Need for speed gets "serious".....confirmed!

  • Thread starter Hereward
  • 2,170 comments
  • 161,000 views
Need For Speed V-Rally??? Sorry am I missing something? I owned the game and it was jsut called V-Rally.

Eden studios who made the game did Need For Speed: Porsche Unleased, so there is a direct Need For Speed connection but Infrogrames published the game, I never saw EA's name or logo on the box or in the game anywhere.

Perhaps it was a regional thing, but seeing as EA didn't appear in the game or packaging anywhere I'm not sure how or why the NFS tag would and could be used.

Its a different story over here.
g00651hugih.jpg
61El6KBBeoL._SL500_AA274_.gif


I know its not the same but Still it seem like someone else's project with EA's presence all over it (Rock Band)
 
I think that NFS: Undercover was fantastic, especially in the cut scenes.
Carbon, yes the handling was awful and the selection of cars is pitiful, but again, the graphics were simply amazing.
I have never played ProStreet so I don't really have an opinion, but I agree it probably did fail because there was no Free Roam mode.
I think that EA haven't ruined the NFS series, unlike many other GT Planet users.
I expect that Shift will be another success story. Case Closed.

am I the only one here?

Porsche or Ferrari?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Can you please stop it with the pointless double and triple posts?

Use the edit button if you wish to add something to a pervious post if no one else has posted in the meantime.

Thanks.
 
Why are people so upsessed with NFS Underground? I hated pretty every single NFS after Porsche Unleased for the fact that they all were the same thing: Fast and Furious-esque street racing with stupid music, Terrible storylines, "pimped" out cars(guess "pimp my ride" wasn't enough for these people) and last but no least, its Street Racing. I'm so glad this is gonna be circiut based, we do not need anymore video game versions of the fast and Furious(that and EA should let someone show them how to make game properly). This coupled with EA losing the NASCAR license looks like I might actually take them seriously now.
 
After that trailer I've got to say, it doesn't look half bad. I love the way the focus shifts from the dash to the road infront ay high speed and then reverts back when the brakes go on. It's nice little touches like that which could make this game a winner.
 
Why are people so upsessed with NFS Underground? I hated pretty every single NFS after Porsche Unleased for the fact that they all were the same thing: Fast and Furious-esque street racing with stupid music, Terrible storylines, "pimped" out cars(guess "pimp my ride" wasn't enough for these people) and last but no least, its Street Racing.

I wouldn't say people are obsessed with the Undergound-onwards NFS games, but they're certainly the best of their breed. Fair enough, you don't seem to like the street racing image of the games but some people do like that. Personally I think actual street racing is idiotic, but in a game I like it because it's something different.

If anything, it's more boring hearing people go on about how there hasn't been a decent NFS since Hot Pursuit/Porsche Unleashed - get over it people, stuff changes.

I'm looking forward to Shift - I just hope it offers more than some of the other all-encompassing track racing games (step forward GRID) which can feel a bit samey sometimes - I often find they tread an unhappy balance between trying to be realistic and arcade at the same time. Hopefully Shift will offer the usability and variety of the post-Underground NFS games, without the mushy handling of GRID and without copying their style too much.

And I'm all for losing the storylines too, but it won't be a disaster if it has one as long as it's either not too cheesy, or doesn't intrude into how the game plays.
 
I'll just point this out quickly, then I'll bug off. The reason NFS Prostreet was such a spectacular failure because it was trying to be real street racing, but on closed circuits without police. This meant no freeroam, but you still had all the typical of real street racing custimazations. With NFS Shift, it should be different, because it's not trying to be legalized street racing. Instead, it's going to be a real racing simulation, on proper racing circuits and closed off street circuits, like you have in real motorsport, and you'll have real racing cars, instead of the jumped up road cars you had in Prostreet. So yes, this does mean there will almost probably be no car mods, but atleast they seem to be doing it properly this time!
 
Looks like a mix of PGR and GRID which doesn't really excite me. If I want to play a good arcade racer, I play PGR4 (I hate GRID).

If I want to play a good semi-sim type game, I play Forza Motorsport 2 or Gran Turismo 4.

If I want to play an actual sim, I play Gran Turismo 5 Prologue or Live For Speed.

If I want to play an arcadey street racer, I play Midnight Club 3.

Compared to all of those franchises, I don't see how NFS:Shift could possibly be better than one of them for something specific (arcadey or semi-sim in this case), so I won't hold my breath. I also have my doubts that EA can possibly make a good game since they made NFS:PU in 2000 which is the best racing game of all time, and they went way downhill from there. From what I can tell, this isn't developed by EA, but I still have my doubts.

I'm more looking forward to Forza Motorsport 3.
 
Undercover was not garbage, it was GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!! but a little hard. When i got undercover, GT5 prologue was shelved for weeks. The only problem was the sense of speed was totally absent. I'm driving my veyron at 250mph on the highway and i feel like i'm cruising at 50.

The entire game felt slow and badly made. The graphics were shocking (make everything orange, yeah!), the framerate was very very poor and the modifications were poor too.

Then there was the handling which wasn't like any vehicle on Earth. It was more like pushing a Matchbox toy with wonky wheels in one direction and hoping it went where you wanted it to.

Then it would hit a car that spawned on your living room floor out of nowhere and would ruin your race.
 
Video skipped. :)

Looks like the assists were on and they couldn't drive LOL

Nice videos there mate. 👍

The first clip (gameplay for PS3) is a Zonda F driving around Brands Hatch Circuit. Nice engine sound from the Zonda! :drool:

And, if I remember correctly, the track in the second clip (gameplay for XB360) should be the Tokyo city track appeared in ProStreet. The driver in the yellow Cayman really can't drive, nope, can't see the tightening of the track before entering the tunnel. :lol:
 
Well, I was the one who kept saying, "Let's wait and see". But now that I see the video, I have to say that the handling does look decidedly arcade like. :guilty: But I'll still give it the benefit of the doubt. It is still a work in progress. And beautiful visuals at any rate.
 
Brans made a welcome return on race pro and is still a joy to drive. Couple of things about the videos, It looks like theres loads of assists working hard with under steer and oversteer in evidence although it gets stiffled fairly quickly, plus the obvious racing and breaking zone line. The game seems to move increadibly quickly, too quickly at first, but looking at it carefully and ignoreing the "speed bluring" plus taking into account it's a Zonda! things look to be right. I'm looking foreward to seeing the old nissan (skyline?) in a video with the assists turned off to really see whats going on regarding the physics. Certainly sounds and looks the part though and from what you can see of the physics it dose look promising.
 
Well, I was the one who kept saying, "Let's wait and see". But now that I see the video, I have to say that the handling does look decidedly arcade like. :guilty: But I'll still give it the benefit of the doubt. It is still a work in progress. And beautiful visuals at any rate.

According to what I've read, when the journalist on hand preview was held, the game was set to the easiest setting (all assist on and racing line on) but if you look carefully and then compare the video to that of GRID and then GTR2, SHIFT seemed closer to the latter rather than the former. And here's quote from one of the guys at the EA preview day:

“…I got to drive around a beautifully modelled Road America track in a high performance sports car, yet found it to be a perfectly achievable. While a fan of racers like PGR and Forza, I’m by no means an expert, so for a moment it seemed as though I’d found our true calling in life as a race car driver. EA was quick to point out, however, that the car had been set up with all assists on, a massive breaking and racing line visual aid was painted on the track and that in fact this was the easiest the game could be. It was good news though really, seeing as a sim shouldn’t be easy. With all the aids on the game will still be a tricky proposition for novices, but with them off even the most hardcore sim fans will find a game that won’t be easily mastered.”

The entire game felt slow and badly made. The graphics were shocking (make everything orange, yeah!), the framerate was very very poor and the modifications were poor too.

Then there was the handling which wasn't like any vehicle on Earth. It was more like pushing a Matchbox toy with wonky wheels in one direction and hoping it went where you wanted it to.

Then it would hit a car that spawned on your living room floor out of nowhere and would ruin your race.

Although personally I haven't bought a NFS game since Porsche Unleashed (and when I found GT) but from what I've read the last patch to NFS:Undercover seems to have fixed most of the problem with the game.
 
Last edited:
new screens hitting the net today, all looks well and then I spoted this......now were talking!

need-for-speed-shift-20090427104744344_640w.jpg

Nice, making an old school style race car from a road car looks possible in this game. Judging from the videos below though I still have doubts about the gameplay........(Especially the extra slow AI).
 
It's need for speed at the end of the day and when they say "were making a serious racer" the eyebrow of disbeleif must surely raise, or at least start to twitch a little! But looking past the recent series mis adventures and arcade grounding you have to look at the developers history..........
Also look at the way the market has evolved, we have GT5, Supercar challenge, Grid 2, forza 2 all due towards the end of the year all are sim based racers and all are expected to do very well, also look at the release date for shift (end of september) which puts it as one of the first of these titles to hit the shelves.
From what I've seen so far and read shift at worse will be very similar to PGR, not adsactly a bad thing, at best, well who knows, so far theres been no footage other than "full assists on" nor any write ups of the physics engine with all the driver aids off, so theres no info other than PR stuff about how technical it is?
One important thing that you can gleen from the videos though is the fact the cars certainly don't drive as if on a centeral pole. This coupled with the obvious under steer and over steer in clear evidence points you towards the conclusion theres a fairly competent physics engine lurking beneath, as long as they don't stifle it with driver aids or dumb it down in an attempt to keep it "true to the series" I think this could be a supriseing title for sim fans!

Another new clip, PR bumph but with the game running clearly in the background

 
Last edited:
Having watched the video gosh it looks exactly like Forza, they have even copied the 'best line' chevron things. Looking like Forza isnt a bad thing, it actually looks quite promising the way its going back to track based racing (im not a fan of open worlds with just driving).

The only problems I have with it is the cars look like they are floating, everything looks plastic and the shadows under the cars seem odd (all like Forza!). The other thing is the drivers hand movements which typically look mechanical, I really have yet to see a game which tops GT4 drivers hand animations because those were scary realistic!

Shift doesnt so far look all that bad, its a good start but it need something to differentiate it from Forza, PGR, GRID and 'oh it has realistic camera shake' is not really enough.

As usual the sounds in NFS are spectacular, I seriously dont know who does their recording work but damn they are good. Its the one thing they do really well.

Robin.
 
Hmm, these videos are feeding my skepticism, it looks very need for speed like (Pro street) with overdone effects both visual and audio and I don't like the car sounds. The damage is just... ugh, no wonder PD don't want to add damage if thats what they're limited to.

I am glad they're releasing a demo which I will check out, but it's not looking like a must purchase for me anymore. For as much as they 'say' it's sim based they're not showing any of it at all :indiff:
 
hmmm still cant tell much from those videos, yes it looks arcadish but if its on the easiest setting with all aids on you cant really draw conclusions. One thing I dont like is how the car looks/behaves when it loses traction, it doesnt look realistic at all, kind of quickly snaps between full traction to floating above the track surface.

EDIT: Forgot to add the game looks very good, but unfortunately with the street circuit they coodn't let the need for speed style go, why couldn't they make it look like a real street circuit? Brands hatch however looks good.

Hopefully the damage was dumbed down for the beginner level and is more realistic for pro physics, impossible to tell atm though
 
Last edited:
Wow, this game is looking better and better the more I see it.
 
What you have to consider is this game had a full complement of driving aids yet the drivers still struggled to keep the cars on track.

If you watch a video of GT5P with a poor drivers using driving aids it would look similar.

I have every confidence SMS will produce a stunning game, their previous GTR2 and GT Legends sims are still benchmarks in the genra.
 

Latest Posts

Back