Originally Posted by OWNED66 well it feels like grid looks ,better than grid, u can tune ur car and feel more life like when ur in the drivers seat
isnt that enough for an 8
and i still dont know how to edit can u upload a pic and post a link of it
sry again
Click on the forum link at the top of the page, find the relavent article under the 'Article Discussion' section, find your post, click edit at the bottom right of your post, edit post and click accept (or something like that). Job done!
One advantage to Bit-techs articles is that you can either comment directly on the article (like I am doing now) or in the forums itself. The later option gives you all of the edit functions of a forum post yet shows up on the comments section here.
Took 5 minutes of annoying narator guy and 2 slides repeated 20 times to load a single race, which was so underwhelming; im sure the 'sense of speed' is good in the fast cars but in the start cars if you break for 5 secs you cant tell any difference unless you have the retard break/corner lines.
anyone else noticed PhysX on the DVD? does this game use PhysX at all? i don't see any settings and the game slows down when a lot of cars crash into each other.
The game uses the Physx engine, but that doesn't mean it has any "extras" like Arkham Asylum, it is probably just handling things like gravity and momentum.
Originally Posted by SchizoFrog Something is definately wrong somewhere either with your eyes or with the game for a PC version to look weaker than a console. But then EA hates the PC anyway so I guess it is no real surprise. THIS is the real reason for a fall in PC games sales... not the lame whinging about piracy.
It's strange but true I know. All the console reviewers at the phands on event I went to were saying how it looked better on their machines and for once I had to agree. It's not to say it looks poor on the PC, far from it. Simply that on consoles it looks better. Maybe this is a racing game thing I'm not sure. Unfortunately my eyesight is excellent
Quote:
Originally Posted by BioSniper Interesting. In Page 3 it says about the FOV being wide, this makes me think that the reviewer spent the predominant quantity of the review playing with ONLY the outside view.
From all the other reviews I've read the game only really starts to shine when viewing from inside the car as that's how it was initially designed (or something like that).
Not sure what gave you that idea - I was specifically referring to the cockpit view when I mentioned the wide FOV:)
Quote:
...as well as the return of the cockpit view. The latter is much more usable than you might think and feels far less enclosed and tunnel vision like than other games we've played. This is partly due to the view shifting slightly to G-forces and also thanks to a wide field of view.
Having now played the game for a little while, these are my opinions...
1) The cars in GRiD did look very good and I was impressed from the start when that came out, but I do think the cars in SHIFT just look that touch better but no major improvements. However, how far can they go? The cars in both games just look fantastic and very realistic.
2) Following on with the graphical details, again I was orignally impressed but what I did notice was that the scenery and backgrounds were very limited and flat in GRiD. This has been improved quite a bit I believe in SHIFT, especially the depth of background detail.
2) As for the driving, its almost a throwback to the days of Metropolis Street Racer on the Dreamcast. That is to say that the handling on the original cars is shockingly bad. But this is soon improved massively by just a couple of upgrades that benefit the handling system. The AI I think is well balanced, they will tend to keep up but can be left a fair way behind should you put in an good performance. Your rivals will nudge and 'rub' you but you don't automatically go spinning of.
My main gripe with the driving is that when you drive some higher performance cars, like those from tier 3 when you do the invitationals, they handle just as bad or if not worse than your first standard car. Now this may be because they are basic models with no upgrades, but surely in the real world these cars would handle better than they do here? Especially when they seem to turn corners easier and faster at speed than if you brake and turn in. I was forever seeming to bump the walls or off in the dirt in the Ford GT, even when the racing line was still green for a speed indication.
4) A mildly confusing but not seemingly vital part to the game at this point are the bonuses and rewards that seem a bit vague as to how exactly you get them or when they are awarded. I am sure the answers are there somewhere but I haven't come across it yet.
I am a fan of racing games that are both entertaining and have a good mix of realism and that of the arcade. I couldn't stop playing NFS Most Wanted as I just found it fun, but I had an even bigger adventure way back when in the days of previously mentioned MSR which had me hooked from the demo with the VX220 and the MR2S.
NFS SHIFT is a good game, so far... and it does seem to be a fairly original take on the racing genre and a breathe of fresh air in the the NFS franchise. Only time will tell about the games longevity.
Can you adjust the sensitivity of the controls in the full game? I've just played the demo and had to turn the steering wheel half way before the game accepts any input from it, it then turns the wheel progressively instead of matching the position of the wheel. Makes me think it's designed only for use with buttons. bah!
as for shift itself, well, ive cut my teeth on a HELL of a lot of racing games and sims over the years, everything from Motorhead to GTR2 and this is an excellent Driving Experiance with a solid physics model. its no GTR2 but its certainly up there when you turn all the child friendly fail aids off.
is it better then grid/gt5/forza? im laughing at the thought of even comparing them all. for me this is the closest ive gotten to re-enacting the 4 laps of the lotus test track i did in a racing spec Mustang back in '07.
Just listen to that ****ing ROAR! so much win it even shaked the piss out of my dog
alright so I played NFS Shift demo and I played GRID 1.1 demo and Im leaning towards GRID, visuals are almost the same, but GRID just seems to have a bit better damage, dont quote me on that as they are both demos kinda hard to call, all I know is I need a steering wheel and pedals now lol playing on a keyboard looses the whole feel.
I must say, having played the game till almost tier 3 now, that you did miss out on some of the problems when it comes to gameplay. Namely:
1) The ideal line assist is horrible at best. Sometimes braking in the full red will leave you short of the corner, while at other times even braking with half your car in the green will make you miss a corner. Also most of the time the line turns green way too fast. Meaning you can't take the corner at that speed without braking the tail out severely even though it's fully green.
2) AI != YOU. It seems to me that when it comes to impacts and running off the track the AI plays by different rules. They seem to be able to take rear impacts without much loss of control(@ medium difficulty) and can correct for side impacts nearly instantly and perfectly. This while the loss of control for me(not a bad player at all) is much higher and side impacts often leave me over-correcting and needing to throttle down to regain control.(costing valuable time) Also going off the track slightly seems to be a minor inconvenience for them while for me it is often impossible to steer back onto the track even with just two wheels off while maintaining speed.
3) Aggression/Precision imbalance. There is a massive imbalance when it comes to the aggression and precision points you can earn. The problem here is that it is much harder to get aggression points as aggressive acts such as tapping out or spinning an opponent are not only hard to achieve without getting into trouble yourself or losing too much speed and thus time, but also impossible to do while your in the lead. Meaning that even if you succeed in ramming and tapping out your way to the front you'll still end up with a precision finish as you can't do anything besides getting the tail out when you're in front.
For me personally the most annoying of the three is the "cheating" AI. They seem ok for a medium AI in all other ways, but when it comes to impact and off track control they don't act like you'd expect. The most convincing case of this for me was a time when I got extremely annoyed on Spa by cars ramming me in the first corner and driving me into the wall. I got so pissed after restarting for the 6th time that I just thought "F*ck it, I'm gonna ram that asswipe off the track.". However even trying that multiple times didn't make me succeed in repaying the favor. He'd just, almost magically, correct for my side impact and/or I'd go off the track as well. This while he could ram me into an unrecoverable course into the wall with ease and without even a hint of him going off the track with me. This seems very wrong to me and is very very frustrating. All the other things I can at least try to adjust for, this is just playing by different rules.
DRIFTING:
Maybe I'm not qualified to talk about drifting yet(as I feel I've still got enough to learn), but it feels WAY too hard. I've had to retry both events I drove probably 30+ times. I really have just two complaints here:
1) Doing slow speed drifts(on slow tracks or right after the start) and getting high points is impossible without losing control. There is no way to recover from the drift needed to get high points as you just can't correct enough before getting grip again. This will make you either drive off the track(and then try to make your way back on before the next corner) or brake and stop on the track(and lose all your speed).
2) There is a massive imbalance in the scoring system. It seems that drifts close to the corner give you WAY more points then high angle drifts. I noticed this especially in the first corner of the second event where just a minimal angle could get you 100+ points if close to the pin, while a high angle drift further away would get a pathetic 30-40.
Now the big problem here is that to get on the podium(on medium difficulty) you need to do every corner near perfection three times in a row. Compared to racing at the same difficulty level this is insane.
Overall I'd say the game is technically pretty good, but is not without issues that interfere with the experience. The biggest problem however I find to be the lack of fun. Having to restart a race over and over again and dealing with AI's ramming you off the track without a chance to correct(and thus losing your chance of a podium) is not my idea of fun. That's my idea of frustratingly annoying gameplay. I feel myself drawn to SHIFT often, but that only lasts until I experience once again the frustration the game can provide you with as well.
Originally Posted by Triple Omega I must say, having played the game till almost tier 3 now, that you did miss out on some of the problems when it comes to gameplay. Namely:
1) The ideal line assist is horrible at best. Sometimes braking in the full red will leave you short of the corner, while at other times even braking with half your car in the green will make you miss a corner. Also most of the time the line turns green way too fast. Meaning you can't take the corner at that speed without braking the tail out severely even though it's fully green.
2) AI != YOU. It seems to me that when it comes to impacts and running off the track the AI plays by different rules. They seem to be able to take rear impacts without much loss of control(@ medium difficulty) and can correct for side impacts nearly instantly and perfectly. This while the loss of control for me(not a bad player at all) is much higher and side impacts often leave me over-correcting and needing to throttle down to regain control.(costing valuable time) Also going off the track slightly seems to be a minor inconvenience for them while for me it is often impossible to steer back onto the track even with just two wheels off while maintaining speed.
3) Aggression/Precision imbalance. There is a massive imbalance when it comes to the aggression and precision points you can earn. The problem here is that it is much harder to get aggression points as aggressive acts such as tapping out or spinning an opponent are not only hard to achieve without getting into trouble yourself or losing too much speed and thus time, but also impossible to do while your in the lead. Meaning that even if you succeed in ramming and tapping out your way to the front you'll still end up with a precision finish as you can't do anything besides getting the tail out when you're in front.
For me personally the most annoying of the three is the "cheating" AI. They seem ok for a medium AI in all other ways, but when it comes to impact and off track control they don't act like you'd expect. The most convincing case of this for me was a time when I got extremely annoyed on Spa by cars ramming me in the first corner and driving me into the wall. I got so pissed after restarting for the 6th time that I just thought "F*ck it, I'm gonna ram that asswipe off the track.". However even trying that multiple times didn't make me succeed in repaying the favor. He'd just, almost magically, correct for my side impact and/or I'd go off the track as well. This while he could ram me into an unrecoverable course into the wall with ease and without even a hint of him going off the track with me. This seems very wrong to me and is very very frustrating. All the other things I can at least try to adjust for, this is just playing by different rules.
DRIFTING:
Maybe I'm not qualified to talk about drifting yet(as I feel I've still got enough to learn), but it feels WAY too hard. I've had to retry both events I drove probably 30+ times. I really have just two complaints here:
1) Doing slow speed drifts(on slow tracks or right after the start) and getting high points is impossible without losing control. There is no way to recover from the drift needed to get high points as you just can't correct enough before getting grip again. This will make you either drive off the track(and then try to make your way back on before the next corner) or brake and stop on the track(and lose all your speed).
2) There is a massive imbalance in the scoring system. It seems that drifts close to the corner give you WAY more points then high angle drifts. I noticed this especially in the first corner of the second event where just a minimal angle could get you 100+ points if close to the pin, while a high angle drift further away would get a pathetic 30-40.
Now the big problem here is that to get on the podium(on medium difficulty) you need to do every corner near perfection three times in a row. Compared to racing at the same difficulty level this is insane.
Overall I'd say the game is technically pretty good, but is not without issues that interfere with the experience. The biggest problem however I find to be the lack of fun. Having to restart a race over and over again and dealing with AI's ramming you off the track without a chance to correct(and thus losing your chance of a podium) is not my idea of fun. That's my idea of frustratingly annoying gameplay. I feel myself drawn to SHIFT often, but that only lasts until I experience once again the frustration the game can provide you with as well.
QFFT
;)
Middle of Tier 2 I had to reduce the AI difficulty from Hard to Medium because it was bloody FRUSTRATING. They would repeatedly ram me off the track (see his point #2 above) and, of course, rubber banding. No thanks.
For crying out loud, I played GTR Evolution on Hard with Pro settings, no assists, etc and it was a breeze compared to this game.
Also, drifting is retarded. That is all.
Playing with a steering wheel with Pro settings, all assists off.
I havent read half the replys, but i started playing this today and the steering really is crap :/ Maybe i just need to play with the controls to get it to feel better but so far the steering is fail
Originally Posted by DeathAwaitsU I havent read half the replys, but i started playing this today and the steering really is crap :/ Maybe i just need to play with the controls to get it to feel better but so far the steering is fail
No, it's just shitty by design.
After 27 very, very frustrating hours I have given up on this turd of a game. What a waste of money.
Ive been playing NFS since the beginning, and this is my favorite edition yet the cockpit cam is great, and the physics are amazing. This is my first NFS on a next-gen system, and Im blown away by the realism (Outside of some of the exaggerated crashes, which are part of the fun in playing video games anyway...)
Also nice to see a good soundtrack, I was thrilled that they used Rootbeers Under Control thats definitely an awesome under-the-radar jam. Props to EA for improving their song selections as of late all the games Ive bought this year (Fight Night Round 4, NFS Shift, and NHL 10) have had pretty decent soundtracks.
i was a bit skeptical about this new game after hearing that it was gonna be another on-track racer......reading the review changed my mind.....i'll give it a shot now
i still want a good street racer, NFS MW was the last decent street racer i played :(
Wish there was some more customization options in Body Works. NFS series loosing it's customization options with the release of every new game. The only reason i played the game is because it has better visual options like body kits, spoilers, rims. The gameplay is almost same as GRID. For me this is no different than any other pro racing game. I m very much disappointed with this game! I 'll wait for gran Turismo for PSP.
Originally Posted by Triple Omega I must say, having played the game till almost tier 3 now, that you did miss out on some of the problems when it comes to gameplay. Namely:
1) The ideal line assist is horrible at best. Sometimes braking in the full red will leave you short of the corner, while at other times even braking with half your car in the green will make you miss a corner. Also most of the time the line turns green way too fast. Meaning you can't take the corner at that speed without braking the tail out severely even though it's fully green.
2) AI != YOU. It seems to me that when it comes to impacts and running off the track the AI plays by different rules. They seem to be able to take rear impacts without much loss of control(@ medium difficulty) and can correct for side impacts nearly instantly and perfectly. This while the loss of control for me(not a bad player at all) is much higher and side impacts often leave me over-correcting and needing to throttle down to regain control.(costing valuable time) Also going off the track slightly seems to be a minor inconvenience for them while for me it is often impossible to steer back onto the track even with just two wheels off while maintaining speed.
3) Aggression/Precision imbalance. There is a massive imbalance when it comes to the aggression and precision points you can earn. The problem here is that it is much harder to get aggression points as aggressive acts such as tapping out or spinning an opponent are not only hard to achieve without getting into trouble yourself or losing too much speed and thus time, but also impossible to do while your in the lead. Meaning that even if you succeed in ramming and tapping out your way to the front you'll still end up with a precision finish as you can't do anything besides getting the tail out when you're in front.
For me personally the most annoying of the three is the "cheating" AI. They seem ok for a medium AI in all other ways, but when it comes to impact and off track control they don't act like you'd expect. The most convincing case of this for me was a time when I got extremely annoyed on Spa by cars ramming me in the first corner and driving me into the wall. I got so pissed after restarting for the 6th time that I just thought "F*ck it, I'm gonna ram that asswipe off the track.". However even trying that multiple times didn't make me succeed in repaying the favor. He'd just, almost magically, correct for my side impact and/or I'd go off the track as well. This while he could ram me into an unrecoverable course into the wall with ease and without even a hint of him going off the track with me. This seems very wrong to me and is very very frustrating. All the other things I can at least try to adjust for, this is just playing by different rules.
DRIFTING:
Maybe I'm not qualified to talk about drifting yet(as I feel I've still got enough to learn), but it feels WAY too hard. I've had to retry both events I drove probably 30+ times. I really have just two complaints here:
1) Doing slow speed drifts(on slow tracks or right after the start) and getting high points is impossible without losing control. There is no way to recover from the drift needed to get high points as you just can't correct enough before getting grip again. This will make you either drive off the track(and then try to make your way back on before the next corner) or brake and stop on the track(and lose all your speed).
2) There is a massive imbalance in the scoring system. It seems that drifts close to the corner give you WAY more points then high angle drifts. I noticed this especially in the first corner of the second event where just a minimal angle could get you 100+ points if close to the pin, while a high angle drift further away would get a pathetic 30-40.
Now the big problem here is that to get on the podium(on medium difficulty) you need to do every corner near perfection three times in a row. Compared to racing at the same difficulty level this is insane.
Overall I'd say the game is technically pretty good, but is not without issues that interfere with the experience. The biggest problem however I find to be the lack of fun. Having to restart a race over and over again and dealing with AI's ramming you off the track without a chance to correct(and thus losing your chance of a podium) is not my idea of fun. That's my idea of frustratingly annoying gameplay. I feel myself drawn to SHIFT often, but that only lasts until I experience once again the frustration the game can provide you with as well.
Are you playing with a keyboard? I'm also almost on tier 3 (and have earned all the stars on all the invitationals so far while playing on medium) and I find the game a bit too easy and will be switching to hard soon. The AI drivers are, literally, absolute push overs on medium with their cars being almost too easily upended. Maybe you need to adjust your settings. And the drifting, while difficult in and of itself, isn't much of a hurdle as it's pretty easy to beat the AI's top score.
I do agree that the 'best' racing line is somewhat inaccurate. But this being the first racing game I've played with a racing line, I use it only as a guide which I think is the best way to use it.
Also the aggressive/precision balance is somewhat broken, but it's an obvious gimmick that's not at all distracting and can be safely ignored. It's all about the race, true?
The review presented here I thought was a bit too nickpicky. While the first few races are somewhat slow they certainly don't near going in slow motion. Plus you get to jump into the faster rides very early on due to invitationals, early tier unlocks, and the loads of cash you're provided. As far as there being no qualifying lap, I say thank goodness because I wouldn't want to waste my time what with the racing line telling you pretty much how to take every corner and the game being as easy as it is. And why is it frustrating to get to learn a new car after upgrading it. Wouldn't it be worse if the car drove more or less the same (which personally, is how it feels for me).
As far as the graphics go, the car models are definitely better looking here than in GRID. But with GRID's slick night driving, sharper textures, and more lively backgrounds overall I'd give the nod to GRID by a hair. And having played both the PC and console versions, I honestly don't see the a difference apart from higher resolution on PC (I play on XP for what it's worth). Also, I noted barely any jaggies at 2x or 4xAA and no difference between replay and in game visuals.
My only problems with the game are the bland menus & 'garage', and the lack of a custom soundtrack option. Overall though I find this game refreshing and addicting and even better than the all mighty GRID (...so far anyway). This really is a game racing fans need to try out for themselves because of the wildly different opinions I've come across. And don't take my word for it because while I disliked NFS:Undercover, Carbon, and Underground 2... I actually liked the original Juiced. Go figure.
Realism and gameplay are good, yes but we have to consider everything.
Sorry I have to disagree......................
Gameplay might be good (ish), but realism?? are you drinking from the fountain of madness??
There is no realism in the 'game', its an eye-candy 'game' not a sim at all.
I race rFactor, LFS, GTR2 and dabble on iRacing, and the 'game' doesn't compare to anything that is out there.
Granted its a 'arcade style racing game' but thats all it is.
NFS has followed a timeline which continues to hoard eye-candy drivers, and not someone who'd rather spend time racing.
Though I do not have the game, I 'played' on a friends copy for sometime and find it rediculously funny.
I for one was hoping for something better than Grid (never played it, never bought it, read reviews), but I am glad I saved my money for a few months of iRacing, something which I do not regret.
I am not knocking the game, because thats all it is, the idea of calling this game a 'sim' or realistic is total madness, as it is neither, nor will any NFS 'game' be anything but a 'game'
Everything is relative, this has a place in the gaming market, I just wish people would look far and wide to see that this 'game' is all about visual eye-candy, and not about racing.
Comments 26 to 46 of 46
ReplyClick on the forum link at the top of the page, find the relavent article under the 'Article Discussion' section, find your post, click edit at the bottom right of your post, edit post and click accept (or something like that). Job done!
One advantage to Bit-techs articles is that you can either comment directly on the article (like I am doing now) or in the forums itself. The later option gives you all of the edit functions of a forum post yet shows up on the comments section here.
truth be told need for speed always sold well on been the arcade racer fast and the furious game . Id prefer it over this.
forza 3 gt5 will be sim games. Need for speed has never been a sim game. Want to buy the old one back,
The game uses the Physx engine, but that doesn't mean it has any "extras" like Arkham Asylum, it is probably just handling things like gravity and momentum.
It's strange but true I know. All the console reviewers at the phands on event I went to were saying how it looked better on their machines and for once I had to agree. It's not to say it looks poor on the PC, far from it. Simply that on consoles it looks better. Maybe this is a racing game thing I'm not sure. Unfortunately my eyesight is excellent
Not sure what gave you that idea - I was specifically referring to the cockpit view when I mentioned the wide FOV:)
1) The cars in GRiD did look very good and I was impressed from the start when that came out, but I do think the cars in SHIFT just look that touch better but no major improvements. However, how far can they go? The cars in both games just look fantastic and very realistic.
2) Following on with the graphical details, again I was orignally impressed but what I did notice was that the scenery and backgrounds were very limited and flat in GRiD. This has been improved quite a bit I believe in SHIFT, especially the depth of background detail.
2) As for the driving, its almost a throwback to the days of Metropolis Street Racer on the Dreamcast. That is to say that the handling on the original cars is shockingly bad. But this is soon improved massively by just a couple of upgrades that benefit the handling system. The AI I think is well balanced, they will tend to keep up but can be left a fair way behind should you put in an good performance. Your rivals will nudge and 'rub' you but you don't automatically go spinning of.
My main gripe with the driving is that when you drive some higher performance cars, like those from tier 3 when you do the invitationals, they handle just as bad or if not worse than your first standard car. Now this may be because they are basic models with no upgrades, but surely in the real world these cars would handle better than they do here? Especially when they seem to turn corners easier and faster at speed than if you brake and turn in. I was forever seeming to bump the walls or off in the dirt in the Ford GT, even when the racing line was still green for a speed indication.
4) A mildly confusing but not seemingly vital part to the game at this point are the bonuses and rewards that seem a bit vague as to how exactly you get them or when they are awarded. I am sure the answers are there somewhere but I haven't come across it yet.
I am a fan of racing games that are both entertaining and have a good mix of realism and that of the arcade. I couldn't stop playing NFS Most Wanted as I just found it fun, but I had an even bigger adventure way back when in the days of previously mentioned MSR which had me hooked from the demo with the VX220 and the MR2S.
NFS SHIFT is a good game, so far... and it does seem to be a fairly original take on the racing genre and a breathe of fresh air in the the NFS franchise. Only time will tell about the games longevity.
http://forum.rscnet.org/showthread.php?t=338498&page=3
as for shift itself, well, ive cut my teeth on a HELL of a lot of racing games and sims over the years, everything from Motorhead to GTR2 and this is an excellent Driving Experiance with a solid physics model. its no GTR2 but its certainly up there when you turn all the child friendly fail aids off.
is it better then grid/gt5/forza? im laughing at the thought of even comparing them all. for me this is the closest ive gotten to re-enacting the 4 laps of the lotus test track i did in a racing spec Mustang back in '07.
Just listen to that ****ing ROAR! so much win it even shaked the piss out of my dog
pah-QVrxjgg
I've played a few other games with AA on in Windows 7 (8800GT) and it didn't seem to work in all games.
Totally agree with that. I can't believe how overbearing they are, even if you do pretty well on the test lap.
1) The ideal line assist is horrible at best. Sometimes braking in the full red will leave you short of the corner, while at other times even braking with half your car in the green will make you miss a corner. Also most of the time the line turns green way too fast. Meaning you can't take the corner at that speed without braking the tail out severely even though it's fully green.
2) AI != YOU. It seems to me that when it comes to impacts and running off the track the AI plays by different rules. They seem to be able to take rear impacts without much loss of control(@ medium difficulty) and can correct for side impacts nearly instantly and perfectly. This while the loss of control for me(not a bad player at all) is much higher and side impacts often leave me over-correcting and needing to throttle down to regain control.(costing valuable time) Also going off the track slightly seems to be a minor inconvenience for them while for me it is often impossible to steer back onto the track even with just two wheels off while maintaining speed.
3) Aggression/Precision imbalance. There is a massive imbalance when it comes to the aggression and precision points you can earn. The problem here is that it is much harder to get aggression points as aggressive acts such as tapping out or spinning an opponent are not only hard to achieve without getting into trouble yourself or losing too much speed and thus time, but also impossible to do while your in the lead. Meaning that even if you succeed in ramming and tapping out your way to the front you'll still end up with a precision finish as you can't do anything besides getting the tail out when you're in front.
For me personally the most annoying of the three is the "cheating" AI. They seem ok for a medium AI in all other ways, but when it comes to impact and off track control they don't act like you'd expect. The most convincing case of this for me was a time when I got extremely annoyed on Spa by cars ramming me in the first corner and driving me into the wall. I got so pissed after restarting for the 6th time that I just thought "F*ck it, I'm gonna ram that asswipe off the track.". However even trying that multiple times didn't make me succeed in repaying the favor. He'd just, almost magically, correct for my side impact and/or I'd go off the track as well. This while he could ram me into an unrecoverable course into the wall with ease and without even a hint of him going off the track with me. This seems very wrong to me and is very very frustrating. All the other things I can at least try to adjust for, this is just playing by different rules.
DRIFTING:
Maybe I'm not qualified to talk about drifting yet(as I feel I've still got enough to learn), but it feels WAY too hard. I've had to retry both events I drove probably 30+ times. I really have just two complaints here:
1) Doing slow speed drifts(on slow tracks or right after the start) and getting high points is impossible without losing control. There is no way to recover from the drift needed to get high points as you just can't correct enough before getting grip again. This will make you either drive off the track(and then try to make your way back on before the next corner) or brake and stop on the track(and lose all your speed).
2) There is a massive imbalance in the scoring system. It seems that drifts close to the corner give you WAY more points then high angle drifts. I noticed this especially in the first corner of the second event where just a minimal angle could get you 100+ points if close to the pin, while a high angle drift further away would get a pathetic 30-40.
Now the big problem here is that to get on the podium(on medium difficulty) you need to do every corner near perfection three times in a row. Compared to racing at the same difficulty level this is insane.
Overall I'd say the game is technically pretty good, but is not without issues that interfere with the experience. The biggest problem however I find to be the lack of fun. Having to restart a race over and over again and dealing with AI's ramming you off the track without a chance to correct(and thus losing your chance of a podium) is not my idea of fun. That's my idea of frustratingly annoying gameplay. I feel myself drawn to SHIFT often, but that only lasts until I experience once again the frustration the game can provide you with as well.
QFFT
;)
Middle of Tier 2 I had to reduce the AI difficulty from Hard to Medium because it was bloody FRUSTRATING. They would repeatedly ram me off the track (see his point #2 above) and, of course, rubber banding. No thanks.
For crying out loud, I played GTR Evolution on Hard with Pro settings, no assists, etc and it was a breeze compared to this game.
Also, drifting is retarded. That is all.
Playing with a steering wheel with Pro settings, all assists off.
No, it's just shitty by design.
After 27 very, very frustrating hours I have given up on this turd of a game. What a waste of money.
Also nice to see a good soundtrack, I was thrilled that they used Rootbeers Under Control thats definitely an awesome under-the-radar jam. Props to EA for improving their song selections as of late all the games Ive bought this year (Fight Night Round 4, NFS Shift, and NHL 10) have had pretty decent soundtracks.
i still want a good street racer, NFS MW was the last decent street racer i played :(
Are you playing with a keyboard? I'm also almost on tier 3 (and have earned all the stars on all the invitationals so far while playing on medium) and I find the game a bit too easy and will be switching to hard soon. The AI drivers are, literally, absolute push overs on medium with their cars being almost too easily upended. Maybe you need to adjust your settings. And the drifting, while difficult in and of itself, isn't much of a hurdle as it's pretty easy to beat the AI's top score.
I do agree that the 'best' racing line is somewhat inaccurate. But this being the first racing game I've played with a racing line, I use it only as a guide which I think is the best way to use it.
Also the aggressive/precision balance is somewhat broken, but it's an obvious gimmick that's not at all distracting and can be safely ignored. It's all about the race, true?
The review presented here I thought was a bit too nickpicky. While the first few races are somewhat slow they certainly don't near going in slow motion. Plus you get to jump into the faster rides very early on due to invitationals, early tier unlocks, and the loads of cash you're provided. As far as there being no qualifying lap, I say thank goodness because I wouldn't want to waste my time what with the racing line telling you pretty much how to take every corner and the game being as easy as it is. And why is it frustrating to get to learn a new car after upgrading it. Wouldn't it be worse if the car drove more or less the same (which personally, is how it feels for me).
As far as the graphics go, the car models are definitely better looking here than in GRID. But with GRID's slick night driving, sharper textures, and more lively backgrounds overall I'd give the nod to GRID by a hair. And having played both the PC and console versions, I honestly don't see the a difference apart from higher resolution on PC (I play on XP for what it's worth). Also, I noted barely any jaggies at 2x or 4xAA and no difference between replay and in game visuals.
My only problems with the game are the bland menus & 'garage', and the lack of a custom soundtrack option. Overall though I find this game refreshing and addicting and even better than the all mighty GRID (...so far anyway). This really is a game racing fans need to try out for themselves because of the wildly different opinions I've come across. And don't take my word for it because while I disliked NFS:Undercover, Carbon, and Underground 2... I actually liked the original Juiced. Go figure.
Thank goodness there's a demo.
Sorry I have to disagree......................
Gameplay might be good (ish), but realism?? are you drinking from the fountain of madness??
There is no realism in the 'game', its an eye-candy 'game' not a sim at all.
I race rFactor, LFS, GTR2 and dabble on iRacing, and the 'game' doesn't compare to anything that is out there.
Granted its a 'arcade style racing game' but thats all it is.
NFS has followed a timeline which continues to hoard eye-candy drivers, and not someone who'd rather spend time racing.
Though I do not have the game, I 'played' on a friends copy for sometime and find it rediculously funny.
I for one was hoping for something better than Grid (never played it, never bought it, read reviews), but I am glad I saved my money for a few months of iRacing, something which I do not regret.
I am not knocking the game, because thats all it is, the idea of calling this game a 'sim' or realistic is total madness, as it is neither, nor will any NFS 'game' be anything but a 'game'
Everything is relative, this has a place in the gaming market, I just wish people would look far and wide to see that this 'game' is all about visual eye-candy, and not about racing.
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