for the discipline, but I don't feel like the game does a great job of defining the line between 'sliding, on the edge of control' and 'spinning round in a circle'. You can play through the rest of the game without ever touching a drift event if you want to, though. EA presumably don't want you to, because they've selected drifting champion Vaughn Gittin Jr to act as your mentor, talk you through the races and host the early tutorial videos. He's fine at that, though someone should consider taping his left hand to his side or something.

- Haven't had a chance to get much of a read on the AI. On the early events with the Hard AI, it's possible to get the lead early on and stay there without too much trouble. I've had closer races in a Subaru Impreza WRX which I've sort of ruined a bit by throwing a load of engine tuning at it and not upgrading anything else. With those, I feel like the AI are sticking to a rigid line and running me over if I happen to be on it, but it's very possible that I'm contributing to that while I try to wrestle my way around the corners.


All in all, what I've played through so far is like a less irritating version of the original game."

[GB_Simo]

The one I wanted to come back to was the difficulty.  I'm getting through races on Hard in a reasonably straightforward fashion.  I know I'm not bad at racing games but I think I had the AI in the first Shift set to either Easy or the level above, because I had great difficulty contending with the higher levels.  They used to crash into me on purpose an awful lot, but I'm sure I couldn't run at their pace either.  Jason's experience of the Easy level is that it's actually quite difficult.

Where you've gone faster than me on the Autolog, you've done so on a race I won, Jason.  Have you tried bumping the difficulty up to see if it gets easier?  I know that sounds a little strange, but I'm starting to wonder if they've got the labelling wrong and managed to unwittingly invert the difficulty levels.

[webdanzer]

Thanks for the impressions on this one, guys.  I'll be watching closely, as I'm considering grabbing this.

[webdanzer]

Any more thoughts on this one?  Considering getting it still.  On sale anywhere?

[Jason]

Derek, did you enjoy the first Shift? If so, I think you'll enjoy this one too. It took me a little while to come around, but the Autolog feature and the number of new tracks sealed the deal for me. I'd also consider Adam's approval as a major positive too. Having said that, I'd probably wait to buy it on sale at this point.

[Jason]

Derek, did you enjoy the first Shift? If so, I think you'll enjoy this one too. It took me a little while to come around, but the Autolog feature and the number of new tracks sealed the deal for me. I'd also consider Adam's approval as a major positive too. Having said that, I'd probably wait to buy it on sale at this point.

Just found some info on the DLC that should be available soon: Shift 2 DLC