Need for Speed: Shift

 PC
User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 516 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 204 out of 516
  2. Mixed: 157 out of 516
  3. Negative: 155 out of 516
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  1. hardikzalawadia
    Oct 6, 2009
    10
    FOR THOSE OF U WHO SAY THAT U CAN KEEP CONTOL OF THE CAR AFTER 60 MHP, U R IDOITS WHO CANT CONTROL THE CAR. DON'T PLAY RACING IF U SUCK

    NFS SHIFT ONE OUT YET. THE GAME IS JUS THOUGH FOR THE PROS. DON'T COMPLAIN UNLESS U PLAYED IT. AND DONT COMPLAIN IF U STINK.
    10/10 FOR NFS
  2. DaveA
    Oct 25, 2009
    10
    Everybody who rates this game below 6 are idiots. Judging from their description of their experiences they have configured their controller improperly and that's not the game's fault. This game provides the best racing experience of any racing video game up to date.
  3. Jason
    Sep 19, 2009
    10
    It's a very welcome departure from the whole kiddie arcade pimp my ride flavor of the prior entries in the series. This is the most visceral racer I've played that gives you a realistic sense of speed, feel of the road, and power of the cars. It's more fun than Forza or Turismo, and more realistic than GRID or DIRT. It runs perfectly smoothly on my 1.5-year-old system. The It's a very welcome departure from the whole kiddie arcade pimp my ride flavor of the prior entries in the series. This is the most visceral racer I've played that gives you a realistic sense of speed, feel of the road, and power of the cars. It's more fun than Forza or Turismo, and more realistic than GRID or DIRT. It runs perfectly smoothly on my 1.5-year-old system. The game can be played as either a simulation racer or an arcade racer as the handling mode can be adjusted to suit professional simulation down to beginner arcade mode driving assists, and the AI can be changed in difficulty. A lot of people who are complaining about the handling simply don't know how to drive with the added realism and should probably just decrease the handling mode, decrease the AI difficulty, and increase the number of driving assists used.… Expand
  4. David
    Sep 21, 2009
    10
    Simply put, Need for Speed: Shift is the best racing game to come out in recent years. The immersion and driving experience is absolutely incredible, the graphics are stunning and the sound is awesome. Please do not listen to the haters.
  5. jeffd
    Sep 20, 2009
    10
    Not perfect, but a refreshingly fun racing game that is well done in all aspects, something most games can't claim. Sure there are no new ideas, but when you have fallen so far, you go back with what you know works. I voted 10 cause readers are morons. No replays? all you do is slide? clearly you have something configured wrong or badly. Not the games fault.
  6. Pitbull
    Feb 20, 2012
    10
    Awesome game. I can't really understand the negative reviews. Have you tried to change the steering sensitivity in the controls menu? I am using the "Thrustmaster Ferrari Wireless GT 430 Scuderia" steering wheel and it's working perfect. I changed "Steering Sensitivity" to 20 and "Speed Steering Sensitivity" to 100.
  7. Verik
    Aug 18, 2013
    10
    Need for Speed Shift Electronic Arts Need for Speed Undercover 10 Need for Speed NFS
  8. Frststrykr
    Sep 28, 2013
    10
    This game is for serious sim racers only- race physics are even better than Shift 2, with a loyal following on the online driver duel. Been racing against mostly Europeans, they KNOW! Upgraded my PC to quad core; 1 GB 256 bit GDDR5 graphics a must for higher resolutions. This game kicks but on all those console based, arcade racer TRASH! Most realistic race physics since PorscheThis game is for serious sim racers only- race physics are even better than Shift 2, with a loyal following on the online driver duel. Been racing against mostly Europeans, they KNOW! Upgraded my PC to quad core; 1 GB 256 bit GDDR5 graphics a must for higher resolutions. This game kicks but on all those console based, arcade racer TRASH! Most realistic race physics since Porsche Unleashed, lots of JUNK put out in the 9 years in-between. Hanging with Driving Force Pro for now, but plan to upgrade to G25 soon. Like I said, if you're nothin' but a punk console gamer then don't waste your money on this one, It's optimized for PC and serious race enthusiasts only!… Expand
  9. Nickolababaiko
    Jun 5, 2016
    10
    Need for Speed занесло на симуляторы!))) Что мне сходу очень понравилось так это графика и вид из салона! По тем временам просто супер! Я прошел её на руле и физика не особо то и симуляторная...хотя старается ей казаться!
  10. gesi
    Mar 14, 2014
    10
    Good ride played three times, very fun and very rewarding (compared to shift 2 which is a disaster game) well balanced semi sim racing, it had a free dlc so you have more then 100 cars to drive with plenty tracks, i like the leveling experience a lot it keep pushing me for more so i don't get bored.
  11. mclure
    Aug 23, 2014
    10
    The circuits are real and the vehicles are able to be driven from the inside as back in the first NFS series, altough it's a little heavy on hardware resources.
  12. XDavidX
    Nov 17, 2015
    10
    This NFS is one of the best in series. Amazing handling, Amazing cars, customization, vinyl editor. Races are exicting and awesome. I love that feeling of old Need For Speed !
  13. Shaia
    Dec 26, 2020
    10
    Not sure why people hate this game, I truly enjoyed playing this game back when it came out and I still play it from time to time! Is it as good as Forza and Gran Turismo? No.
    But just because a Bentley is better than a Mercedes, does it make the Mercedes a bad car? The answer to that is no.
    I truly love the graphics and the physics of this game with my steering wheel. People are being    Not sure why people hate this game, I truly enjoyed playing this game back when it came out and I still play it from time to time! Is it as good as Forza and Gran Turismo? No.
    But just because a Bentley is better than a Mercedes, does it make the Mercedes a bad car? The answer to that is no.
    I truly love the graphics and the physics of this game with my steering wheel.
    People are being quite harsh for whatever reason, this is one of my favourite racing games ever!
    If you can get it for under $6 then I highly recommend it!    … Expand
  14. gold
    Jul 19, 2018
    10
    Было увлекательно. Здесь не было багов, как в "Prostreet". Не было графики, как будто игра 90-х,2000-х, как в "Undecover". Треки как всегда замечательны. На некоторых трассах растительность, при движении машины, выглядит более-менее реалистично, хоть она состоит из 1 или 2 спрайтов. 10/10, нормальная часть немного лучше "Prostreet".Было увлекательно. Здесь не было багов, как в "Prostreet". Не было графики, как будто игра 90-х,2000-х, как в "Undecover". Треки как всегда замечательны. На некоторых трассах растительность, при движении машины, выглядит более-менее реалистично, хоть она состоит из 1 или 2 спрайтов. 10/10, нормальная часть немного лучше "Prostreet".
  15. SamanthaSmith
    Apr 20, 2020
    10
    Awesome game. I can't really understand the negative reviews. Have you tried to change the steering sensitivity in the controls menu?
  16. Odd
    Oct 7, 2009
    9
    Fantastic game which makes my heart race every time I fire it up. The most fun I've had with a near-simulated driving game. Totally realistic graphics and gameplay, but take the time to configure your controller yourself - it's worth it. Runs great on my ATi (AMD) HD4850x2 on crossfire @ 1920x1200 all highest settings >50 fps. Single GPU works fine with AA turned down or off. I Fantastic game which makes my heart race every time I fire it up. The most fun I've had with a near-simulated driving game. Totally realistic graphics and gameplay, but take the time to configure your controller yourself - it's worth it. Runs great on my ATi (AMD) HD4850x2 on crossfire @ 1920x1200 all highest settings >50 fps. Single GPU works fine with AA turned down or off. I pity those who had a hissyfit and given this a low score without looking further into it. Adjust your settings and you'll love the game. Zero? How immature.… Expand
  17. JohnB.
    Oct 20, 2009
    9
    An awful lot of moning minnies out there and as far as i can see completely unfounded! Granted i am playing the game on quite a high spec pc with a G25 wheel but surely the console versions cant be that different! I go home pop this on and emerse into a world of realistic racing genious every night laughing my ass of half the time at the mayhem surrounding me. The game isnt easy but An awful lot of moning minnies out there and as far as i can see completely unfounded! Granted i am playing the game on quite a high spec pc with a G25 wheel but surely the console versions cant be that different! I go home pop this on and emerse into a world of realistic racing genious every night laughing my ass of half the time at the mayhem surrounding me. The game isnt easy but neither is the real thing! It takes practice skill and wit and the rewards are also realistic. Ive never really been a fan of electronic arts...until now. GENTLEMEN START YOUR ENGINES.… Expand
  18. SimonD.
    Oct 9, 2009
    9
    Wow, impressed. I thought GRID was the best it could be but I was wrong. NFS: Shift is good for multiple reason. On PC, it looks really good. Cars are incredibly detailed. The dashboards are incredible. I could play on very high detail with 16x AF and 2x AA and it was really fluid except on some rare occasion when you'd have 8-10 cars bumping on each other in a curve. It's Wow, impressed. I thought GRID was the best it could be but I was wrong. NFS: Shift is good for multiple reason. On PC, it looks really good. Cars are incredibly detailed. The dashboards are incredible. I could play on very high detail with 16x AF and 2x AA and it was really fluid except on some rare occasion when you'd have 8-10 cars bumping on each other in a curve. It's really not serious however. The controls are really advanced. If you play with a gamepad, you really can't use experience steering. I did it for half of the game. It works but it's really frustrating and I don't recommend it. Playing on normal with adjusted deadzones and sensibility, it started to shine. All the curves were tricky and rewarding but not frustrating. AI is tough. I'm playing at medium and I'm regularly beaten. You can't really win without going a bit on the risky side. I guess it could be easier if I bumbed other cars more but I don't find it as fun as going for precision and working my way up by making perfect corners. The game XP system is rewarding. Making perfect corner (following the help line while not touching another car or grass and by following speed guideline) marked the curve as Mastered. If you master all the curves of a track, you get a kind of achievement. Great stuff. I also like that you get point when you cleanly pass someone. If you trade paint, you'll also get points however so.. whatever happen, you never feel screwed. Always finish race because even if you loose, you'll get XP for the track. So it's still great stuff. You can also concentrate to master curve for example. The physic can be a bit screwed up however. It's easy to completely lift another car in the air by just going for his back-side. It's a bit weird and when it happen, cars looks like toys. When you crash in a wall or take a car from the side, it looks perfect however. You get AWESOME feedback with blur and the screen desaturate. You really get confused youself and seriously.. crashing hurts. It's so good in fact that I hope to see more game do that. The driver animations inside the car are awesome too. When taking a rough turn, you see the driver really holding the wheel hard and going with all his strength. You can almost feel the Gs yourself. To me, it's more technical than GRID by far. Grid had more arcade feel, even if it's awesomely rewarding too. In Grid, I can absently do a track and win. In NFS, you can't. You have to really focus on the track and put a little somehting that'll make a difference. Tracks are beautiful. Some curves are really tricky and the line help really had to the driving experience. I haven't finish the game yet but I'm on Tier 3 now. What I didn't like was that the tracks were often only 2 laps. It makes things really short and if you don't go aggressive from the very beginning, you just can't win. I would have prefered 4 laps or something like that. I'll have to see if I can change that for career. I know you can in Quick Race however. You seem REALLY limited in term of racing type. You get Racing, Drift, Battles, Time Attack. I liked Grid Drift FreeStyle and the Togue. Time attack just feel exactly like Races but lap-time count instead of race time. Battles are even less fun. While technical, it feel a bit plain to me and if you crash, there seem to be an elastic logic where the AI will go less fast. I didn't like it. The game is still worth trying however, really. I don't call it a definitive buy but if you're looking for a new racing game and are interested by racing simulation, I'd take this. You'll get challenged by every corners! If you prefer a more arcade feel, take GRID. Drift is REALLY tricky. I only tried it on experienced handling. I'll have to try again. It took me a long time to even get the race and I never did one cleanly. Definitely more technical. 8.7/10 ATI HD4870, Intel E8400, 4GB of RAM and Win7.… Expand
  19. VitorR
    Oct 22, 2009
    9
    its not the best of simulators, but it does have its level of fun. The cars are beautifully modeled and unlike most people say the handling isn't that bad, hell I'm surprised I'm able to play it properly just with the keyboard. The tracks detail is rather average but sound quality is very good. Shift does indeed have its problems but as a gamer I'm able to go beyond its not the best of simulators, but it does have its level of fun. The cars are beautifully modeled and unlike most people say the handling isn't that bad, hell I'm surprised I'm able to play it properly just with the keyboard. The tracks detail is rather average but sound quality is very good. Shift does indeed have its problems but as a gamer I'm able to go beyond those problems and found myself addicted to the game. The level of car costumization is reasonable and the paint tool alows the players to express their creativity on the cars paint job. I believe the game is rather good overall and hope EA continues to improve the Shift franchise.… Expand
  20. rightthere
    Dec 9, 2009
    9
    just beat the game. was pretty good. 1st time i installed it i didn't have a gamepad so i gave up but later i bought a gamepad and installed again. i tweaked the controls to suit my style and had a good time. what i love about the game: -graphics are stunning overall, - the cockpit view is fabulous, i played like 90% from that view -the sound is great, you can really feel the engine just beat the game. was pretty good. 1st time i installed it i didn't have a gamepad so i gave up but later i bought a gamepad and installed again. i tweaked the controls to suit my style and had a good time. what i love about the game: -graphics are stunning overall, - the cockpit view is fabulous, i played like 90% from that view -the sound is great, you can really feel the engine and the tires shredding -the career mode is excellent, you get points for everything you do, from being precise to knocking opponents off the track -the ai is pretty good, i played it on medium most of the time and its a challenge. it will kick you out the track, it will block you, it will pressure you, sometimes it will make mistakes, overall its pretty good -i love that i don't have to win every single race, it feels more natural to me when sometimes i have to struggle for 4th or 5th place on a track i don't like that much. i am sick of games where you have to win every single race like you are schumacher, this game allows you to progress without being forced to win every single race -tracks are beautiful, some of them pretty tough, some of them a joy, good mixture of real and fictional tracks -good selection of cars and supercars now what i hated about it: -controls, you must tweak a lot before you can actually drive -physics are kind of shit, most of the time i feel like driving a soap, you either oversteer or understeer through the corners, from cockpit view though the feeling is less present, but its awkward how the cars behave sometimes -drift races, hate them, the good news is you can skip them -loading times are a pain in the ass overall i loved to play it on my gamepad, i love the mixture of sim and arcade. though i beat it I will keep it and have a few races once in a while. many compare it to grid but they are totally different. i loved drift at its time but now i prefer shift… Expand
  21. BAMBAM
    Oct 6, 2009
    9
    Great driving game. Everyone who is giving this game a bad score must be flippin retarded. I have never played a racing sim that is this good. When Im playing in the cock pit view with a 7.1 surround sound system and a 24 in. monitor it really feels like i am driving the vehicle. I get so into i am startled when im actually wrecking feeling the shock of impact. Once again i must say great Great driving game. Everyone who is giving this game a bad score must be flippin retarded. I have never played a racing sim that is this good. When Im playing in the cock pit view with a 7.1 surround sound system and a 24 in. monitor it really feels like i am driving the vehicle. I get so into i am startled when im actually wrecking feeling the shock of impact. Once again i must say great game. The only flaw is that it is to easy to make money to buy the best cars. Other than that the gameplay is flawless.… Expand
  22. DAnielB
    Sep 21, 2009
    9
    This is a top racer - default controls (steering dead zone etc) are dodgy and as others have said cause problems with spinning on tight tracks. get the controls right and no other game gives you the same feeling on speed.
  23. PravinB.
    Sep 23, 2009
    9
    Hi guys, m really surprised to see negative ratings for this game by users. M playing this game from last 2 days and i must say this is definitely one of the best racing games ever. And as described by "palindrome e" in his review, i did not have any framerate issue even though i have moderate system with all bells and whistles turned on with 2x antialising. Please any one want to buy the Hi guys, m really surprised to see negative ratings for this game by users. M playing this game from last 2 days and i must say this is definitely one of the best racing games ever. And as described by "palindrome e" in his review, i did not have any framerate issue even though i have moderate system with all bells and whistles turned on with 2x antialising. Please any one want to buy the game and are avoidin to buy it by reading these reviews, please do buy it. Coz its one of the best games of 2009. My computer configuration P-IV Core 2 Duo. 2.2 MHz, 2 GB ram, Win7, Geforce 9800gt 512 mb.… Expand
  24. LucaD
    Oct 12, 2009
    9
    I'll start by saying that I'm not really a 'racing-game'-fan. After playing this game, I think I've become one. I plugged in my joystick, and set the graphics to high. First I had to configure a lot of settings, but once that was done, the fun started ! This game has very nice graphics, but it sure doesn't end here. Once I started playing, I simply I'll start by saying that I'm not really a 'racing-game'-fan. After playing this game, I think I've become one. I plugged in my joystick, and set the graphics to high. First I had to configure a lot of settings, but once that was done, the fun started ! This game has very nice graphics, but it sure doesn't end here. Once I started playing, I simply couldn't stop. The game really puts you in the driver's seat. This game might not be the most realistic racing game out there, but it sure is a lot of fun playing. And after all that's the only thing that counts. If you have a pc that fullfills the requirements, I see no reason why you shouldn't buy this game!… Expand
  25. StoneyD
    Oct 23, 2009
    9
    Just played the demo for the PC. I totally recommend this game if you have a game pad. It does take some getting use to but once you do, WOW it is fun. I didn't know if I wanted to buy this at first but after playing the demo, I'm going to buy it right now! Play the demo and see for yourself.
  26. Philip
    Sep 19, 2009
    9
    Jim twotimes is just plain lying... there ARE replays and you CAN skip the cut scenes! Not sure what game he was playing; and as for the the frame-rate maybe it's your PC which is the problem!? Cause on my 'recommended-spec' PC it works perfectly with everything on high. Be more accurate before you feed garbage to people who visit the site. As for SHIFT, it's not Jim twotimes is just plain lying... there ARE replays and you CAN skip the cut scenes! Not sure what game he was playing; and as for the the frame-rate maybe it's your PC which is the problem!? Cause on my 'recommended-spec' PC it works perfectly with everything on high. Be more accurate before you feed garbage to people who visit the site. As for SHIFT, it's not perfect, but it comes very very close!… Expand
  27. Korvin20110320
    Apr 1, 2011
    9
    The game has decent graphics and not arcadic drive physics. Real simulators, I suppose, have physics closer to the real, but they have low graphics. For me the game is a best tradeoff between realistic driving and good looking picture.
  28. jangers
    Mar 15, 2015
    9
    Shift is a good rest from street racing like in other NFS's. I am satisfied with the camera from cockpit, physics, many tracks & cars, many options of tuning, and controlling on the pad is correct ! To me, Shift is a good racing game.
  29. PedroGamer
    Oct 19, 2014
    9
    Since I love to play racing games, I Won´t be dumb to rate this game negatively.It´s a racing game with lot of cars and tracks(including the famous Spa!).
  30. Grabuss
    Jun 26, 2023
    9
    Need For Speed Shift is a very good game that really makes you feel like you are driving a real car in a real race, the sound of the car engines are very aggressive and divine, the car list is amazing, the graphics from a 2009 game are very, VERY realistic, and let's not forget the legendary themes, when you're in the garage, really beautiful. The soundtrack is fine, and the story is fineNeed For Speed Shift is a very good game that really makes you feel like you are driving a real car in a real race, the sound of the car engines are very aggressive and divine, the car list is amazing, the graphics from a 2009 game are very, VERY realistic, and let's not forget the legendary themes, when you're in the garage, really beautiful. The soundtrack is fine, and the story is fine (even if It didn't really feel there was a story). The personalization is also very nicely done. My rating is 9/10. The main reason why people don't like this game is because: "there is no illegal racing!!!! We want illegal racing!!!!” "We need UG/MW back!!!!!""… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Best PC Game of 2009
25
#25 Most Discussed PC Game of 2009
38
#38 Most Shared PC Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. IGN
    90
    A glorious return to greatness (and even excellence) for EA's seminal racing franchise. Slightly Mad Studios has delivered a driving experience that, while not completely accurate in terms of its simulation aspects, is practically dead-on in terms of what it's like to race around some of the world's best racing circuits.
    Read full review
  2. Multiplayer.it
    90
    No longer a classic need for speed game, EA made a true shift, a u-turn, developing a great game, with stunning visuals, and a lot of cars and tracks. The nightly undercover challenges are gone, but the new mechanics, borrowed from games such Forza or GT work well in conveying a great driving feeling.
    Read full review
  3. VideoGamer
    80
    Need For Speed: Shift is a brilliant new start for the franchise and has clearly been built by a team that loves racing.
    Read full review
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