The original Shift title was one of the most blatant lookalike racers I’ve ever seen, giving an EA-flavoured alternative to what was – and still is – one of the best racers around. But that comparison is where things start to fall a little short. However, like its predecessor, this game is also noticeably similar to Codemasters’ Race Driver GRID in its on-track action. Indeed, this is where the Need for Speed DNA is most apparent, echoing the likes of the Underground series.

But I can confirm these smoke effects are indeed (and you should probably read this in Jim Carrey’s voice) smokin’.Īs you’d expect from an NfS game, there’s a wealth of gorgeous, licensed cars, and you can mod your ride to within an inch of its metallic life. EA used to boast about its smoke effects, but sadly the world just doesn’t seem to care about smoke effects anymore. The depth-of-field effect in helmet cam is slick, draw distances are huge, and the smoke effects are impressive. Really good, actually, to the point where it could just about pass for a modern release today. However, while the game, therefore, remains very much a product of its time, it was also way ahead of its time.Īside from a few low textured building sides and some rather jagged but accurately cast shadows playing across the cars’ bodywork, this still looks good.

That’s certainly not how it would look today. Even though it’s a track racer, you can instantly tell it’s a Need for Speed title by the gratuitous slow-motion shots in the intro, excessively noisy yet impeccably produced music that makes everything seem EXTREME, and the fact there are scantily-clad women all around you on the grid. Not difficult, perhaps, but still worth noting.įirst off, this is a game with an actual personality. However, a decade later, I’ve been playing an Origin-downloaded PC version on its highest settings and proffer it’s a better game than the developer’s own Project CARS 3. I reviewed it in period, though I tested the PS3 version – which was technically underwhelming and suffered from input lag on the TVs I tested it on due to upscaling – so I didn’t experience it in its best form. Need For Speed Shift 2: Unleashed is the latest game to turn 10 years old, and highlights the decade’s shift in racing game values more than any other.

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