NFS Shift 2 Unleashed - Details

[DrJustice]

...Do you remember "Coastal" from the original 1995 "Need For Speed" on DOS?
This game was truly ahead of it's time! Good times!

I had this for the 3DO (before a DOS version was made) and it started my passion for racing games/sims. Ahead of its time indeed, with a nice cockpit view and all. And the roads... oh, the roads... <drifting off into a daydream>... Good times indeed

DJ
--

 

[Destinkeys]

Well, I've been to races where hot air balloons went up in the morning before practice. AND I've been to several tracks that have fairgrounds with Ferris Wheels and other amusements. For an Endurance, especially, you HAVE to have something to placate the kids you brought with you!

But you'll see posters (probably too young to have ever been to a race track) bemoaning both the above details.

 

[CarreraGT]

porsche gt3 at spa night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bdJaiCE_a0

Not sure if it is the camera movement or what, but I don't really like the look of that. It looks like the car is floating all over the road. I hope it feels better in person or you can adjust the amount of head movement.

Either way, looking forward to a game finally having Bathurst. Haven't heard anything regarding V8 Supercars, but the track alone will make the game worth while

 

[Spagetti69]

Car seemed planted. It's the head movement that gives the floaty impression.

Someone asked how the look to apex system would cope in a chicane situation.
That vid is a good example.

 

[Syntax error]

I'm digging the DOF on the instrument cluster every time you look into a corner. Really emphasizes how you should be concentrating on your exit strategy at that point as the braking and gear selection should already be taken care of prior to corner entry. I think it's a pretty neat touch.

I'm not overly excited about the black & white effect when you hit something so I hope that can be turned off in game.

Either way, I'm going to pre-order my copy. Starting to really look forward to this game.

 

[tribolik]

I'm digging the DOF on the instrument cluster every time you look into a corner. Really emphasizes how you should be concentrating on your exit strategy at that point as the braking and gear selection should already be taken care of prior to corner entry. I think it's a pretty neat touch.

I'm not overly excited about the black & white effect when you hit something so I hope that can be turned off in game.

Either way, I'm going to pre-order my copy. Starting to really look forward to this game.

I kind of like the black and white effect and the fact that it has a progressive feel to it to the point that if you hit something hard enough you stop seing completly for a second or two - it really gives you a pulsation boost like IRL when you are about to or just crashed - (not that I crash IRL all that much )

Thats not all I like I also like your avatar... lol

 

[Destinkeys]

Plus, if it like Shift, you only get it when you REALLY shunt into something full speed. It doesn't happen during rubbing or little 'love taps'. They save it for basically crashes that it is likely that WOULD happen to you.

I prefer it night and day over the clinical 'nothing happened to me except I hit a marching band bass drummer' in GT5!

I always admired Shift's AI for having the same crash physics that player cars do. You can upset them as easily as they can upset you, and actually, contact between you and them usually results in BOTH of you spinning out. Now THAT'S realism in racing, IMO...

 

[Silver-Sylph]

After seeing the gameplay it looks exactly like Shift 1 with more cars and new tracks.

 

[DMoss84]

^ I was hoping the same thing until I saw this video. Honestly the gameplay is laughable and sadly, it doesn't look as though they have recreated Mount Panorama very faithfully... The track is too wide and the elevation changes are way off. Rfactor still definitely has the best version I have seen in a racing game

I laughed at this vid. Thumbs up for making a racing game to NFS. They've made enjoyable racing games in the past, but I don't think Shift 2 could ever be compared to Gran Truismo 5.

 

[Spagetti69]

After seeing the gameplay it looks exactly like Shift 1 with more cars and new tracks.

Did shift 1 have night racing?

 

[No_Charge_No]

i will be looking forward for shift 2 because the original shift went deep in customization (somewhat) and i hope they go even deeper ..... although if it has 200+ cars it might be compared to fz3 ant gt5

 

[tribolik]

Did shift 1 have night racing?

well I sure did a lot of racing in shift 1 at night (I work during the day)...

 

[Destinkeys]

I don't think Shift 2 could ever be compared to Gran Truismo 5.

No, it can't. Because S2U is a RACING game, and Grind Turismo is a 'driving' game, with all racing elements pretty much absent. You spend all your time offline trying to handicap yourself so that you don't beat the AI by TOO many laps. That's not racing. That's hotlapping through a field of slower cars.

BTW, if I find a video of some idiot sliding around in GT5, does that prove once and for all what an arcade game it is?

Sauce for the goose, my skeptical friend...

 

[FLX1981]

I m looking really really forward to this game, thinking about preordering it, but there are some things buggin me:

- track width seems ok to me most of the times but the banking of the corners seems off. look at the nordschleife video, almost all the curves are flat. in a game that focuses so much on sensations of driving, why do they neglect that specific thrill so much?

- trees are looking odd, especially on the nordschleife... where you re surrounded by them all the time! sigh!

- but the thing that really threw me off were the NFS ads on the sides of the track all the time. Thats just horribly stupid, if you re reminded all the time that its a game you re playing it really takes away the simulation effect - a lot. it completely undermines the whole "driving sensation putting you in the cockpit like you re really there" idea. and its so incredibly unnecessary since they seem to have enough brands licensed... WHY OH WHY?!?

 

[Destinkeys]

Wait until there's no qualifying, no flags and track debris remains on the track all the way through the race. You want things that REALLY matter as race elements, you can find better things than ads or perceived banking angles (wait until you drive it before you assume) if you try hard enough!

I am amazed at the ephemera that is latched onto, when anyone that has watched racing on TV or trackside can see huge gaps in what makes the sport the sport it IS.

Where are drive-throughs for cutting chicanes, where are black flags for flagrant ramming, where is tire management and fuel management strategy? Where are caution flags before you go round a blind corner into a huge shunt? Where are cars stuck in the kitty litter?

All of those things RADICALLY change how you play the game. An ad at trackside? A funny looking tree? Give me a break!

 

[breakpoint]

BTW, if I find a video of some idiot sliding around in GT5, does that prove once and for all what an arcade game it is?

Sauce for the goose, my skeptical friend...

Sliding around, or drifting isn't really fair to say that GT5 is just an arcade game really though to me. I did plenty of drifting in GT3, and posted many of videos of it back in the day here at GTP and still love playing it. You can drift in any racing or driving game though, so just because you can do that doesn't mean its arcade or take away from it, I can drift in real life and slide around, and I can do it in the game, that just makes it that much more of a game and makes it a little more realistic really. In GT4 I really hated the understeer, but its a realistic part of racing when your coming into a curve too hot. I'm really excited to get Shift 2 in my hands soon though, I enjoyed Shift 1 and this one looks loads better:tup:

 

[HeadsoupBob]

I just wonder, if real life racers had the choice (in longer races...), would they remove pit stops/fuel/full tyre wear if they could and just enjoy the racing. I've never really heard anyone answer from that perspective. Yes we want those things to simulate real life racing, but if it could be removed from real life would those guys happily ditch it all? I think there's nothing worse in RL racing when someone's race is ruined because the pit guy couldn't get that LR tyre back on the car and the pit time blew out...

If you total the car, allow it to be reset, but with a time wait period. Or like Destinkeys said, have a quick drive-thru lane where the tyres can be changed, but you lose 30 seconds or so in the process.

 

[tinram]

BTW, if I find a video of some idiot sliding around in GT5, does that prove once and for all what an arcade game it is?

That depends on how it slides around ...

I'm supposed to NOT get involved, but i just can't help it ... arrggg.

 

[Destinkeys]

That depends on how it slides around ...

I'm supposed to NOT get involved, but i just can't help it ... arrggg.

That night time BMW at Spa looks pretty planted, I'd say. Certainly more than some of the poorer driving exhibitions that are automatically taken as 'proof' that S2U is another arcade game.

TBH, I am not expecting GT-like perfection (or as close as GT come but not ultimately succeed) from S2U. But, from several examples and reports from actual players, it seems that things HAVE improved dramatically. Thing is, even Shift 1 was twice the GAME that GT5 is. So many racing elements got missed by PD, on the assumption that physics and graphics ALONE make a great game. They don't.

With a much improved, even if not PERFECT physics (and what is, TBH?), Shift 2 is going to be the most FUN you can have racing, while still keeping the feel and look of the real thing. I wish GT5 were, I really do. But fun doesn't seem to be in PD's vocabulary.

GT5 = Clinical
S2U = Visceral

Put me in the latter camp. Nothing clinical about a day at an ALMS race!

 

[FLIGHT50]

I laughed at this vid. Thumbs up for making a racing game to NFS. They've made enjoyable racing games in the past, but I don't think Shift 2 could ever be compared to Gran Truismo 5.

No need to compare to GT5 if it can blow it out the water. If they provided at least half of the request that we wished for in GT5, it will be a winner. I didn't play Shift 1 but this title looks promising. I said the same thing about GT5 as far as being promising but boy was I wrong. I hung beside the GT series up until the begining of Dec 10'. This is when I realized that what we got before the updates and Seasonals was B.S. GT5 failed miserably in my book. They were better off re-releasing GT4 for the PS3 with improved graphics. If you were a fan of GT4 and think its still the best of the series, I am sure you'd agree the expectations of GT5 if far below where it should be.

Til this date, GT4 will always be the best of the series until proven otherwise. I like the track selection that Shift 2 is bringing. Spa and Bathhurst along will get me to buy this. All shifts' car are premium I am sure. Full damage modeling. Dynamic systems are to been seen upon purchase. Customizing options to be seen. You don't need 1000+ cars to make a good racing game. It quality that counts, not quantity. At this point in time, its not to hard to beat GT5.

 

[Syntax error]

Guys, please let's not turn this into a Versus thread.

 

[Destinkeys]

But, especially on GT Planet, it's hard to discuss it in a vacuum. Particularly when you have GT trolls (OK, OK, GT fans..!) coming here to essentially put down what they haven't even seen or played yet.

We haven't been able to keep the GT forum free of comparison, with either FM3, S2U, iRacing or just about ANY racing game... It's going to be an uphill battle to achieve it on this forum, unless maybe the GT fans give it a rest until it actually drops, and they play it...

 

[CarreraGT]

Being sceptical about Shift 2 doesn't necessarily make you a GT fan... I'm disappointed by GT5, so I am being realistic with my expectations for Shift 2.

On paper, the game sounds great. The videos so far have worried me a bit, which is why I'm going to try before I buy.

I agree that it's difficult to avoid comparison, but there's really no need to compare in this particular thread. I'm looking forward to the game either way

 

[Syntax error]

I totally agree that it's almost impossible to not draw comparisons. It would be silly to think it won't happen. We try and shy away from big versus discussions however as they rarely ever provide any value and usually turn into flame wars unfortunatly.

 

[CarreraGT]

Yeah its a shame, I don't understand why we can't discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different games without it getting personal. But this is the internet I guess.

Personally I think the competition is healthy and should motivate game developers to push their games further (which is usually the case). I wish a few more developers would jump on the sim racing bandwagon just to keep the existing players honest 👍

One particular player (I won't mention names ) has certainly left the door open for the rest, so if EA don't capitalise, I'm sure someone else will

 

[Luminis]

But this is the internet I guess.

This. Is. The Internet! *kicks guy down a well*

Sorry, couldn't help myself there

Anyways, if all that's wrong with the game is the amount of NFS advertisements, a few corners seemingly not being wide enough and a track appearing wider than it would be perceived from a video of a real car (with no confirmation on whether that tracl's actually any wider than it is in real life), it'll be one hell of a good game, I think.

Either way, I'll be preordering it later today, I guess. I'll probably trade GT5 in to account for the preorder fees. Or get myself Red Dead Redemption to cover the remaining weeks until Shift 2 gets released.

 

[paulpg87]

porsche gt3 battle at road america.. here with a decent player. You can see leaves, debris on track and ai that makes mistakes and aggressive.

 

[JJ72]

pretty decent for someone on a pad, still want to see someone with a wheel though, then we can see how the car reacts say on that long right hander, where the car gradually build up understeer.

I think the desatuation period takes too long to fade out as well, see it isn't such a hard knock. Although still a knock that you should be weary of as it can knock the track off or even break the suspension irl. The effect does makes me feel there are consequences to making contact, which might just be the intent.

also curious that there seems to be no tunnel vision effect in this video, but the blur is directly proportional to the amount of Gs you pull. head physics seem to be toned down as well, maybe there's an option for it?

 

[Spagetti69]

Another thing I noticed from that video is that he didn't jump 6 places from the start line. Something I noticed happened in shift1.

Overall I have to say that gives the impression/simulates what a race should be.
Nice size field of cars. AI making mistakes and competitive.

One cause for concern maybe the adaptive difficulty mentioned by the developers. Gone is the choose your difficulty level. They have introduced an adaptive system.

I just like to race on the hardest setting. No matter if I'm getting trumped, I prefer to see my standings amongst the hard setting.

 

[ccmar]

porsche gt3 battle at road america.. here with a decent player. You can see leaves, debris on track and ai that makes mistakes and aggressive.

Don't get me wrong the game looks great but was anyone else bothered by the way objects abruptly disappear in the mirror ?