Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed

The first Shift was a way from Electronic Arts to attempted to revitalize the Need for Speed franchise. And EA was quick to continue the game's original proposal and decided to create a sequel ... That has nothing to do with Hot Pursuit, one of the latest racing games sensations. Shift 2: Unleashed targets the simulation fans instead of arcade gameplay fanatics. New customization options will come into line with authentic leadership settings in a refreshing formula. Comparisons between the new Need for Speed and Gran Turismo 5 are inevitable. Indeed, even the developer announced the game with small pinpricks to the title of Polyphony Digital, it is expected that the main focus of the company is to cover the rival's  failures. 

 

The biggest example is the great emphasis Shift 2: Unleashed regarding the damage that the vehicles suffer during the races. With a proposal for extremely realistic physics, prepare to see your car being completely destroyed after a stronger collision. Besides almost destroying doors and windows, intense beats can also burst tires or simply throw away the axles. With the exception of those situations which hamper the progress of the dispute, the minor accidents will further complicate the life of the pilot. To make the driving experience even more intense, the previous game brought a camera inside the cockpit that led directly to the player in the car. However, in Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed, you see everything from the driver's perspective.


The big news is exactly this new perspective that makes the screen display exactly what the character's eyes see during the race. Thus, the simulation effect becomes more realistic. To broaden this experience, several effects have been added, as the head tilt that causes the driver to make a curve. Thus, you can see the circuit from another angle, and view details hidden by the visible area on his helmet. The sensations were also improved. When accelerating, your peripheral vision gets blurred, as the pressure increases. 
 

Another element that Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed brings to win over Gran Turismo 5 is the complete vehicle customization. Instead of simply improving your car with new engines and tires, the studio promises players to build cars practically from scratch.  To this end, four models will be available: "Retro", "Legend ", "Muscle"and "Super". Although no additional information has been disclosed about them, the producer of the franchise, Jesse Abney, told 1UP that they will all be fully modified. He said the player will have complete freedom to adjust the engine and other parts , even if this results in unlikely combinations. However, unlike GT5 and Forza Motorsport 3, Shift 2: Unleashed will not have hundreds of tracks and cars available. The idea is to make the player progress in a fun way and not go crazy trying to enable all the possibilities.

 

Still, the challenges will be waiting for us on the streets of Tokyo, for example, and try to eliminate opponents. Alpental circuit is back, now with night races.  Apparently, the graphics are quite promising in general. Effects, modeling and especially the first-person  perspective  tries  to overcome what appears in the original game. As for sound, it seems that the fans will be pleased.


Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed will be released for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on March 29, 2011 ( March 25th in the UK).


Marco Cecilio, NoobFeed