this is a big improvement from NFS Underground and Carbon but I am so confused as to how EA let this ship with sooo many obvious errors. The car bounce is ridiculous and i have lost countless races thanks to it. how could EA miss something THAT big

Large selection of REAL (note the real in all caps) tracks Large selection of REAL (especially note the real in all caps) supercars not bouncy little tuners sense of speed engine sounds upgradebility of cars real race parts and have real effects real tuning ORGANIZED TRACK RACING not street racing...

No weather No night Tries so so so very hard to be a simulator its almost bad; Roll over and car crashes are pathetic Damage effects from crashes=pathetic (you can slam into a concrete wall at 200mph and still drive on) Cars look like clumsy variable geometric shapes when they crash or attempt to...

i didn't like the nfs's which were underground racing and stuff like that thought it was stupid so this game came as a big surprise to me, it's addictive and clever and more realistic great game and i dont really like racing games.

Shift is a fantastic new direction and clearly EA have taken the time to think, ‘What are the serious options we can take?' and although it is trying to compete in a saturated racing market, it does so with good stead.

In-car view is the best in any racing game; Awards in-game for driving style; Customisation options are vast

Terrible default handling with bad oversteer; City tracks lack depth; Soundtrack is lacking variety

The first hairpin on Laguna Seca is always a test - in just twenty seconds you instantly sort the noobs from the vets as the noobs plough through the corner into the sand trap at high speed.

To write the conclusion at the start of a review isn't really the way I like to lay things out, but to be honest, with Shift it's the only way I could think of writing. So to start off, this game is ‘meh' a classic case of a game that I wouldn't really miss if it got taken away.

If Paris Hilton suddenly announced that she wanted to be taken as a serious actress, most people would raise an eyebrow before falling in fit of laughter. It's much the same for EA's Need For Speed franchise when they announced their next game, Need For Speed Shift, that it would take on an entirely...

very well played ummm extrodinary graphics a thrill to play

Challenging; Easy to learn; Fun To Play; Graphics; Great Sound; Kid Appropriate; Multiplayer

Leave your Fiat Punto at home son…. I think the word ‘shift' here is pivotal, not only does it pertain to the manual task of physically disengaging a given gear in mind to select and alternate gear whilst driving, but also in respect to the expectations people have of NFS; maybe NFS has finally gone...

Pretty extensive selection of cars to choose from; Rims; paint; and vinyls are now free of charge; Easy to make money; More upgrades than you can shake a wrench at

Wooden and empty feeling; Not exactly top notch driving physics; Slow automatic gear changing leaves you high and dry; Irritating opposition

If you absolutely need to own every "Need For Speed" game, I guess no review is going to stop you from buying this game. Otherwise, sit this one out and wait for "Forza Motorsport 3″ later this month for a real racing experience.

-Attractive scenery; -Can be played by a 3 year-old on easiest settings; -Everything can be unlocked fairly early

-Car customization hurts more than it helps; -Physics are far from realistic; -Car visuals are lacking; -Events feel re-used far too often

Shift sits somewhere between arcade and simulation racers, providing an extremely fun experience.