Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed Review

Shift 2: Unleashed is part of the Need for Speed franchise and a simulator style racing game. Developed by Slightly Mad Studios and published by Electronic Arts in April 2011.

Shift 2: Unleashed follows the release of the previous game, Need for Speed Shift. With updated graphics and driving physics. Shift 2 aims to create a more realistic driving simulation than previous titles.

Like in the previous game, you start with a limited number of races and have to get a podium in those to progress to the next set of events. One thing I noticed straight away is how difficult it is compared to Shift 1. In the previous game you could get away with drifting around corners at high speed. In this game you go careening off the track. The opponents are also more difficult in this game and the upgrades don’t give you as much of an advantage. At the beginning of the game you are given a race to determine your difficulty level. You also have the option of changing the difficulty level as you progress.

I was not able to completely finish this game. The final stages were just too difficult for me. I even tried a racing wheel but it would not be recognised correctly as there was too much dead zone when turning the wheel (even though the dead zone was set to zero). The reason I could not complete the game is because the high speed cars used in the final stages are just too hard to control. Even if you are doing well, another car will hit you, sending you off the track and ruining the race. With the older game you could drive supercars to your hearts content and not worry about hitting other cars or making a small mistake. In my opinion, this game is neither a simulation or an arcade game. It is something in between. There are still rules during races for cutting corners but they are quite lenient. It takes four times cutting corners before you are disqualified and there are no time penalty’s or anything like that. Most of the tracks that are in the previous game are in this game with the addition of some new ones. There are over 145 cars in the game but only a few available when you start out and that grows as you progress through the game. Unlike the first game there is no racing music in Shift 2. That is a bit of a disappointment as that was one of the factors that made the first game so enjoyable. The graphics have made a noticeable improvement but is does not add to the enjoyment of the game when you compare it with Need for Speed Shift. There are still nice sun effects with some lens flare as you move in and out of the sun. Most cars can be upgraded and works converted as you earn credits. I suggest you do this as you might find it too difficult otherwise. Once again events are split into Races, time trials, drifting and drag races.  When you start new events, this time there are cut scenes with videos from well known personalities introducing the event. There is also a new view available called the helmet cam. This camera view is the perspective from the drivers head, so when you turn left, he turns his head left a bit. When you crash the camera rocks forward as well.

One thing that annoyed me about the game (apart from the handling) is the night time driving. There is simply too much of it. Sometimes the whole event is comprised of night time driving. This makes it hard to see in the distance and it would be much easier and look a lot more spectacular if you were driving during daytime hours rather than at night. If I were to compare Shift 2 to the original Shift. The original would win hands down. Shift is much more enjoyable to play even thou it is older and the graphics aren’t as good. There is also music while you race which adds a lot to the ambiance. If you were a racing simulator fan you might think that the original was too arcadey and Shift 2 a more realistic experience. I definitely found the original Need for Speed Shift more enjoyable than Shift 2: Unleashed.

6.9/10