NFS Shift -- Worst game ever!!

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Close this thread, I don't care.

I just need to vent somewhere on how frustrating this game is on the PC with a wheel, and the creators need to be hit over the head with a book on Human Computer Interaction and Usability.

Issue 1:

Why do I need to hit Enter 10 times before I can start my game? Seriously? A prompt for every single step the game makes? Are you ***** kidding me? Hmm.. no I don't want to load my profile!!!??

Hey Ian, this is how a game should load: Click the little icon, game loads, user can now play the game. Not go through a series of confirmations like they're about to launch a nuclear missile.

Issue 2:

Speaking of nuclear missiles... WTF is up with the super loud intro? Do I really need to be startled to death every time I launch your freaking game?? How about honor the system volume control?

Issue 3:

Menu navigation. Back in the late 80's a bunch of people invented the MOUSE FOR A REASON!!! Not the 6, 8, 9 keys to make menu selections!!

I don't care that you wrote your game for a console... if you're releasing it for the PC, USE THE PCs FEATURES!!!

Issue 4:

Force Feedback. Key word here is Feedback, not ASS ****ING! The forces of the peripheral should reflect what the object in the game is doing. Not use a random number generator to toss the controller from left to right like its caught in a blender.

Issue 5:

Car handling. Again, Ian, pay attention to the key words here. Car, not BOAT! You guys spent all this time making the cars look great, but guess what, sports cars don't drive on looks. They drive with physics.

Issue 6:

Post race interface. If I wanted to watch scrolling numbers all day long, I'd play the New York Stock Exchange Simulator. ..and again with the never ending confirmations. The race is over, I'M NOT GONA CHANGE MY MIND IN STEP #46 WHEN YOU GIVE ME AN AWARD FOR BEING AN IDIOT ON THE TRACK.

Issue 7:

Loading times. I spend more time waiting for the goddamn thing to load than playing it. 2 minutes to load a race that will last 2 laps. Where did you get your computer science degree, seriously? Ever hear of things like caching, pre-loading, multi-threading, and all those fancy things that allow thing to happen quicker?

Issue 8:

Title. You misspelled it. There is an extra "f" in Shift.

Issue 9:

How do people like this game, seriously?????? I'm proud to say that I've played every single racing game on every system since 1989, and this game has the WORST user experience EVER!

Issue 10:

Look at what this game has made me write!!!!
 
If you don't have mouse support it sounds like you didn't even get so far as to install the day 1 patch.

Other than that, I think those are some tasty forum tears. Nom nom nom.
 
Issue 1:

Why do I need to hit Enter 10 times before I can start my game? Seriously? A prompt for every single step the game makes? Are you ***** kidding me? Hmm.. no I don't want to load my profile!!!??

Hey Ian, this is how a game should load: Click the little icon, game loads, user can now play the game. Not go through a series of confirmations like they're about to launch a nuclear missile.
What if you have multiple profiles? I do. OK I agree picking the language each time is a bit dumb, but I have no problem with the profile picking. AND it's how every other NFS game is...

Issue 2:

Speaking of nuclear missiles... WTF is up with the super loud intro? Do I really need to be startled to death every time I launch your freaking game?? How about honor the system volume control?
It's not that loud.

Issue 3:

Menu navigation. Back in the late 80's a bunch of people invented the MOUSE FOR A REASON!!! Not the 6, 8, 9 keys to make menu selections!!

I don't care that you wrote your game for a console... if you're releasing it for the PC, USE THE PCs FEATURES!!!
Mouse support for the menus works. It was implemented in a later patch upon user demand.

Issue 4:

Force Feedback. Key word here is Feedback, not ASS ****ING! The forces of the peripheral should reflect what the object in the game is doing. Not use a random number generator to toss the controller from left to right like its caught in a blender.
Once again, I don't have this problem on my Momo. I found the FF to be okay. Not great, but not deplorable.

Issue 5:

Car handling. Again, Ian, pay attention to the key words here. Car, not BOAT! You guys spent all this time making the cars look great, but guess what, sports cars don't drive on looks. They drive with physics.
What cars handle like boats? And have you tested these out? You'll find that most Evo's unless properly driven will understeer into the nearest fence.

Issue 6:

Post race interface. If I wanted to watch scrolling numbers all day long, I'd play the New York Stock Exchange Simulator. ..and again with the never ending confirmations. The race is over, I'M NOT GONA CHANGE MY MIND IN STEP #46 WHEN YOU GIVE ME AN AWARD FOR BEING AN IDIOT ON THE TRACK.
Press enter. As for other confirmations, I've never seen them?

Issue 7:

Loading times. I spend more time waiting for the goddamn thing to load than playing it. 2 minutes to load a race that will last 2 laps. Where did you get your computer science degree, seriously? Ever hear of things like caching, pre-loading, multi-threading, and all those fancy things that allow thing to happen quicker?
Load times are a bit long yes, but it's certainly not the worst game ever.

Issue 8:

Title. You misspelled it. There is an extra "f" in Shift.
What?

Issue 9:

How do people like this game, seriously?????? I'm proud to say that I've played every single racing game on every system since 1989, and this game has the WORST user experience EVER!
AH! Not true. GTR2 - How about those stupid movies that tell you you've unlocked a race series. They're the same each time and they can't be skipped. Alt-tab to do something else while they play and the game crashes, without fail.
Test Drive Unlimited - need I start?
Would you like more?
 
Ha, patches... to add Issue #11 to the list:

Shouldn't the game tell me there's a patch available, and update itself automatically? Seems like every single piece of software produces in the past 5 years has had that feature.

Well thanks for the tip, but I given how much frustration this game has caused me, I won't play it ever again. There are far better games out there, and NFS **** doesn't really offer anything new in any category.

Thanks for the tip though :)


...oh yeah, and I feel much better now that I've vented.
 
Yeah if he thinks this is bad I guess he never played GPL, GTR, Nascar 2003 .. just about any PC racing game gets a flood of wailing, crying brats for a few months, people expecting the game to handle just like it goes with that custom FFB profile and input plugin for that mod of that other game some other guys did.

By the time it gets hailed as the next big thing / sim of the year they usually have some facial hair and a new nickname, ready to brickbat the next game that dares deviate from things they are familiar with, in some kind of headbanging, autistic spasm :)
 
Sorry dude, like I said, ive played them all, and no, they're not as bad as this. Don't have to agree with me. This is just how I feel. I've given it enough time and plenty of chances for it to win me over, I just can't take it anymore.

Look at all my posts since I joined this forum in 2003, I have never ever bashed on a game. Call me whatever you like, but as far as software and cars go, I have enough experience and credentials to know what im talking about. I develop software for a living, have written articles on user interface design, and as far as cars go, I have hundreds of hours on the track and hold several racing licenses. I know what a car is supposed to handle like. NFS **** is just that.. ****.

And I honestly have absolutely no agenda with my ranting, other than to vent on how much this game sucks. After writing it, and knowing that someone saw it, I feel much, much, much better. I really don't care who agrees with me. :)

Cheers to you all. :cheers:
 
Oh yeah, you gave it so many chances you went all the way out of your way to patch it - oh wait no, it is the games fault if it doesn't hold your hand there too. I bet you have the absolute latest input and graphics drivers, and there's no chance some older ones could be making anything worse for you. With the kind of wit it takes to think up "Shift ... more like ****!" I bet there's no limit to the imagination you put to work trying to have a good time with the game.
 
Oh yeah, you gave it so many chances you went all the way out of your way to patch it - oh wait no, it is the games fault if it doesn't hold your hand there too. I bet you have the absolute latest input and graphics drivers, and there's no chance some older ones could be making anything worse for you. With the kind of wit it takes to think up "Shift ... more like ****!" I bet there's no limit to the imagination you put to work trying to have a good time with the game.

I thanked you for your tip already. There's no reason to insult me for my opinion. I'm not saying anything against you here. Unless NFS **** is your mother, I can understand why you get so defensive, that aside...

Yes, it is the games fault. When you buy a product you pay for what's advertised and a certain level of expectations must be met when you're paying the same price against competition. This is generally how a market works.

If I have to go out of my way to do something for the game to work, then the game should PAY ME for my time. I play the game to relax and have fun, not to do work for it and be frustrated by its shortcomings.

As far as graphics go, I have no complains there. The cars look great, and the frame rate is just fine. That's about the only positive thing I can say about NFS ****. I also don't know how my graphics drivers can possibly influence the game's design which has caused me nothing but emotional pain and suffering.

Regarding my creativity, there's nothing creative here, just pointing out a simple spelling error.

...

Having been around a long time on this forum, I really don't want to get into a bashing war. I've stated my opinion, and since this post adds nothing of value to the already countless complaints against this game, the admins are free to close it, ban me, or whatever Rule #436 of the contractual agreement states that I signed 8 years ago but have obviously failed to memorize. :crazy:
 
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What you're forgetting, or perhaps you've never known is NFS Shift was supposed to be a "hardcore" racing sim at the beginning of it's cycles which is why EA was supposed to partner alongside SimBin in the making of the game; the collaboration is still there in some form or another (I think Shift uses a GTR-esque engine). The one thing that threw a monkey wrench in the whole plan was the core audience; NFS is an arcade game and always has been. Remember NFS ProStreet? Yeah, that didn't do so well.

Why?

Because it was the beginning of some type of deviated and confused path EA was attempting with NFS after all of the complaints related to street racing and the "influences" previous NFS games had based on their depiction of the street racing scene. In any case, ProStreet was a drastic move (drastic for NFS) that didn't go very well because one, it focused purely on circuit-based racing events. Two, it practically alienated the core audience. With Shift they tried it again but at the last minute decided to ditch the original idea and go with a Simcade type of deal.

Which brings us to where we are now. The one absolute positive Shift has and will always have is that it's better than GRiD. I broke the POS because it's just too damn arcadey for me.

On a related note, PGR still remains the best example of what happens when you combine both aspects of an arcade game with a simulation game.
 
In any case, ProStreet was a drastic move (drastic for NFS) that didn't go very well because one, it focused purely on circuit-based racing events. Two, it practically alienated the core audience.

Agree wholeheartedly with the whole post except you missed Three: It reall wasn't a very good circuit racer... at all. :lol:
 
Remember NFS ProStreet? Yeah, that didn't do so well.
That's more because Pro Street was "Most Wanted minus most of the features gone and with the traction cut in half" than because the idea of a sim NFS game is flawed. Porsche Unleashed is still one of the highest-regarded games in the series (among the PC community, at least); and going way back in time, NFS II was hated very much back in the day for becoming a total Test Drive clone after the sim-like first game.
 
Shift is really a CRAP game.

When i started playing first problem for me was graphic issue, with video frames. At Tier 3 everything was perfect for me, ok not the best game evah, but still gives me quite good fun. But then i jump to Tier 4 and after 1'st patch i have a lots of problems with races, to be honest i couldn't win a lot of them and my HATE for Shift grow and grow to the point when i discovered ON LINE and world full of fast players :) men i stop care about frames drop because in on line i didn't have it.

Only in on line this game shines for me like 10 kg bar of gold. You have to remember that NFS is on the market for like 12 years now, maybe more. And where other games died, NFS is still the greatest brand which released many good games. Hot Pursuit 1 and 2, High Stakes, Porsche Unleashed, and many CRAPS like those Fast and Furious lookalike games.
 
Shift is really a CRAP game.
You have to remember that NFS is on the market for like 12 years now, maybe more. And where other games died, NFS is still the greatest brand which released many good games. Hot Pursuit 1 and 2, High Stakes, Porsche Unleashed, and many CRAPS like those Fast and Furious lookalike games.

This is EA, which releases many other titles. It's sports titles being most successful. When you are that big, and have pockets that deep, you can afford to release lots of CRAP and still survive.

The only game company I've seen survive the longest based on the success of a racing SINGLE title, is Polyphony. That kind of quality that brings such success is hard to beat :)
 
(I think Shift uses a GTR-esque engine).

The renderer, net code, dynamic physics objects (trackside/hood/trunk/etc) and tyre contact patch model are re-written. That's about it. Everything else is for most purposes identical.

Here's a .zip with the GTR2 Lotus Elise and the Shift Lotus Elise chassis definition files. You can open either with a text editor, don't worry about the file extensions. The gearbox, engine, tyre, and other files are similarly .. similar. There are some differences in super/turbocharger files and some other differences to do with Shift having component upgrades. That's about it.
 
The only game company I've seen survive the longest based on the success of a racing SINGLE title, is Polyphony.

I am gonna laugh now, loud.

1. Sega Rally,
2. Colin McRae Rally (7 games) GT only 4,
3. wipeout (8 games) GT -||-

ehhh don't waste my mind power and memory, better go back and play Academy because i smell here a fan-boy. GT stops being the best racing/simulation game long time ago. You have Richard Burns Rally, rFactor, GTR2 and Evolution, then there is Forza and Ferrari followed by Supercar Challenges.
 
What if you have multiple profiles? I do. OK I agree picking the language each time is a bit dumb, but I have no problem with the profile picking. AND it's how every other NFS game is...
PS3 is worse. Press Start to skip the intro, otherwise it loops. Then X or O once your save has loaded, otherwise you'll be sitting at the load complete screen for eternity. Then Start again to actually start the game (funny that). Then X to tell Shift you're not an idiot and you realise it uses an autosave feature and turning the console off while the HDD light is flashing = bad.

Oh, and if you let a PS3 idle with Shift booted up for long enough such that the controller switches off... while most games would simply require you to press the PS button and you'd be on your merry way, Shift also demands that you press Start after the controller has re-synced.

Mouse support for the menus works. It was implemented in a later patch upon user demand.
Functionality as trivial and logical as mouse support in menus should never have to be added via a post-release patch, let alone only once the userbase wanted it.

It's not that loud.
It is, actually. The intro to Shift (and the game itself for that matter) is at least twice as loud as anything else I've played on the PS3 - MW2, GT5P, Tekken 6, BFBC2 beta, GT Academy, GTA4...

Drop the "f" from the game's title. I completely agree with the OP.

Now, I have the PS3 version of Shift, not PC, so I can add this little tidbit:
PS3 Shift offers three button mappings. None of which are customizable... so I'm forced to drive with EA's idea of "optimum" button maps. Which means if I want my traditional GT-style gas/brake on the right stick, I have to put up with look back set to triangle, change view on square and gear up/down on L1/R1 instead of L2/R2. If I want my GT camera controls (L1 = look back, R1 = change view), I have to deal with throttle/brake on L2/R2, and gear up/down on X and circle!

One of the golden rules of software design... never lock the user into a predefined mode (mode in this instance being the controller mappings).

On top of that, there's the absolutely awful HUD design. I can't read a single thing on it while I'm driving. Which is a chore in itself, as the physics are totally iffy.

Car models are fine however, EA didn't do *too* bad a job in that regard. Plus I haven't experienced any of the glitches and frame rate drops other people have reported. Shame the rest of the game falls flat on its face, it had real potential.


Shift is easily the worst game I've played in a long time on any platform (PC or PS) (including rentals), and is without doubt the worst game I own. EA should quit while they're behind. Save themselves the effort of putting out another below-par NFS game.

/rant
 
No i think that YOU Should just stop playing NFS Shift :sly:

i also think that this game is the Worst of all that I've been playing recently, but still gives me lot of fun :) but only in On line
 
I wouldent say its the worst game iwe ever played. But Skillracer, and sharky has some valid points.

I have the PS3 version.

And I am too anoyed by the clumbersome menu system, have to confirm i dont know how many menu's before being able to do what i want is anoying. Things like not being able to goto the tune menu without going all the way back to the main menu. Stuff like not being able to program the buttons on my G25 is anoying.

Add to that the almost imposibel to calibrate the wheel to a point where the cars are not weaving from side to side all the time.

I am not a profesional driver or anything near, but iwe never driving in a car that would swing from side to side the same way the cars in NFS shift does.

Anyway the game has some good points too, or maybe it is just that for PS3 owners there are not many alternatives. There are few racing games worth mentioning, and all of them has something wich makes them somewhat imperfect.

GT 5 P. Not enough content.
Ferrari challenge. Clumbersome menu system, and litle content.
Supercar challenge. More or less the same as FC.
Formula one CE. Good game, but outdated.

All of these games had made me think they was somewhat close to being really good, but it seems each of them lack something, or was rushed out to fast
 
SHIFT does have a pretty horrid interface. Menus are a pain to navigate. You load the game, it asks you for language, although you can skip intros they dont skip quickly, then after you select your profile it requires an input saying profil has been loaded, at which point it goes on to further load the profile? Why not just actually load it rather than tell me its loaded and then go to another load screen? The intro is uncharacteriscally loud, but you must have your volume set pretty high for it to be an issue.

But thats all nitpicking, at the end of the day I play a racing game to race, not to navigate menus. Though it would be nice if you could change set ups in a pit rather than having to leave the race and then reload the track to test it.
 
But thats all nitpicking, at the end of the day I play a racing game to race, not to navigate menus. Though it would be nice if you could change set ups in a pit rather than having to leave the race and then reload the track to test it.

I'm glad that some people agree with me here, but this stuff is not nitpicking, especially when it takes away from the racing experience.

Saying its ok to have a horrid user interface only makes it ok for developers to slack on providing a complete package and charging up the ass for it.
 
In the sense of slacking off or whatever I don't really see a need to complain anymore...

...It's not like EA is the most dependable developer around; I mean, they have a Porsche license that they do absolutely nothing with.
 
They let doug arnao (scca porsche driver) do the physics for a need for speed game with loads of porsches :)

And where are these "loads of Porsches"...

Only thing I've seen from EA in the last couple of years is the Cayman S, 911 Turbo, 911 GT3/GT3 RS, Carrera GT....and what else?
 
Same number as in GTR2 and more diverse :)

Which remind me, someone should really get on porting the GTL 914/911RSR/906 over to Shift .. hmmm.
 
In GTR2 you had:

In GTL (can't be arsed finding the disc, damned safedisc) you have the 911/914/906.

Not to digress but... Does anyone besides me wish Shift had the Saleen S7-R? I just loved that car in GTR2. Fantastic sounds that thing made....
 
Yep.

The good news is, you can port over the physics from those cars without too much difficulty, as long as you can find a model that is vaguely the same layout and shape.

The bad news is, without the ability to create new materials or even deform existing ones too much it is going to be a gigantic pain to port that stuff over. Much easier to port from Shift (models/physics to other ISI games, models alone to anywhere) at the moment than to it.
 
In GTR2 you had:


In GTL (can't be arsed finding the disc, damned safedisc) you have the 911/914/906.

That's an FIA GT-based racing game. SimBin (nor 10Tacle) have an exclusive contract with Porsche to use their cars in their games - EA does. Which leads me right back to my position....what are they doing with the license that other developers (sub-licensed) aren't doing better?

Turn 10 comes to mind, immediately.
 
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