First. Sorry if this has been done to death at this point, just thought I'd offer some perspective from a mediocre racer without just saying "GAME SUX DO NOT BUY!"
So I picked up my copy of Shift 2 yesterday, and I played for about 3 hours total (7% into career mode) I know there are other posts about this but I hope I can help somewhat with people's experience and view on this game.
First it's slightly disappointing that the game is in 720 on PS3 and 1080 on 360, but I get by, and you probably will too. The graphics are good I bet they are great on PC or 360! This does not take away from track design and graphics, the tracks are really well done I think and the background stuff is cool, flags wave, cameras flash, almost distracting you! trees blow in the wind as well, it's cool.
There isn't as much car presentation in this game as there is in Forza or PS3, like just not as much emphasis on this part of the game in NFS, it's not terrible but it's noticeable.
After the first race in the GT-R you might find like I did that the steering sensitivity had to be turned down immediatley (this option is under controls and you hit R2 to go to the next menu and it's in there), I cranked mine down to 10% and that seemed to work and make the game feel much much better. So don't freak out and say this game sucks and is arcade, because once you get a sensitivity that works for you I think it will feel a lot better.
Next, shut Vaugn Gitten Jr. the hell up! That guy is about annoying as F! (Thanks my man BeMoto on this one) This option is under the speech thing turn it off, then you don't have to hear him go "There is the green light, gogogo! You can own this one!" seriously Vaughn, we know what to do when the light changes from red to green pal, so cram it.
After this, the game started to feel right to me. It doesn't have GT5's physics, no, but it's got physics, and it's got a racing feel that is freaking insane, even when you are out front, you feel a pressure, I don't know what it is, maybe it's the sound? I don't know but it's enjoyable for sure.
The customization is pretty good, I mean if you are coming from just GT5 then it's great, but Forza had some pretty deep customization as far as body kits mixing and matching, you can't really do that in Shift 2, you have kits that are just there for your, kit 1, 2 or 3 etc. but one thing that Shift has that is really cool and gives you a feel of driving an actual modded car, even if it isn't the works. An example is the cockpit mods, adding gauges, shift lights etc, it really works. Unlike modding a car out fully and not modding the cockpit sometimes you forget you are driving a car that you decked into a race car, kinda boring almost... Shift 2 isn't in this aspect.
The cars are class specific like in Forza, which is cool, it provides SOME form of limitation at the very least, granted you can mod your car to the top of the class and burn it up if you really want to (just like in Forza) but at least it has to be a car in the certain class.
The AI is cool, like big time, you can change the setting to match what you want to race against, they will overtake you, and if you make a mistake, you pay the price, and if you've never played Forza then this is a great feature for you, because in GT5 you mine as well be driving on the track by yourself for the most part, and the AI races each other, at least it felt like that to me. They battle each other for position just as much as they battle you, they don't seem content with just being in 3rd the whole race. I like that too.
It has some bugs in it, I've found I don't know if anyone else has noticed but sometimes as you cross the finish line for the first time in a race it has a small glitch, and once or twice when I've restarted a race my car is in the starting grid facing sideways!! I have to do a left turn when the green comes up and play catch up! I laughed obviously at this, but I imagine it could get old if it happens a lot.
I guess I'll close at the autolog, I love it, it's almost 'distracting' like you load the game and you can hit select and see autlog times of your friends, and not only this but it shows what car, class, and mod points they were at when they broke your time or set their own. And what's better, is you can't be a cheap ass either! If you go off track and shortcut it simply will not record your time.. That's a great feature.
This game isn't Gran Turismo, it isn't Forza, it might not be full sim to you leet sauce sim mofos, it's a different kind of animal, it's fun as all get out I think, and it's a HUGE change from GT5's boring pace, and dead end A-Spec, or HORRIFIC B-Spec (these are my opinions on GT5 btw, maybe not yours)
I like it, if you are on here add me on PSN, I'll play some autolog or online with you! PSN - mcm127
So I picked up my copy of Shift 2 yesterday, and I played for about 3 hours total (7% into career mode) I know there are other posts about this but I hope I can help somewhat with people's experience and view on this game.
First it's slightly disappointing that the game is in 720 on PS3 and 1080 on 360, but I get by, and you probably will too. The graphics are good I bet they are great on PC or 360! This does not take away from track design and graphics, the tracks are really well done I think and the background stuff is cool, flags wave, cameras flash, almost distracting you! trees blow in the wind as well, it's cool.
There isn't as much car presentation in this game as there is in Forza or PS3, like just not as much emphasis on this part of the game in NFS, it's not terrible but it's noticeable.
After the first race in the GT-R you might find like I did that the steering sensitivity had to be turned down immediatley (this option is under controls and you hit R2 to go to the next menu and it's in there), I cranked mine down to 10% and that seemed to work and make the game feel much much better. So don't freak out and say this game sucks and is arcade, because once you get a sensitivity that works for you I think it will feel a lot better.
Next, shut Vaugn Gitten Jr. the hell up! That guy is about annoying as F! (Thanks my man BeMoto on this one) This option is under the speech thing turn it off, then you don't have to hear him go "There is the green light, gogogo! You can own this one!" seriously Vaughn, we know what to do when the light changes from red to green pal, so cram it.
After this, the game started to feel right to me. It doesn't have GT5's physics, no, but it's got physics, and it's got a racing feel that is freaking insane, even when you are out front, you feel a pressure, I don't know what it is, maybe it's the sound? I don't know but it's enjoyable for sure.
The customization is pretty good, I mean if you are coming from just GT5 then it's great, but Forza had some pretty deep customization as far as body kits mixing and matching, you can't really do that in Shift 2, you have kits that are just there for your, kit 1, 2 or 3 etc. but one thing that Shift has that is really cool and gives you a feel of driving an actual modded car, even if it isn't the works. An example is the cockpit mods, adding gauges, shift lights etc, it really works. Unlike modding a car out fully and not modding the cockpit sometimes you forget you are driving a car that you decked into a race car, kinda boring almost... Shift 2 isn't in this aspect.
The cars are class specific like in Forza, which is cool, it provides SOME form of limitation at the very least, granted you can mod your car to the top of the class and burn it up if you really want to (just like in Forza) but at least it has to be a car in the certain class.
The AI is cool, like big time, you can change the setting to match what you want to race against, they will overtake you, and if you make a mistake, you pay the price, and if you've never played Forza then this is a great feature for you, because in GT5 you mine as well be driving on the track by yourself for the most part, and the AI races each other, at least it felt like that to me. They battle each other for position just as much as they battle you, they don't seem content with just being in 3rd the whole race. I like that too.
It has some bugs in it, I've found I don't know if anyone else has noticed but sometimes as you cross the finish line for the first time in a race it has a small glitch, and once or twice when I've restarted a race my car is in the starting grid facing sideways!! I have to do a left turn when the green comes up and play catch up! I laughed obviously at this, but I imagine it could get old if it happens a lot.
I guess I'll close at the autolog, I love it, it's almost 'distracting' like you load the game and you can hit select and see autlog times of your friends, and not only this but it shows what car, class, and mod points they were at when they broke your time or set their own. And what's better, is you can't be a cheap ass either! If you go off track and shortcut it simply will not record your time.. That's a great feature.
This game isn't Gran Turismo, it isn't Forza, it might not be full sim to you leet sauce sim mofos, it's a different kind of animal, it's fun as all get out I think, and it's a HUGE change from GT5's boring pace, and dead end A-Spec, or HORRIFIC B-Spec (these are my opinions on GT5 btw, maybe not yours)
I like it, if you are on here add me on PSN, I'll play some autolog or online with you! PSN - mcm127
but still. The damage, and contact physics are nice, if you just roll up and slam someone in the bumper you pay for it (Forza this was the case as well, and I know in GT5 you can slam into someone at 150 and it just slows you for a second there is no real penalty for it that I can recall)
