Need for Speed: Shift is a racing game that tries to do a lot of things,
and the good news is that it does most of them well. The bad news is
that Shift does very little that other racers haven't done before it,
and it excels at nothing. The racing, the car and track selections, the
vehicle customization and damage modeling, the career mode, the online
play, the opponent AI--all of these things are good, but none of them
are great.Depending on what kind of racing game you usually play, being thrust
into the driver's seat for a flying lap at the start of Shift's Career
mode might go well, or very badly. Your performance on this lap
determines your default difficulty level and handling model, and it's
appropriately named the "Trial of Fire." There are no opponents to worry
about, but getting a handle on Shift's controls can be a challenge on
their own. Like a simulation game, Shift encourages you to brake early
for corners, punishes you for straying too far from the racing line,
and, at least by default, presents you with a steering setup that's
extremely sensitive. But, like an arcade racer, Shift rewards you for
sliding around corners, for "trading paint" with opponents, and even for
forcing those same opponents into a spin or off the track. It's an
awkward middle ground that you might never feel comfortable with.
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| The star necessary to progress through career mode are earned in lots of different ways. |
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| No chance of earning a star for a clean lap on this one then. |
Price : RM 7
