http://www.needforspeed.com/shift2un...le_home_google

loved the first one....second one is coming out 3-29-11

 

im really hyped for this. can't wait to play it. the damage + sound seems awesome

 

I was skepitcal at first when I saw Shift 1. I figured it would be a giant failure just like the rest of the NFS series (sans Underground and everything after). Shif totally changed my perspective on NFS. I love Forza to death, but Shift just blows it out of the water...graphically and fun factor.

Shift 2 is going to be amazing.

 

Forza is a sim... Shift is an arcade racer..

both fun, but not in the same category

 

iRacing is a simulator....

 

yea.....

 

Yep...its amazing.

Ive played around with it for a while after work...gorgeous graphics, much like the first one. Heat shimmer, marbles, awesome lighting and shadows..great views. In Elite mode much of the sliding is muted, unlike the first one where if you didnt hit the corner at exactly the right speed you'd under/oversteer.

 

Bought it tonight. Hoping it's G25 compatible.

 

bought on steam, waiting for the DL to complete.

I really enjoyed shift 1. I'm not hardcore enough for sims, but I don't want a stupid rubberbanding arcade racer. Shift 2 will hopefully hold me over till Dirt 3 comes out. (and where is GRID 2?!?!?!)

I read that you should start off by turning the dead zones of the wheel WAY down, or the wheel will be mushy. I have a Driving force pro.

- Frank

 

^^ I enjoyed Shift 1 quite a bit as well. Its a such a change of pace from what I'm used to with the Forza & GT series. I think both of the latter have been lost in "how many cars can we cram into the game" and perfecting the photo mode.

Shift/Shift 2 is everything I've always wanted in a racing game. Great sounds, great immersion, great graphics, and although it too has a photo mode, you can tell it isn't where they spent most of their time, which is ok...because I paid $60 to be entertained with driving, not calculating my f-stop.

 

I just have to say, In 1994 the first nfs was pretty awesome. Way dated now, but at the time I thought I was as close as I could ever be to driving a nsx down a California coastal highway. I can still hum menu music guitar riff. Also being from the 3d0 it had all kinds of great video intros for the cars. Porsche unleashed wasn't terrible either. I think it their first attempt to make a sim. Damage was even persistent between races. Still a bit too arcadey, but a good try.

 

You should seriously check out the newest Hot Pursuit. I had my doubts, but after playing the first Shift it changed my opinion on the series.

Hot Pursuit is WAYYY back to the roots. Give me a car, a beautiful road and no speed limits. No rims, no neon kits...nothing. Perfection in a free roam arcade-racing game.

 

I didn't realize there were other NFS franchise after Underground and Carbon. I started playing Hot Pursuit and that game is friggin addicting! I'll have to look into getting Shift 1 & 2 if it's like HP.

 

Its not really anything like HP....

Think of Forza/GT on crack.

 

Well, I got it. Couldn't get the game to run till I decided to randomly reboot. I blame directx.

It's pretty fun. Helmet cam will take a bit of getting used to.
Relative to shift 1, Crashing and spinning out is 100x more insane/violent now, which I like. (except that I lose the race, hah)

I'm playing on elite - easy. had a nice spinout/wreck, and my car wouldn't go above 20 miles per hour. I checked the replay and found out some of my tires had come off. ha ha ha.

Hot pursuit (2010) was fun, but I found the police career a bit frustrating, and the career trail is a little short imho. It's cheap now though. Shift is definitely simmier than HP, but they cut realism in the interest of fun. They're going to take a lot of flak for 'most realistic driving game ever'. They should have said, 'most realistic arcade racer' perhaps.

I'm not sure why, but i find sim racing games to be too sterile, and I just lose interest.
I'm not sure if it's race length, the sound, or what. Every now and then I pop in GTR2 and I just can't get into it.

Oh, and I loved NFS PU - some of my favorite force feedback in any driving game, actually. It had that nice 'I can feel my wheels starting to slip during this curve' feel that told you you are at the edge.

- Frank

 

I'm playing this on Xbox with a Fanatec PWTS and CSP (which the game oddly recognizes as a msft wireless wheel set)

My wheel settings:
540
FFB: 60
Drift: off
ABS: 80

Not sure where to find the in-game wheel settings, since it recognizes my fanatec as a msft wheel.

I'm enjoying:
Great cockpit view (I tried helmet view but it became too hard to judge the movement of the car in relation to the road to indicate slippage)
Cars look nice
Night racing is fun
Overall immersion is good; a very tense feeling while racing- same feeling I get when playing Dirt 2. Perhaps this is related to the cars not being as predictable though
Bumpstrip FFB is great

Not enjoying:
Jaggies, poor graphics in places such as the rear view mirror, or the jaggie reflections in windows
Audio hiccups/glitches
FFB feels a bit odd sometimes. I think the wheel gets loose all of a sudden in the middle of a turn to indicate loss of traction.
Difficulty seems a bit uneven. I was able to easily win a race in a modded Audi TT, but modding the Porsche GT3 to be the same rating seemed to make the competition MUCH tougher.

I think I just need to get used to the game more. After playing a lot of GT5 and Forza 3, I'm not used to such slow shifting and not having more tire-squealing as an audio cue. The FFB differs greatly between cars. Sometimes it feels floaty and other times it doesn't; could also depend on the track as well. I'm not an expert on physics but the game seemed to be pretty lenient on 'throwing' the car into corners. Definitely a different playstyle from my GT5/Forza3 experience. I consider the game similar to Dirt2 in terms of sim/arcade-racing balance.

 

For those who have shift and shift 2

I have NFS shift for 360 and Ive seen videos of shift 2 and they look so alike, Is it worth the money to buy shift 2?

 

Depends if you liked Shift 1....

I loved Shift 1. I liked the ferocity, the sounds, the lighting...the "smack you in the face" element that EA brought to the table.

I personally think:

1) Shift 2 has the #1 best track roster of any racing game on any console. Bathurst, Nurburgring (Nordshlief and GP), Spa...and many......MANY more.

2) I like the way the career is layed out.

3) The physics are a little scaled down from Shift 1, in a sense that you can touch the grass and not spin out. The damage is WAY more intense and can be set to off, cosmetic, or full. From a tuning aspect, I've been able to get cars to handle exactly the way I want. Works packages are available for every car and look very realistic. Best/most realistic turbo sound I've heard in any game. Its muted and in the background, but you hear the spool up/down, sometimes the blow-off, and the air pressure build.

4) The overall lighting seems better. You can choose Day, Dusk or night on almost every track, aside from 2 or 3. Within those, there are variations...cloudy, foggy, clear...all gorgeously rendered. There are cloud shadows, track debris like marbles and leaves that bounce around as cars fly over them. Im a stickler for the small details that other games skimp on, like heat shimmer and reflections. Sun glints of opponents windscreens and buildings as well as glossy trim inside the vehicles, ie. Carbon Fiber dash inserts in the E92 M3. The cars get very authentically dirty during races, heat shimmers off the brakes, hood, and exhuast. Motion blur looks great, shadows from other cars and trackside objects at night look great. I like how the backfire and reverse lights light up the bumpers at night. The interior views are spot on. The normal interior view is less dramatic as far as movements, which makes things a little easier to view. The helmet cam takes some getting used to, but I actually really like it. It is really effective at night.

As long as you arent overly critical, I think you'll dig it. No the photomode isn't as good as GT5, and no there arent 500+ cars like in Forza. Shift 2 isn't trying to be either one of those, so I don't really understand why its compared to them. All of the games have their downfalls, but at the end of the day Shift 2 is miles more fun than either one of the latter...and thats what a game should do first. I've not once thought to myself that Shift/Shift 2 is boring. Shift 2 is a lot like the PGR series in terms of looks and the way it feels, but its physics are 3/4 the way to Forza/Gt5 spec. Not quite there, but not really "arcadey."

I consider myself a decent driver behind the wheel of a real car, but not in a dream would I consider myself able to rodeo a 1000hp Vette. In GT5/Forza I can do so with ease, Shift 2...good luck. I can't put my finger on it, it just seems more real...more authentic. The way the vehicles react with different road surfaces is really apparent, as opposed to Forza where you just instantly stop or GT5 it's like green pavement.

I wish Turn10, Slightly Mad and Polyphony would all join hands. The result would be "end-all be-all." I love Forza 3 (Can't wait for 4!) and the GT5 series, and really havent been a NFS series fan for years. Shift, Shift 2 and the newest Hot Pursuit have changed my opinion on the franchise and if things keep going the way they are...They'll trump the other two major franchises in no time.

 

I'm playing on the highest realism level, and there's a turn on that first Lotus track where there's a lovely little drop around a tight turn. If you take it too fast your car will fly off, and flip, rally style, and totally wreck your car.
Nothing remotely like that happened in Shift 1, even on expert level.

I guess it's fair, but man, is it frustrating to get 4/5s of the way through a race, then wreck your car rendering it incapable of completing. You have to abort the race and lose any experience you gained from that run.

- Frank

 

Scaled down as in the cars seem to be a little less bouncy and less likely to spin if you drop a wheel on to grass or gravel. Completely agree that if you get sideways and hit gravel, you're done for. Very frusturating.

 

I know man, where is GRID 2 already!!! I love the first one since it was a nice balance between arcade and sim.

But yea playing shift 1 on pc the controls where a little too loose no matter how much I change them. Im playing with a 360 controller btw. Does anyone know if the controls are any better in shift 2?

 

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zG7jhalwkp4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Quoting from the official SHIFT 2 website:

"It’s known as racing’s golden age. The late 1960s and early 1970s featured a range of race cars known for their powerful engines, technical handling capabilities and dramatic car designs. Beginning April 26, racing enthusiasts can experience the intensity of the driver’s battle in some of this era’s most iconic cars in the SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED™ Legends content pack. Players can purchase the Legends pack for 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace or $9.99 on the PlayStation® Network.

Featured in the Legends pack are 14 classic cars:
- Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA (1965)
- Austin Mini Cooper S (1965)
- BMW 3.0 CSL Gr. 5 (1975)
- Ford Capri RS3100 Gr.4 (1974)
- Ford Escort Mk1 RS1600 (1971)
- Ford GT40 Mk.I (1965)
- Ford Lotus Cortina (1963)
- Jaguar E-Type Lightweight (1963)
- Nissan Fairlady 240ZG (S30) (1971)
- Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R (C10) (1972)
- Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 (1974)
- Porsche 914/6 GT (1970)
- SHELBY COBRA "DAYTONA" COUPE® (1965)
- Team Need For Speed Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0

As well as five of the world's most challenging classic race tracks:
- Dijon-Prenois (1972)
- Hockenheim (1982)
- Monza (1958)
- Rouen-Les-Essarts GP (1966)
- Rouen-Les-Essarts Short (1952)
- Silverstone (1975)

In addition to the cars and tracks there is a whole new career branch & rival to beat as well as a bunch of new achievements / trophies to earn. This is classic racing!"

 

Theres so much action in this thread!

Legends is awesome. Its like a mini GT Legends. The "period" tracks are an astonishing amount of bad-ass-ness mixed in with all of the other infamous tracks.

All of the historic cars are amazing in their own right. They don't need explanation.

 

got it tonight for PS3, and Im totally pumped! its the first game (as far as I know) for PS3 which has Road America! been playing it for a while now, I was gonna stop but found myself continuing. it's kind of *fun* to play! (odd feeling, only racing game been playing is GT5) ;p

 

damn I think I seriously forgot what its like to play a fun racing game. thanks, GT5

 

first night playing it, started out with a slow-ass stock A3 and still own it, but the events are setup so I already raced a Reventon, LFA, SLR, and other fast cars like that so you dont feel miserable trying to build your sh*t up for so long. you know, the GT5 feeling.

 

also if you dont have enough $$ for a car it also gives you the option to buy every car from the Playstation Store. Hell if there was a car I really wanted to have I would consider that over having to build up the $$$. Precisely for the reasons I was bitching about in the GT5 thread. Of course I cant do it now because PSN is down but anyway.

 

I LOVE how shift does the modding and car buying. If you don't like a mod/car, sell it back FOR THE SAME AMOUNT YOU BOUGHT IT FOR.

Its frusturating on Forza when you buy a 100k car, drop 100k into it..decide you want something else, then sell it for 24k.

 

yeah modding the car in this game is so easy. one click, DONE. not 8 like in GT5.

also the tracks are one of the real gems here, this game also has Spa, Willow Springs, Brands Hatch, Brnu, Catalunya, Hockenheim, and Donington, to name just a few others. I played Road America for a good hour last night, so damn fun!
http://www.needforspeed.com/shift2unleashed/tracks

the tracks look beautiful too, they are not as 'high-res' as in GT5 (same for the rest of the game) but for some reason this does not work against it, and also the fact that you can set the time of day for any track also works in favor of the game. racing these tracks at dusk is just gorgeous. but because of the lower resolution, it doesnt have that 'synthetic' feeling GT5 has - GT5 is almost like TOO high resolution, to the point that it looks fake. dunno if that makes sense. the lower res and overall speed of this game feel more like real life.

I'm not totally accustomed to the handling though, some cars feel really twitchy to the point of easily losing control with even the smallest flick of the stick - which gives me reason to believe this game is probably a lot better with a wheel... and it makes me consider getting one.

damage modeling is excellent, when you hit a wall it really looks and sounds like you did.

also they have a Legends Pack that is looking wicked, too bad I can't download it.
<object width="853" height="510"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qSspzHy8EgQ?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qSspzHy8EgQ?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="853" height="510"></embed></object>

 

oh woops...

 

What I've been doing, roughly, to all the cars is putting minimal power mods on and doing sticky tires, coilovers, etc then tuning them a bit.

I've had excellent luck with either leaving ride height alone, or lowering the car a bit. Putting the suspension full stiff in the front, about the middle in the rear and then doing the same to the sway bars. After that, lower the tire pressure 10pts or more. With this set up the cars are a lot less twitchy, they wont slide as much either.

 

I'll post a video tonight of my first ride!

 

here's my videos lol. i included a sweet crash. kids, please don't try this at home. thx

<object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nAgFV2iXjqA?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nAgFV2iXjqA?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>



replay vid
<object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pwCuGztLf5M?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pwCuGztLf5M?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

 

and before the questions about the sound, the car has the LFA's V10 installed.

 

nice! still debating whether to get this for xbox360 or ps3, I got the first one for ps3...leaning towards getting it for ps3. what do you recommend guys?

 

I've got it for 360, so I can't speak for the PS3. I've got Xbox Live and have the Legends DLC and it is awesome. It could be a game in itself and I would buy it.

Srika...maybe you can chime in on this...

Shift 2 just seems more real to me than Forza/Gt5. Both of those titles look fantatic, but they are too smooth, too clean...I can't put my finger on it, but the immersion levels of Shift are through the roof. The environments look alive with the marbles and haze, etc. Dash/Helmet cam are better than anything Forza/Gt5 have been able to replicate yet. They may be prettier, but no where near a realistic as far as movements go.

 

i want this!! but it says its only for PC... I miss those about the PC days, I remember on the old GT racing game you could go into the config file and change the attributes of the cars however you wanted... I think that's what this video is about... not totally sure tho...

<object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9AgEfOJaoBU?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9AgEfOJaoBU?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

here's a custom F550 I did in GTR 2002 (PC)... you could even put custom graphics on the cars -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmKcydMbQKQ

 

at 1:10 I had to show the Caterham who was boss...

<object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MkZYIg4Ld4Y?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MkZYIg4Ld4Y?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

 

I hate EA's lack of support for us PC guys. First was the Hot Pursuit content for them (I got it for X360), & now there's no word on when I'll be able to pick up the Legends pack. Been on the verge of re-installing GT Legends just to hold me over.

 

bought GRID for $20 yesterday at gamestop and hated it...to the guys that have it, is Shift 2 like the first one and not like GRID?

I'm thinking of returning GRID to gamestop and buy Shift 2 or Dirt 2. How is Dirt 2 is it like GRID?