One of the first things that hits you when you load up Shift 2 Unleashed (henceforth Shift 2) for the first time, is the visceral and jarring nature of the racing, with wide-eyed drivers holding on for dear life as they try to dodge flying pieces of wreckage as well as other cars. From the first cutscene it's clear that Shift 2 is out to scare you, to instil a sense of respect for the growling beast beneath your digital bonnet.

 

Gameplay

One of the most prominent inclusions in the new title is the so-called helmet cam, which gives the player a true first-person view of the racing action. It might not sound like much, but the camera really does improve the overall sense of immersion. In addition to being able to see the helmet's lining on your screen, your character's head will also move and swivel realistically as your virtual racer is tossed about by the g-forces inside the car. This is especially noticeable when slowing down from high speed to take a sharp turn, with us almost being able to feel the strain in our necks as the car screeches along the bends.

While Shift 2 continues in the spirit of the first game, i.e. giving players a more realistic pro racing experience than say Hot Pursuit or Most Wanted, the game is definitely not on the levels of titles such as Gran Turismo 5 or Forza III as far as realism is concerned.

Instead it finds itself in a spot somewhere between arcade and simulation title, giving players realistic cars and championships, but not necessarily delivering the realistic handling, and other simulation staples such as in-race pitstops and so forth.

This however doesn't detract from the experience, gamers simply need to know what to expect, and if they want a good looking racer, fast cars, roaring sounds and a comprehensive career mode, then Shift 2 will definitely satisfy.

 

More damage

One of the best additions to the game is a much more comprehensive and spectacular damage system, with our faces straining in agony as we watched all manner of supercar smash themselves to bits in the intense arena that is Shift 2. Wheels and bonnets fly high into the air as they're violently ripped off, with all manner of debris and glass shooting across the track, causing you to to swerve to navigate the accident scene safely. The damage model is great for creating some amazing sights in the game, and if you turn on realistic damage this will translate into a much more realistic (and scary) driving experience.

And don't worry if you prefer the more casual arcade style of previous titles, as Shift 2 includes a wide range of options so gamers can adjust the settings to suit their style. You can for example decide to turn damage off completely, laughing as you dive into barriers in excess of 200 km/h, or if you like the visual carnage it creates, you can opt to turn damage on, but have its effects constrained to the cosmetic arena, meaning that even if your GTI has one wheel, no roof and its gearbox trailing behind it like eviscerated guts, you'll still reach the finish line.

An Elite handling mode also makes an appearance, allowing confident racers to turn off virtually all in-game assists and really see if they can stand toe to toe with the best virtual drivers out there.

 

Start your engines

Getting started in Shift 2 follows broadly the same recipe as the first game, with drivers competing in a quick practice session to evaluate their skills, after which the game will recommend a difficulty level based on your performance.

After completing practice we were ready to get racing, purchasing our first car, a sprightly Audi S3. Once again racers are able to upgrade their rides, adding not just new paint jobs and liveries, but also able to upgrade the performance of their machines. This creates a careful balance between upgrading your car and saving up for a new one. Different racing classes also appear to make sure things aren't too unfair (it will hardly be a challenge for a Bugatti Veyron to leave our S3 in the dust), with different cars competing in different classes.

If you've really developed a soft spot for your ride though, players can opt to upgrade their current car to make it powerful enough to compete in higher classes, instead of always having to buy something new. For example, after upgrading certain aspects players can take their old D class car to C class races, and so forth.

All in all Shift 2 includes 145 cars from 37 different manufacturers, so you’re sure to be busy for a while unlocking all of them.

 

Presentation

On the graphical side the game looks good, with the team over at Slightly Mad Studios sprucing up the game world for more detailed cars, tracks and weather effects. And while the graphics were good, we found the sound in the game to be overall a more impressive experience, with individually recorded engines roaring across the track, their blistering speed obvious from the straining motors.

Something else which once again bemused us was the game's in-car cockpit views, with each car once more sporting a realistically recreated interior. These extra details really add up in the long run, and it creates a nice feeling when you can identify individual features inside the cars.

The best addition by far in the presentation arena was the inclusion of night races, with the terror of these events truly becoming apparent when you try and take them on from the helmet cam perspective. Headlights blind you as they sporadically flash in the rear-view mirror and corners and concrete barriers seemingly appear out of nowhere as you try and navigate the darkened circuits. These night races are an adrenaline pumping experience, and instils a bit more respect for the professional racers who do this for a living.

 

Online

The game sports a number of competitive online features, with racers able to take each other on in a variety of game modes and tracks. A new competitive racing mode is also present, known as Catchup, where one player is given a head start in a slow car, while the rest of the field has to chase them down. The pursuers are driving thoroughbred supercars though, so it's not that easy. When a supercar beats the slow car across the line it's the winning driver's turn to get in the slow car, and so on.

One of the NFS series most impressive features, AutoLog, introduced in last year's Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit also makes a comeback. AutoLog will track you and your friends’ best times across the different tracks and events in the game, and will give you an in-game alert when one of your times are beaten. This adds a great amount to the competitive racing experience and gives the game added longevity, as you're much more likely to stay up late at night, trying to eek that last half a second out of your lap time if you have a friend to beat, instead of simply the AI. The game also displays your friend's lap time on your HUD while you're racing, so you can always target that next challenge.

 

Conclusion

Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed is a solid addition to the veteran NFS stables. Don't expect it to be the most realistic game out there, but if you're in need of some adrenaline pumping racing action, together with great cars, a spectacular damage system and comprehensive online features, then you can't go wrong with Shift 2.