Shift 2 Reviews

JJ72
"one make" means exact same model, exact same tune.

the other mode is "same class" which means random cars tune to similiar PI range.

I don't have any high tier car so everything I raced against so far are road cars, so I can't answer the latter part of your question.
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Thanks. As long as they put up a reasonable fight I'll be pretty happy. Sounds like they don't make it easy for you.

Just a few more hours of work, then it's a last minute dinner party though.. Maybe I can sneak in a few races.
 
After playing Shift 2 for about an hour I think the game was pretty good actually! Alright, so it didn't get off to a good start. Had to get used to the new physics and I was literally running off the track during those first few tries but after a while I'm was pretty consistent and managed to do decent laps without going off track! But the worst thing happened was when I was at the car selection screen, was going through each car to see which I could pick when all of a sudden... THE GAME FROZE UP!!! I mean come on... not sure why it freezes up, but the game was stuck and my controller couldn't respond and I had to shut the PS3 and restart. :grumpy:

But after that the game did run quite well without much hiccup and I pretty much enjoyed racing with the AI. 👍 Although it wasn't anywhere as realistic as say, GT5 or Forza (both graphics wise and physics) but the helmet cam does make racing more fun and interesting. Well I'm not really that far into the game (only currently at 3%) but I did give a shot at drifting for a short while. If anything, it feels even harder to drift in Shift 2 than it did in Shift 1! Throttle seems to be extremely sensitive on my controller (using HKS controller here) but that was when I set the X and Square button for Accelerator and Brakes, still haven't tried using L2/R2 and invert my controllers yet, will give it a try tomorrow. :)

So far so good I guess, haha...
 
Autoblog's review is up:

Thankfully, the gameplay feel never will. There is definitely some punishing realism here if you want it, and it's no further away than the toggle switches on all the driver aids. Flip them all off and you have what can only be described as a very realistic feel. This is definitely a level above your Forzas and Gran Turismos, genuinely delivering the dynamic sensation that comes from a game with a proper, fully-speced physics engine under the hood.

That's not to say that this one hasn't been detuned slightly from its days of sending newbies into the wall on the PC in GTR, as some of the sharper edges have been filed down a bit for safety's sake. Still, there are plenty of ways to get it wrong – to get it spectacularly wrong. When was the last time you drove a race sim that would have your car do a barrel roll and then fly into a million pieces for merely sliding through the gravel sideways? Shift 2 sure will.

[...]

Crash physics are top-notch. It's incredibly easy to get it wrong and nudge an opponent or, perhaps more commonly, to get nudged by an opponent. Do this and there's a good chance one or the other of you is going to spin. The 'ol Gran Turismo technique of bouncing off opponents in the corners to stay on track just won't work here.
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This could only be improved by inserting cutaways to the 60s Batman onomatopoeia collection.

batmang.jpg
 
Muzaffar
But the worst thing happened was when I was at the car selection screen, was going through each car to see which I could pick when all of a sudden... THE GAME FROZE UP!!! I mean come on... not sure why it freezes up, but the game was stuck and my controller couldn't respond and I had to shut the PS3 and restart. :grumpy:
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You are not the first user reporting the game is freezing so this is definitely an issue they better patch asap.

@ JJ, Thanks for the feedback.
 
Is it me or did nobody mention the IGN review yet?

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/115/1157453p1.html

Shift 2 Unleashed's a violent and immersive racer that recreates the driving experience like no other game on the market. In doing so it builds well on the first Shift's foundations, benefitting from Slightly Mad Studios' more refined touch and the inclusion of Autolog, but its handling is still too loose and its steps forward too small for it to truly beat Gran Turismo and Forza – although it does enough to ensure that it's pulled ever closer.
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Bit of a short review :/
 
People are spoiled :P

with each car having multistage bodykit and multistage interior modification, the amount of car is very respectable.
 
deftonesmx17
IGN are morons, that's why.

If anyone was to form an opinion from IGN reviews then they'd think Forza 3 is the best racer on the planet. :rolleyes:
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As a game Forza is the best console sim on the market...sure it does not have GT5's physics but it does everything else better...also not sure why you single out IGN...most review sites rated Forza better!
 
deftonesmx17
IGN are morons, that's why.

If anyone was to form an opinion from IGN reviews then they'd think Forza 3 is the best racer on the planet. :rolleyes:
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I have to agree, to me, IGN hasn't proven very good sense when rating driving/racing games. Their reviewers/reviews always gravitate to areas I generally don't care about when it comes to racing games. For example, they spent a full paragraph discussing the rewind feature in FM3 while letting other more meaty features go unnoticed. They tend to do that with every racing title. I think they simply spew back whatever the publisher has fed them in their review (and simply spot-check play-test to make sure the feature actually exists.)
 
It could be argued the FM3 is the best console racer on the market, and I might be willing to go along (have to load up Shift 2 tonight however before defending that claim.) It could also be argued that F1 2010 is the best racer on the market . . . I've been getting some replay out of it the past few weeks and as a racer, it's a standup game. Few here or anywhere else would be comfortable with claiming GT5 is the best console RACING game. PC sims are another class- respect.
 
RWB1213
I have to agree, to me, IGN hasn't proven very good sense when rating driving/racing games. Their reviewers/reviews always gravitate to areas I generally don't care about when it comes to racing games. For example, they spent a full paragraph discussing the rewind feature in FM3 while letting other more meaty features go unnoticed. They tend to do that with every racing title. I think they simply spew back whatever the publisher has fed them in their review (and simply spot-check play-test to make sure the feature actually exists.)
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Well for sure, even in this review he wants a rewind button cuz he spun out after couple of laps and felt it wasnt funny to loose. Well thats racing, and if Forza 3 has a rewind and GT5 has slooooow AI so you can spin around 20 times then perhaps this is something new...a racing game where you actually dont always finsh as no1, and i welcome it!!!
 
http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/nfs_shift_2/review.html
9/10

Good:
Autolog integration is fantastic
Cockpit views are gorgeous
Impressive range of cars
Cons:
No rewind feature


....Make no mistake, this is a technical racer, and you'll become well acquainted with the barriers during your first few races, but the controls are tight and the cars feel suitably responsive. If you do find yourself getting a little too friendly with the gravel traps, there's always the option to turn on steering and braking assists. Rival drivers defend parts of the track where they're vulnerable to being overtaken, exploit your mistakes and, importantly, crash every now and again of their own accord. The AI is great, which means you have to fight for your victories, and with no rubber banding in sight, the last lap is no more important than any other.
 
Mulan
Well for sure, even in this review he wants a rewind button cuz he spun out after couple of laps and felt it wasnt funny to loose. Well thats racing, and if Forza 3 has a rewind and GT5 has slooooow AI so you can spin around 20 times then perhaps this is something new...a racing game where you actually dont always finsh as no1, and i welcome it!!!
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I'm totally in agreement, but I see it as a matter of personal preference (and the IGN guys clearly prefer arcade-easy.) I hate rewind, I hate driving aids, and I don't want to simply drive a car around (TDU2). What I learned from GT5 was that I'm not a driving simulator fan, I'm a racing fan. It's no fault of PD, GT5 is what it is, it just doesn't hold my interest. While some may like to jump in a 427 Cobra and hit the 'ring to go watch the sunset, I'd rather go wheel-to-wheel, dive bombing the inside for a late braking pass on a guy I chased down over the past 5 laps . . . that is my fun. If I make a mistake, I expect to lose a couple spots. If I wreck out, well I'll have to start over. Museum Cards don't grab my attention. FM3 has done an adequate job of keeping me racing for the past year (private lobby league with friends.) The problem with FM3 is the physics are just too sticky. That's been OK given that most my friends can't be competitive without some help (TCS/ABS/Sticky Physics/etc.) I don't want to have to wait for one night a week to get my racing rush on. Obviously my hopes are high for Shift 2, but I'm no fool. Shift 1 was floaty to a fault, and every car felt like it was mildly drifting through the corners. If it's the same with Shift 2, I'll be disappointed, and considering other racing alternatives- iRacing/GTR/LFS/Tag Go Kart.
 
RWB1213
I'm totally in agreement, but I see it as a matter of personal preference (and the IGN guys clearly prefer arcade-easy.) I hate rewind, I hate driving aids, and I don't want to simply drive a car around (TDU2). What I learned from GT5 was that I'm not a driving simulator fan, I'm a racing fan. It's no fault of PD, GT5 is what it is, it just doesn't hold my interest. While some may like to jump in a 427 Cobra and hit the 'ring to go watch the sunset, I'd rather go wheel-to-wheel, dive bombing the inside for a late braking pass on a guy I chased down over the past 5 laps . . . that is my fun. If I make a mistake, I expect to lose a couple spots. If I wreck out, well I'll have to start over. Museum Cards don't grab my attention. FM3 has done an adequate job of keeping me racing for the past year (private lobby league with friends.) The problem with FM3 is the physics are just too sticky. That's been OK given that most my friends can't be competitive without some help (TCS/ABS/Sticky Physics/etc.) I don't want to have to wait for one night a week to get my racing rush on. Obviously my hopes are high for Shift 2, but I'm no fool. Shift 1 was floaty to a fault, and every car felt like it was mildly drifting through the corners. If it's the same with Shift 2, I'll be disappointed, and considering other racing alternatives- iRacing/GTR/LFS/Tag Go Kart.
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This is what i want too :)

1Up review...seems like default settings of cars are not good, but if you can tinker with carsettings/tuning then (if i read the undelines correct, pls correct me if i get it wrong) it can be another game. But i guess the reviewers job is to see if all can play the game from box without altering anything and set a score after that too.

http://www.1up.com/reviews/shift-2-unleashed-review
 
As soon as I see a review mention 'won't have the physics of GT/Forza' I switch off. Those guys have it in their head that those games have perfect physics and anything different couldn't possibly actually be better because that would take time to learn, sigh :/
 
HeadsoupBob
As soon as I see a review mention 'won't have the physics of GT/Forza' I switch off. Those guys have it in their head that those games have perfect physics and anything different couldn't possibly actually be better because that would take time to learn, sigh :/
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True..suddenly Forza or GT is the real thing. I bet that if i learn to drive in Shift 2 ill get better in reality than driving GT5 cars. And as i see more and more actually say its important to tune the cars for a great experience...so out of the box it seems more arcadish, made for turning assists on. (EA probably made research and the conclusion wouldnt surprise me if it was..90% do use the aids in the game...)
 
HeadsoupBob
As soon as I see a review mention 'won't have the physics of GT/Forza' I switch off. Those guys have it in their head that those games have perfect physics and anything different couldn't possibly actually be better because that would take time to learn, sigh :/
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I agree, and the funny thing is . . . with a couple of hours of practice you can basically run what would be real-world record times at the Nurburgring in a Red Bull X2010 in GT5. Then, when reviewers can't keep a race modded MX-5 on the track at Laguna Seca in another game (other than FM3 and GT5) they damn the physics. We all know IRL they'd wreck the Miata, and kill themselves in an X2010. So which titles are more realistic?
 
My mini review:

Ok, played a bit more. Level 9, I guess this double xp boosts your levels up waaay too quick. I would have liked the pace of leveling slowed down a bit. After each win I get like 1-2 new events unlocked and cash...I didnt like leveling of GT5, but here so far it's too quick. Maybe because of double xp. Now, the game is fantastic! Beats GT5 any day, handling is pretty good, although seems like there is a bit of understeer but I've not messed with any settings or tuning, only improved brakes and tire on my BMW i135. AI is great, tries to avoid you at all possible costs, even trying to go off track sometimes not to hit you. Im playing on medium AI and here's how it works, if the AI is in the lead after the first corner (2-3 opponents), then you're going to have a great race, and really have to work for that win. If you are in P1 after the first corner, then unless you make a big mistake, you'll win it. At least that's on medium, I'll switch to hard later on. But it's good, way better than GT5, not sure about Shift 1, since I was using an overhaul mod, so probably AI was better with that.

Tracks and cars look gorgeous on my PC. It's great. I was skeptical about graphics before playing the game, but now I have an it's WOW! TONS better than Shift 1 graphically! Night racing is superb. Real treat.

Now, my (so far) only negative is the performance. I have i5-760 3.6 ghz, 4gb of ram, ATI HD5870 1GB. I'm playing at full hd (1080p), everything completely maxed out except for blur and AA, have vsync on. I'm playing using the hood cam (or windshield cam), and when im using that I can notice that my fps is capped at 30fps mostly. I was expecting 60. It does get to 60 sometimes, but mostly capped at 30. The thing is, any other cam I use it stays in the 60s!! Especially with helmet cam I'm getting constant 60 fps. I think that's due to the hood's reflections as those look great, but probably eat a lot of GPU cycles. We'll see if it ever gets improved with a patch.
 
FuriousDemon
Now, my (so far) only negative is the performance. I have i5-760 3.6 ghz, 4gb of ram, ATI HD5870 1GB. I'm playing at full hd (1080p), everything completely maxed out except for blur and AA, have vsync on. I'm playing using the hood cam (or windshield cam), and when im using that I can notice that my fps is capped at 30fps mostly. I was expecting 60. It does get to 60 sometimes, but mostly capped at 30. The thing is, any other cam I use it stays in the 60s!! Especially with helmet cam I'm getting constant 60 fps. I think that's due to the hood's reflections as those look great, but probably eat a lot of GPU cycles. We'll see if it ever gets improved with a patch.
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With a Core 2 Duo 3.0ghz and a 560Ti GTX running at 880mhz I'm getting 25 fps in this game regardless of graphics settings or camera views. It's a CPU issue. I have no idea why it says on the box the minimum is a 2.0ghz Core 2 Duo as that would probably result in <20 fps making the game completely unplayable. Oh well, maybe thats a good excuse to get a Sandy Bridge.
 
I think the graphics are ugly as hell for the PS3 version that I bought. There are a lot of jagged edges, and all the different lighting filters make the game look cartoony.

The game sucks with the Logitec G27, you don't get a feel of where the tires are as you do with GT5, the game doesn't respond to your inputs as well either, and there is the dreaded dead-zone issue; my car starts turning when going on a straight. adjusting dead-zone is a no can do, as even if you correct it a little there will be too much play in it.

i'm not a fan with the in your face attitude of the game either. all the f'ing menus jump out at you and you hear a sound like they are trying to break out of the inside of the screen in you TV. It gets annoying.

online this game is ruthless! Shift 2 simply is an arcade racer. It is designed to be a destruction derby game. it is intense but not realistic. it is way too easy to be spun completely around if another player taps you, and since you can actually lose axles now. if you get hit hard enough, you will have to reset your car. this isn't realism. i just know this game will infuriate me. i try to be a clean racer in GT5, but in Shift 2, it is gonna be really hard to do.

I love the car selection, the track selection, and the fluidity of the menues, and the autolog feature is gonna prove to be addicting. Shift 2 is Shift on steroids. It's basically the same game but is expanded in all respects.
 
Strata-R
I think the graphics are ugly as hell for the PS3 version that I bought. There are a lot of jagged edges, and all the different lighting filters make the game look cartoony.

The game sucks with the Logitec G27, you don't get a feel of where the tires are as you do with GT5, the game doesn't respond to your inputs as well either, and there is the dreaded dead-zone issue; my car starts turning when going on a straight. adjusting dead-zone is a no can do, as even if you correct it a little there will be too much play in it.

i'm not a fan with the in your face attitude of the game either. all the f'ing menus jump out at you and you hear a sound like they are trying to break out of the inside of the screen in you TV. It gets annoying.

online this game is ruthless! Shift 2 simply is an arcade racer. It is designed to be a destruction derby game. it is intense but not realistic. it is way too easy to be spun completely around if another player taps you, and since you can actually lose axles now. if you get hit hard enough, you will have to reset your car. this isn't realism. i just know this game will infuriate me. i try to be a clean racer in GT5, but in Shift 2, it is gonna be really hard to do.

I love the car selection, the track selection, and the fluidity of the menues, and the autolog feature is gonna prove to be addicting. Shift 2 is Shift on steroids. It's basically the same game but is expanded in all respects.
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PC version looks superb. Try to pick it up later at a discount, if your PC is up to it. As far as online, public games are going to suck, as with most online racing games, except for the PC sims like iRacing maybe. You just have to find some clean racers and it should work out just fine. Offline the AI is really clean and does not try to hit you at all, unless it absolutely has no other alternative.
 
I was disappointed by IGN's review. Not really by the score. But the review was so short and seemed incomplete.

What happened? EA didn't advertize Shift enough on their website? And what's with the 1 page reviews lately?
 
FuriousDemon
As far as online, public games are going to suck, as with most online racing games, except for the PC sims like iRacing maybe. You just have to find some clean racers and it should work out just fine.
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Online mode was also improved and use your profile (remember aggression vs precisiong on shift 1? ) to match you against those that drive as you do in "match making mode"

The lobbies are useful if you have enough friends near you or a very good broadband connection :D

But i don't have the game yet so don't know what the possibilities are. (this last 48h look like a whole week)
 
haehre
With a Core 2 Duo 3.0ghz and a 560Ti GTX running at 880mhz I'm getting 25 fps in this game regardless of graphics settings or camera views. It's a CPU issue. I have no idea why it says on the box the minimum is a 2.0ghz Core 2 Duo as that would probably result in <20 fps making the game completely unplayable. Oh well, maybe thats a good excuse to get a Sandy Bridge.
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Actually, I think its the video card. Turned off AA and it runs like a champ with everything else max. Something is screwed up with AA in this game. I didnt notice much difference between normal and off, but performance is way better without AA turned on in the game. Running smooth 60fps now.
 

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