[iPhone] Need for Speed: Shift released

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Need for Speed shifts onto the iPhone, again

EA Mobile has released the second iPhone game in the Need for Speed series: Need for Speed Shift.

You may remember that we took a look at Need for Speed Undercover not too long ago and found it was a fun, arcadelike take on racing with a decent number of fully customizable vehicles. Shift is an evolution of that game but with more realistic racing physics in place of the hokey storyline. Also new to Shift are customizable racing views. Users can now select between chase-cam, hood-cam, bumper-cam, and cockpit views. The cockpit view is unique to the vehicle you're driving, but unfortunately there are no working gauges. The cockpit view is also the only view that features damage modeling in the form of a windshield that gets more messed up the as you hit things.

On your first outing with Shift, you'll be treated to a quick tutorial that teaches you how to drive with an iPhone. Shift pretty much plays like Undercover, but with a few key differences. Its steering is still controlled by tilting. The vehicles still auto-accelerate and brake when the screen is tapped. However, the race-breaker, slow-motion feature is gone and the controls are supposedly more realistic. In practice, this means that you can no longer win races without touching the brakes and that the transmission is now manual, which can be frustrating for novice users who just want to drive.

Fortunately, there are driver aids that can be activated that automatically brake and shift for you and assist steering that make your ham-fisted inputs smoother and more accurate. Users who want an easy to play, arcade-style racer can turn on the driving aids and win a few medals on the bus ride to work; and users who want more of a racing-sim experience can set all systems to manual for more control over the game. Driving aids or not, drifting is maddeningly difficult this time around. I prefer the drifting mechanics of Undercover.

Shift features 20 vehicles and 28 events spread across four tiers. Users start out at Tier 1: Chicago that can be raced using the Volkswagen GTI, the Mazda RX-8, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, or the Subaru WRX STI. As you advance, you'll unlock even more cars for purchase. By Tier 4, you'll have traded paint with the likes of the Nissan 370Z, the Corvette Z06, the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, and the Maserati MC12 GT1 car.

Events include circuit races, sprints, time trials, drifting, and a few other unique types. Winning events earns you cash and unlocks new cars, events, and tiers. There's also an achievement system built in that rewards players for clean races, mastering corners, and driving stylishly.

Each vehicle has its own speed, acceleration, tires, suspension, and nitrous attributes that can be augmented with mods purchased with cash earned by winning events. Wheels, spoilers, bodykits, and paint can also be changed to customize the appearance of the vehicles. However, the livery can't be changed or removed, so you're pretty much stuck with that big Sparco logo running down the side of your GTI.

It's my opinion that while both Need for Speed apps are worth their $9.99 price tag, Shift is a better overall game than Undercover. Shift has better replay value thanks to its complex achievement system and the addition of local multiplayer over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth means that you can go head to head with your friends.

Need for Speed Shift is available for download in the iTunes app store.

News source: CNET Reviews

[Ji@nBing]

This game is awesome. They did a really good job of translating the console version to the iPhone. I normally don't like tilt controls; every other racing game I just set to screen tap. But they work quite well in this. Best racer on iPhone IMO.

[acnpt]

^^ Same here, my favourite game on the iphone right now.

It's fun to play, and you can use your own music(by adding tracks in game).

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

I bought it the other day and am positively surprised. The graphics are pretty good for an iPhone/iPod Touch game imho.

The only thing frustrating me is that I fail at drifting. I'll get there...

[Ji@nBing]

I bought it the other day and am positively surprised. The graphics are pretty good for an iPhone/iPod Touch game imho.

The only thing frustrating me is that I fail at drifting. I'll get there...

LOL, I fail too. Hopefully they'll tweak it a bit in an update. It's still nowhere near as frustrating as the cop chase mode in Asphalt 5 though. That had me wanting to throw my iPod in the ocean :p

[Xerxes]

I'm temping to get this but still on the fence about it :/ (I have Need for Speed: Undercover on my iPod touch 3G and it's awesome)

[Ji@nBing]

I'm temping to get this but still on the fence about it :/ (I have Need for Speed: Undercover on my iPod touch 3G and it's awesome)

This is far, far better. Though that's obviously more a matter of opinion as Undercover is more of an arcade racer and Shift is more sim, so it kind of depends on what style you prefer.

[Xerxes]

This is far, far better. Though that's obviously more a matter of opinion as Undercover is more of an arcade racer and Shift is more sim, so it kind of depends on what style you prefer.

I took the plunge and got it :) end of the day it's only AUD$9 :p :)