Need for Speed Shift

Pros

• Realistic race day action
• More than 60 different cars available, including some never used in the series before
• Offers fast-paced action on 19 different tracks

Cons

• Handling the car at higher speeds is difficult
• Hard to gain enough stars to advance and unlock the higher levels
• Some users report lags and glitches in the game

Need for Speed: Shift is a racing game from Electronic Arts that is part of the bestselling video game franchise. Although you can buy a copy for your XBOX 360, PlayStation III or PSP, playing it on your computer lets you play on your laptop while lounging in bed or in a comfortable desk chair on your desktop. As the 13th entry into the Need for Speed franchise, some players worried that the game would not meet their expectations. After playing it a few times, those doubters changed their minds.

Many of the earlier games in the series used some type of story to pull players into the game. They played as characters out for revenge, on the run from the police or trying to work up through the racing circuit. This game eliminates the story and gets right to the action. As soon as you launch the career mode part of the game, you jump in a racecar and head to the track. The game evaluates you based on your performance over the course of two laps and figures out your skill level. As soon as you receive your evaluation, you can start racing.

There are four levels of cars available in the game, which represents a change from previous Need for Speed games. In the early stages of the game, you only have access to a few of those cars. After joining the Need for Speed Live World Series, you get the chance to race at different tracks and earn stars based on how well you perform. The number of stars you receive determines how much money you win. The more stars and money you win, the more cars and accessories you unlock.

The vehicles available in this game range from basic cars that you might see while walking down the street to expensive sports cars that you might never see in person. Those cars include the Audi TT, Lamborghini Gallardo, Pagani Zonda R and BMW M3. Only after winning enough stars can you unlock the cars available from the upper levels. It takes more stars to unlock the cars at the highest level, which some less experienced users will find frustrating.

Need for Speed: Shift offers the same great customizable features that you expect from those games. With enough stars, you can pimp out your old car and make it the slickest and fastest one on the track. You will have the chance to take that car out on one of 19 different tracks, which are the same tracks that racers use in real life. Need for Speed: Shift is such a great game that you might even want to download some of the add-on packs.

Pros

• Realistic race day action
• More than 60 different cars available, including some never used in the series before
• Offers fast-paced action on 19 different tracks

Cons

• Handling the car at higher speeds is difficult
• Hard to gain enough stars to advance and unlock the higher levels
• Some users report lags and glitches in the game