NFS : SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED

Description:
Need For Speed Shift 2 Unleashed builds on the true driving experience that the NFS franchise is renown for by introducing the driver’s battle, an even more authentic and primal feeling of power and speed which elevates the fundamental competitive race into a struggle for supremacy against other drivers and even the track itself. In Shift 2 Unleashed, players’ hands sweat and ache as they clutch onto the controller, their pulse races from the break-neck speeds experienced through the first-person cockpit view.



Racing games tend to aim for one of two markets: those of us who like our racing fast, easy to play, and unrealistic, and those who like something that's as close to the real thing as possible. While games made for either crowd sometimes include concessions to the other, you can always tell where the heart of the game lies. The awkwardly named Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed seems to fall somewhere in the middle, but with the now-expected leveling system and Autolog support from Hot Pursuit in the mix, it may find a home with both camps... although everyone will find something to grumble about.
Shift 2 wants to scare you, and it succeeds. The game includes a view that puts the camera inside your virtual racing helmet, and you can see your head bounce around with the crashes and your eyes dart around the track when you take corners. You can hear the sounds of cars zooming around you, and the roar of your own engine is deafening. Racing games have long been a sort of wish fulfillment for those of us who can't afford to own one of these cars or can't travel to the often exotic locations to enjoy the scenery, but this is one of those games that drives home the point that the driver's seat is a terrifying, dangerous environment.

Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed

 

During your first night-time race, you'll see the headlights of the other cars come from behind, allowing your to see your own shadow on the turn in front of you. It feels like you're being hunted by bellowing, metal beasts. When you hit the wall, all color drains from your view, which is less effective, and becomes annoying as the other cars bully you around the track. You'll get thrown around, so it's always important to give as good as you get. In Shift 2, racing is very much a contact sport. Damage is both aesthetic and mechanical, so you'll see and feel it if you're being reckless with your car.
The game allows you to turn down many of the features to force the game into something approaching an arcade-style racing game. You can adjust the racing line, steering, and braking assists, and you can make the damage visual only. As always, the more control you give yourself, the more fulfilling the game will be, and to win the later races you'll need to understand your car in a deep way. My problem with all this is that despite the Need for Speed name, this is being positioned as a more serious racing game, and the cars still feel distressingly light. It's way too easy to lose traction. The racing is consistent within the game, but it never feels as satisfying or "real" as the more accomplished simulation-style games on the market.


Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Slightly Mad Studios
Genre: Racing
Release Name: Shift 2 Unleashed DVD9 MULTI 7-ORIGINS
Size: 6.74 GB

SYSTEM REQUIREMENT:
CPU : Intel Core™2 Duo 2.0 GHz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 2.4 GHz
RAM :2.0 GB
VGA : DirectX 9.0c Compatible 3D-accelerated 512 MB video card with Shader Model 3.0 or higher (ATI Radeon HD 3000 series or greater; NVIDIA GeForce 8000 Series or greater
HDD : 7 GB

 taken from : arstechnica.com