NFS Shift 2 Unleashed - Details

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Add another one to the list possibly, typed in "Hazyview" and it said not available. So that probably means the dreaded figure 8 is back.

Also Amar, I just typed in "Nordschleife", and it said track not available. So I don't think it needs you to type in Nurburgring, but Nordschleife.
 
I am sure I saw Spa in one of the first trailers of Shift 2. Considering Spa hosts the 24H GT race, and It was in Shift 1, I bet my money It is in Shift 2, and now also at night :)
 
Add another one to the list possibly, typed in "Hazyview" and it said not available. So that probably means the dreaded figure 8 is back.

Also Amar, I just typed in "Nordschleife", and it said track not available. So I don't think it needs you to type in Nurburgring, but Nordschleife.

I am sure I saw Spa in one of the first trailers of Shift 2. Considering Spa hosts the 24H GT race, and It was in Shift 1, I bet my money It is in Shift 2, and now also at night :)

Great 👍

So, basicaly, we now have Nordschelife, Hazywiew, Silverstone, Laguna, Tokyo, Dubai and Spa :)

I tried with "Spa" and it resultetd with "not available" while "spa-francorchaps" resulted with "page not found".

I think we have a method right here gentleman :D
 
OK, next batch, with many other tracks from the first Shift.

Riviera, Road America, Dakota, Donington, Ebisu, Rustle Creek... All "Not available". So, probably in.

Tried "road-atlanta" and "imola", resulted with "not found". But "Monza" and "Hockenheim" both gave "not available" :D
 
Typed in 'Spa' not 'Spa Francorchamps' and it says track not available. And we saw it in the first teaser. So it's without a doubt in.

Also, Rustle Creek's says not available. So it's in too.
 
Here is the track-list from forzacentral hosted by BADNED:

TRACKS (~100 layouts in total)

Real Circuit Locations
Automotodrom Brno (GP)
Autodromo Di Pergusa (GP)
Autodromo Nazionale di Monza(GP+TBA)
Autopolis International Racing Course (GP+Lakeside)
Brands Hatch (GP+Indy)
Circuit Zolder (GP)
Circuit Spa-Francorchamps (GP)
Donington Park (GP+National)
Dubai Autodrome (GP+International+National+Club)
Ebisu Circuit (West+South+Togue)
HockenheimRing (GP+Short+TBA)
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (GP)
Motorsport Arena Oschersleben (GP+A+B)
Mount Panorama Circuit Bathurst (GP)
Nürburgring(GP+TBA)
Road America (GP)
Silverstone Circuit (GP+National+International)
Suzuka Circuit (GP+East+West)
Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Speedway+TBA)
Willow Springs Raceway (GP+Horse Thief Mile)

Fantasy & City Circuit Locations
Alpental (Full)
Ambush Canyon (Full)
Dakota (GP+National+Club)
Glendale (Club+East+West)
Hazyview (Oval+Drift)
London (Club Drive+Embankment Loop+River+Royal Mile+Whitehall Drive)
Long Beach (TBA)
Miyatomi (Oval)
Riviera (Casino+Monte Grande+Monument Loop+Porte Boucle)
Rustle Creek (Oval)
Shanghai (Full+TBA)
Tokyo (Full+Club+TBA)

http://www.forzacentral.com/forum/need-speed/36734-shift-2-unleashed-%5Bwip%5Dcar-track-list.html

If this is true, its a DREAM-track-list!!!

Ciao joe8
 
Hands on in euro gamer.
Can't post link sorry.

Might be just me but it seems as though their backing out of the "sim claims" or that's what vibe I'm getting from that article.
 
Hmm, doesn't strike me as backing out:

"This is our own category," he laughs. "We don't want to play in the simulation sandbox, but saying that, the game is still based on a real world force physics simulator. So at the base of it, it has realistic physics: check the box.

"But that alone doesn't give us a Need for Speed experience: something that 95 per cent of the population will experience with the most rudimentary, dumbed-down control device you could put on top of that physics model - the normal controller. We have to create lots of layers of presentation and action and visuals and tutorials to make this approachable.

"Our opposite is Gran Turismo," he continues. "We don't need to get into an exhaustive chat about the comparisons, because for us there isn't one. They are a scientific model simulation experience, we are an authentic racing experience. Race day attitude, race day atmosphere, race day excitement. That's a videogame to us. When you have to play with a controller, that's what we think the game should be.

"Now, get behind a [force feedback steering set-up], and the game definitely performs like a simulation would, but those visual cues, those visual elements: that's all icing, all set-dressing. In the videogame industry, you don't create an FA-certified flight sim, because when you do that kind of flight sim, you don't get to have a dog fight."

Though they did make the same point with the first game - if you have made a simulator that makes racing sterile and driving fast unexciting then you've probably left something important out.

The other bit of news there is that the autolog will track a lot more than in HP and will separate times for nitrous/non nitrous equipped cars.
 
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Yep, sounds like they are enforcing a lot of assists on gamepad. Which is fair enough, I'm sure a lot of negative feedback on Shift 1 (other than for stuff that was straight up bugs) was that people tended to stick it on the highest handling difficulty and then run into the fact that it's really not all that controllable in pro mode with a thumbstick. I think that was literally the first thing I posted to SMS when they did the first post release Q&A - "hey guys, you know most people still tap the controller all the way on and off to go around corners right? are you mad?" :)
 
Hah, with Amar's techinque, you can definitely tell are places holders for the tracks. :D when you type "Ebisu" you would see "EBISU | Need For Speed Racing Game."
 
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Hands on from RSC, probably the first one that has come up where I would remotely trust the guy to know the first thing (or even where to find the index to find the first thing) he is talking about :)

Of interest:

Now the two elements that were the most impressive were really elements focused on the realism of the cars. During an event, you can switch on a HUD display that gives you real-time feedback on your cars performance. These meters include Your brake and tire temperatures, tire contact, torque, power, gear ratio, gearbox RPM, ride height and more. You can literally watch your stats changed based on your performance and how you’ve tuned your vehicle. And tuning is the next element that’s truly been given an overhaul.

Whereas the original Shift gave you a few categories with a single adjustment meter for each, Shift 2 gives you Advanced Tuning which is broken into eight categories, all with multiple tweaks available in each. You can tinker with your tires and brakes, alignment, stance, differential, aerodynamics, springs, damper and drivetrain. Alongside tuning, you can also immediately test out your new configurations on a track with your new real-time HUD to see exactly how your changes are affecting your vehicle. This live testing workflow will allow for minute changes to be readily apparent in a statistical form. Then depending on the track type or series, you can save various builds to use on different races like street and ovals in order to change tactics on the fly. Every car in the game is available to tune, so you can really customize your experience from the ground up.

The AI has also been rebuilt from the predecessor. Instead of rubber-banding the other drivers up or down depending on how you performed the last race, it’s a more gradual process. Producer Jesse Abney says it’s “less about [the] immediate handicap, more about letting the game adaptively adjust to you.” On this note the game literally tracks your career and slowly adjusts up and down to stay in line with your driving prowess. But at the same time the AI will remain unpredictable and evolve within every race. You’ll see other drivers missing brake points, blocking you and generally driving erratically if you’ve been bumping them or messing with them along the way. As you progress through your career, the AI is programmed to slide up or down up to thirty percent to better compete with the player.
 
Guesses from simon's bashing so far:

9lbh2r.jpg


2hsc86r.jpg
 
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I just don't get how the 'sim' aspects of handling have ANYTHING to do with whether a game is fun or not.

The fun aspects come from the AI, the noises, blur, crash physics and noises, gameplay logic and replayability, online smoothness and easy matchmaking, competitive races, and things like that. Got NOTHING to do with physics...

Put GT5's physics in Shift 1, and you had a BRILLIANT game. Put Shift's physics in GT5's gameplay, and you have the worst thing ever invented! EA/SMS are making a tragic mistake in equating driving accuracy to NO FUN. No fun comes from having to grind endlessly to progress upwards in the game. No fun comes from at least half the reward cars in the game coming from a mode where you don't even get to DRIVE, and have to watch bad AI and an even worse B-Spec driver do it for you (on races that are twice as long as the ones YOU get to drive!). No fun comes from entering a souped up car, and having the AI stay on stock cars as if you don't even exist. No fun comes from being bashed into by AI that don't even know you are there, and they PIT you while nothing whatsoever happens to THEM.

There's only ONE thing Shift 2 needs from GT5. Better wheel driving physics. If rumors are true, they already have that.

PUT IT IN, SMS. PD have left the door unlocked. Kick it in...
 
There's only ONE thing Shift 2 needs from GT5. Better wheel driving physics. If rumors are true, they already have that.

PUT IT IN, SMS. PD have left the door unlocked. Kick it in...

Truer words have not been spoken. From my limited NFS Shift experience, playing with a wheel felt very wrong. Fixing this would alleviate a lot of my concerns.

I also agree with what you had to say about fun, and it's importance. The most fun I've had in a racing game was V8 Supercars 3 (or Toca 3). Physics weren't iRacing quality, but they were good enough - push it too fast round a corner, you'd spin out/crash etc, wheelspin at low speed, oversteer in RWD cars. Lots of tracks, pure racing cars and tough AI. From the looks of it, Shift 2 might be in the same mould.
 
If Shift can get even somewhat close to GT5's driving dynamics, it is going to be one hell of a game. The art style is absolutely awesome. Even though it is technically inferior, I think shift is actually more attractive, visually, than GT5.
 
SHIFT1 was already superior in some ways to the then-current GT5P. SHIFT2 can be superior to GT5 if they allow for a full-simulation mode.

-

:drool: at the track list. I'd buy this game for Bathurst alone!
 
From my understanding there's no weather... I guess it's safe to assume too that there will also be no wet tracks... a shame... I would say that's a pretty important aspect of racing...

I recall reading an interview, but I can't find it, where they said they specifically chose not to implement weather. I believe the reason given was that although it's a serious part of racing, there were too many other things they were including in the game to be able to do a weather system as well, so it was dropped.

I can't say I really blame them. Anyone bringing a weather system out now pretty much has to match up to F1 2010, which is no small task. Better to leave it out and focus on the night racing, then work on bringing in an excellent weather system for Shift 3.
 
I can't say I really blame them. Anyone bringing a weather system out now pretty much has to match up to F1 2010, which is no small task. Better to leave it out and focus on the night racing, then work on bringing in an excellent weather system for Shift 3.
True, I'd rather have no weather, than some half-assed solution that's featured only on one or two tracks... ;)
 
As I understood from RaceSimCentral preview, day/night transitions are also non-existant. Only fixed variations (day/dusk/night).

Along the line of visuals, Shift 2’s events are split across three times of day: day, dusk and night.

If so, I am disappointed, was the main Shift2 feature I was really looking forward to.
 
As I understood from RaceSimCentral preview, day/night transitions are also non-existant. Only fixed variations (day/dusk/night).



If so, I am disappointed, was the main Shift2 feature I was really looking forward to.

That would be disappointing. Day/night is sort of something you expect to come along with night racing, although again if they don't have to deal with the transition there's all sorts of optimisation tricks they can pull with the night racing. If the night racing looks good enough, I think it'll be OK. But still sad. Driving into the rising sun is freaking awesome.

One would expect four variations too really. Shift 1 had dawn/day/dusk, so Shift 2 should really at least have dawn/day/dusk/night.
 
I just don't get how the 'sim' aspects of handling have ANYTHING to do with whether a game is fun or not.

The fun aspects come from the AI, the noises, blur, crash physics and noises, gameplay logic and replayability, online smoothness and easy matchmaking, competitive races, and things like that. Got NOTHING to do with physics...

Put GT5's physics in Shift 1, and you had a BRILLIANT game. Put Shift's physics in GT5's gameplay, and you have the worst thing ever invented! EA/SMS are making a tragic mistake in equating driving accuracy to NO FUN. No fun comes from having to grind endlessly to progress upwards in the game. No fun comes from at least half the reward cars in the game coming from a mode where you don't even get to DRIVE, and have to watch bad AI and an even worse B-Spec driver do it for you (on races that are twice as long as the ones YOU get to drive!). No fun comes from entering a souped up car, and having the AI stay on stock cars as if you don't even exist. No fun comes from being bashed into by AI that don't even know you are there, and they PIT you while nothing whatsoever happens to THEM.

There's only ONE thing Shift 2 needs from GT5. Better wheel driving physics. If rumors are true, they already have that.

PUT IT IN, SMS. PD have left the door unlocked. Kick it in...

Excellent excellent post.
 
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