Shift 2: Unleashed

 PC
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 297 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 130 out of 297
  2. Mixed: 86 out of 297
  3. Negative: 81 out of 297
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  1. Dco326
    Jun 18, 2023
    7
    Nije igrica za mene ne volim ovakve igrice u globalu a i ne znam jednostavno mi je nesot smor u vezi nje.
  2. TURBO0-0
    Jan 21, 2023
    9
    Графика.
    Хорошая, не блевотная. Хоть местами и сдаёт позиции для 2023 года, но жить можно. 7/10
    Физика. На клавиатуре играть проблематично и сложно. На руле это прекрасно. Очень удобно управлять машиной. На клавиатуре при повороте машину в 90% случаев заносит, а на руле всё прекрасно и удобно, машину не заносит. Не знаю почему так. На руле 9,5/10 На клавиатуре 6/10 Трассы. Очень    Графика.
    Хорошая, не блевотная. Хоть местами и сдаёт позиции для 2023 года, но жить можно. 7/10
    Физика.
    На клавиатуре играть проблематично и сложно. На руле это прекрасно. Очень удобно управлять машиной. На клавиатуре при повороте машину в 90% случаев заносит, а на руле всё прекрасно и удобно, машину не заносит. Не знаю почему так. На руле 9,5/10 На клавиатуре 6/10
    Трассы.
    Очень хорошо сделаны. Есть как легендарные трассы по типу Spa и Nürburgring так и мене известные. 9/10
    Машины.
    Машин достаточно. Тюниг очень хороший. Единственное внешнего тюнинга хотелось бы больше. 7,5/10
    Музыка.
    Хоть композиций всего 8 и играют они только в меню и после гонок, но он шедеврален.
    Очень классные композиции. Советую к ознакомлению. 10/10
    Звук машин.
    Очень хороший и качественный. Но местами он прорывает децибельный потолок и приходиться снижать громкость, ибо ушкам больно. 8,5/10
    Итог.
    Игра шикарна. При наличии руля это будут незабываемые ощущения. Я считаю, что это один из самых лучших нфс.    … Expand
  3. bar0yka
    Jan 2, 2023
    5
    Hayatımda gördüğüm en kötü simülasyon yarış oyunuydu. Kariyerin yarısını tamamladıktan sonra yine aptal yarıştayken rage quitleyip sildim mekanikleri berbat yapay zeka zaten GOD MODE...
  4. The_D4RknesS
    Dec 22, 2022
    0
    this game is only good on the G27 steering wheel because on the keyboard the experience is horrible even with all the assists on. Besides, I didn't mention the crashes that the game gave all the time
  5. vova22379
    Aug 17, 2022
    5
    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  6. XmasLord
    May 3, 2022
    3
    Everything is bad here... This game is not intended for casual gamers, so if you want to race, skip this and look for something else.
  7. Alpha10
    Aug 19, 2021
    7
    Good racing game , different among other need for speed as it is circuit racing .
  8. Axilley
    Jul 22, 2021
    7
    good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good nfs 2 shift
  9. PizzaSubCombo
    Aug 27, 2020
    7
    Shift 2 basically just expands the scope of the original game - injecting more cars and tracks into what was already a pretty good package. That being said, it doesn't always improve. The progression in Career mode is wildly unbalanced compared to the original, with players able to make heavy use of DLC cars at no extra cost, and certain events paying out far too much money and XP withoutShift 2 basically just expands the scope of the original game - injecting more cars and tracks into what was already a pretty good package. That being said, it doesn't always improve. The progression in Career mode is wildly unbalanced compared to the original, with players able to make heavy use of DLC cars at no extra cost, and certain events paying out far too much money and XP without players needing to amass a garage of their own. Beyond those quirks, it's a pretty good racer that once again offers people a slice of sim racing without requiring the enormous time commitment.… Expand
  10. r03vg
    Apr 15, 2020
    8
    Понравилась продвинутая правдоподобная физика, хорошая графика и отличные возможности тюнинга.
  11. SrCre
    Mar 10, 2020
    4
    [ ] Perfect
    [ ] Awesome
    [ ] Good
    [x] Good Bad
    [ ] Fail

    Não vejo necessidade em escrever um longo texto analisando uma arte, a nota é apenas um conselho para saber o quanto ela vale para sua vida.

    I see no need to write a long text analyzing an art, the note is just a piece of advice to know how much it is worth in your life.
  12. 4Cyberpunk
    Aug 5, 2019
    10
    Best racing game.Just went to replay it thinking its time has passed but hell no.Such amazing handling.Altough drift seems too tough or maybe just requires lots of practice.Cars feel alive,sounds and sense of speed.Feels so dynamic compared to anything i have ever played and i have probably played everything,including their own much newer Project Cars which dont come close to how goodBest racing game.Just went to replay it thinking its time has passed but hell no.Such amazing handling.Altough drift seems too tough or maybe just requires lots of practice.Cars feel alive,sounds and sense of speed.Feels so dynamic compared to anything i have ever played and i have probably played everything,including their own much newer Project Cars which dont come close to how good Shift is.Here every car feels like its own.Night time races and headlights are crazy awesome.Still cant believe this game is from 2011 and still so fresh and then some.Latest i played was Forza 7 and you can fall asslep during those races.Too bad it seems EA tried to smother Slightly Mad Studios.Because they are really quite mad in a good way.We could have had Shift 3,ahh well.Apparently they will try to make Project Cars 3 more like Shift.Cant wait.Yes Unleash the madness once again.… Expand
  13. Kuropatkaa
    May 23, 2019
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ужасная физика, непонятная модель поведения машин, графика и оптимизация на уровне кала, конвейерная параша… Expand
  14. gold
    Dec 18, 2018
    6
    Такая же что и 1 Shift, только больше, а это плохо (для меня).
    Итог: 6.077/10
  15. pinismenshox
    Jul 22, 2018
    6
    This game is meant to be a simulation but it delivers too much of what it shouldn't. It feels annoying as hell playing this with a damn keyboard and the assists are more like interferences (brake assist, specially, go in a straight and see that I mean). Also the AI is "artificially" mentally retarded, like a bunch of snarling piranhas trying to chomp off your foot, even easy mode theseThis game is meant to be a simulation but it delivers too much of what it shouldn't. It feels annoying as hell playing this with a damn keyboard and the assists are more like interferences (brake assist, specially, go in a straight and see that I mean). Also the AI is "artificially" mentally retarded, like a bunch of snarling piranhas trying to chomp off your foot, even easy mode these mentally retarded CPUs crash all around and this is really annoying in a night track. For so much flaws and very little entertainment value this game is less than mediocre even today, and I could have threw the money in the toilet and flushed because it's all the same thing. Also, WHY DRIFT and endurance ? Worst kind of races in the world, you have to race in Nurburgring for about 50 minutes twice in one of those damn events. A very mediocre game otherwise. Drifting is also **** if you already saw it how flawed it is to play in a steering wheel or joystic try drifting in the keyboard.… Expand
  16. Luka1998010
    Jul 10, 2018
    4
    -Very bad drifting physics
    -Rubber Banding AI
    -Handling is all over the place
    -The game becomes very frustrating when driving on race series
  17. SteelTalons
    Mar 15, 2017
    10
    the best part is how who voted less than 9 points, really not know what they want, or what is doing here or what the game is, or how the life works.

    this game still rocks, people said that is not a sim, but is a sim for sure, if we config it, the physics are really identical to Assetto Corsa, i really don't know and not know how somebody think this game is not realistic, way more than    the best part is how who voted less than 9 points, really not know what they want, or what is doing here or what the game is, or how the life works.

    this game still rocks, people said that is not a sim, but is a sim for sure, if we config it, the physics are really identical to Assetto Corsa, i really don't know and not know how somebody think this game is not realistic, way more than gt series and forza.

    awesome soundtrack, awesome options, awesome visual, awesome optimization, is light and more beauty than major games, best game ever made sold by EA, 6 years already passed and this game still looks better than most modern games today, and ya... i'm a racer, and yes this game is realistic.

    well... some problems exist, not all cars was reviewed, but is more like a luxury had some weaker cars, when the focus in game is the sport cars and hypercars.

    who attacked this game, give strange reasons, and say things without connection, people need to stop hating titles and look with more realism    … Expand
  18. Munisz
    Dec 22, 2015
    2
    Game is unplayable without mods on pc. The handling is too floaty, there's a big "input lag" and even on easy the A.I. is too aggressive. I'm a big racing simulators fan but this is just a joke. EA and SM studio knew the problem with the handling before even releasing the game.
  19. Coq
    Aug 11, 2015
    0
    Played for 6-7 hours, was having lots of fun until the game crashed during a loading, which completely messed up my career progression. Now my game is glitched and there is nothing I can do but reset my career. This is a known problem that lots of people seem to have and it hasn't been fixed.

    Just stay away from EA....
  20. arislaf
    Jun 10, 2015
    10
    Graphics are awesome. Engine sound is awesome. Gameplay, career, cars, tracks, all so outstanding, that any racer should be ashamed of the games glory. It makes feel the heat of race, some minor bugs on release that already fixed... Makes you wonder, what SMS did wrong when they had such a great game game, and release a crap as project cars...
  21. Marick
    Jan 28, 2015
    1
    Need for Speed Shift 2 is the second simulator type game series Need for Speed, published by Electronic Arts. The game tries to bring something new to the first shift with many extra cars and other maps, plus much more real mechanics. Unfortunately the game does not go very well in my opinion. The cars look good, but what is true cars control keyboard is not very good. I like the gameNeed for Speed Shift 2 is the second simulator type game series Need for Speed, published by Electronic Arts. The game tries to bring something new to the first shift with many extra cars and other maps, plus much more real mechanics. Unfortunately the game does not go very well in my opinion. The cars look good, but what is true cars control keyboard is not very good. I like the game leads to realism, however, does not at all properly. The graphics are super weak in my opinion, much weaker than in the first shift.… Expand
  22. banzaigtv
    Dec 6, 2014
    0
    Absolutely unplayable on Windows 8.1. Even on Windows 7, this game on the most recent drivers is nowhere near as stable as Battlefield 4 running on outdated drivers. The game was a blast to play, but the horrendous crashing issues completely killed it. Seriously, this game alone crashes more often than the entire collection of Ubisoft games, including Assassin's Creed Unity, combined! OnAbsolutely unplayable on Windows 8.1. Even on Windows 7, this game on the most recent drivers is nowhere near as stable as Battlefield 4 running on outdated drivers. The game was a blast to play, but the horrendous crashing issues completely killed it. Seriously, this game alone crashes more often than the entire collection of Ubisoft games, including Assassin's Creed Unity, combined! On an older Windows 7 system build, which was considered high-end in 2011, the game crashed every 2-3 races and with the career nearly completed, crashed 2-3 times per race. Now on a recent build running an i7-4790k CPU, 8 GB 1600 MHz RAM with CAS timing 7, a 4 GB GTX 970 video card, and Windows 8.1 Pro, which can run Metro Last Light on ultra settings at a steady 60 fps, I reinstalled the game and to my dismay, the game crashed at the starting line of the very first race in career mode. Totally unacceptable!!! NFS fans looking for bargain deals on classic games, do yourselves a favor and play the original NFS Shift, NFS Most Wanted (2012), or NFS Rivals. Those games run perfectly fine.… Expand
  23. deathweeper
    Sep 3, 2014
    2
    I wanted to like this game but I just couldn't. The graphics are acceptable, the customization and the feeling of progress is good BUT it just feels like your driving a dam ice cream tuck all the time. The drifting is horrible and its really all about following the line if you want to win.
  24. Nevryon
    Jul 24, 2014
    8
    This game is very good, graphics are excellent as you would expect for a port from console. Driving games traditionally work better on console because of their controllers, HOWEVER I would like to address that, marking down a PC game because it doesn't work well with keyboard is a little silly when it is very very obvious that such a game genre deserves the purchase of an inexpensiveThis game is very good, graphics are excellent as you would expect for a port from console. Driving games traditionally work better on console because of their controllers, HOWEVER I would like to address that, marking down a PC game because it doesn't work well with keyboard is a little silly when it is very very obvious that such a game genre deserves the purchase of an inexpensive controller, you can buy a wired Xbox 360 controller or clone for less than £20 and for some games it will bring them alive for you, stop marking down games for keyboard control and invest in a pad, just for heavens sake don't try playing an FPS on one! :)… Expand
  25. voiders
    Jun 17, 2014
    9
    Very nice game to play with a steering wheel. For PC I think is the best.
    Its not at the nivel of GT or Forza, but is a great game.

    Has nice sounds, graphics, controllers... Just the carerr could be better.
  26. RzrTrek
    May 10, 2014
    4
    Shift 2 is the most authentic racing sim available to date (don't even pretend to defend Assetto Corsa, Gran Turismo or Forza) in terms of physics, handling and overall graphics, created by Slightly Mad Studios, who also happen to be in heavy development of Project CARS.
  27. racergsxr1
    May 7, 2014
    4
    This game had a lot of potential but something must have gone wrong somewhere because the end product is all but unplayable. I've played this game on both Xbox 360 and PC and it really felt like the game was made more for consoles. The cars are practically uncontrollable on PC. Because on PC you only have keyboards, you're either turning the car as hard as possible, or not at all. It seemsThis game had a lot of potential but something must have gone wrong somewhere because the end product is all but unplayable. I've played this game on both Xbox 360 and PC and it really felt like the game was made more for consoles. The cars are practically uncontrollable on PC. Because on PC you only have keyboards, you're either turning the car as hard as possible, or not at all. It seems like no one tried to make the physics more compatible for keyboards. This game is really only playable with a steering wheel and is barely usable with a gamepad. Steering wheels even have massive problems, and only with a few physics mods do they work properly. If you create a racing simulator that doesn't work with a racing wheel, then there's something seriously wrong with your game. The menus are also terrible and seemingly made for gamepads. To confirm selections you have to press right shift, or F, or to cycle menus you have to use J and K. What's up with all of these obscure buttons that are awkward to press? Is there something wrong with the arrow keys? They could have also made it a little more mouse accessible. The controls for gamepads don't even show up in the UI. The game always has a little bar somewhere in the menu interface saying "press this button on the keyboard to do this!" but when you plug in a gamepad, it doesn't change to something more like "press this button on the GAMEPAD to do this!". The game always assumes that the player is using a keyboard, which means that you have to do trial and error when you plug in a gamepad. Everything about the game seems way too difficult. The AI NEVER skid in EVERY corner like the player does, and the game expects you to hit every corner dead on the apex yet you can't because the cars all oversteer terribly and skid when you try to turn in to a corner. Frankly the physics are the biggest gripe. The drag mode in the Speed Hunters/Legends DLC is also terrible. The controls are completely different than the stock game (who the hell uses the right thumbstick to shift?!?) and the drag mode controls are NOT changeable. Not to mention that the fastest car in the drag mode is a FWD scion which only accelerates so fast because the game creators made it so there's a constant force pushing the front of the car down really hard (sort of like really high downforce, but even when standing still), which makes the best DRAG car one of the best handling GRIP cars. All in all, the game wasn't very well thought out at all. It was a pretty bad port over to PC. The only upsides are that the graphics are decent, and the car customization is better than most of the later Need for Speed games. The night driving mode is a breath of fresh air but it doesn't really matter if you can't control the car in the daytime either. It was a lot better on consoles. I hear that the developers of Shift 2, Slightly Mad Studios, are creating the game Project CARS, which looks a LOT like Shift 2, and also looks a LOT better. Hopefully it will be what the Need For Speed Shift Series wasn't.… Expand
  28. Fresh3gg
    Apr 5, 2014
    5
    Handling assist is either on or off. Compare to Shift 1, this game's handling assist is always at HIGH, there is no LOW. The steering is all arcade like (auto) than "manual" (I use a keyboard to play), and so the car is also floaty, swirling more out of the way when going around a bend. Seem to has less traction when compared to Shift 1.

    Handling assist at HIGH has smoothen the    Handling assist is either on or off. Compare to Shift 1, this game's handling assist is always at HIGH, there is no LOW. The steering is all arcade like (auto) than "manual" (I use a keyboard to play), and so the car is also floaty, swirling more out of the way when going around a bend. Seem to has less traction when compared to Shift 1.

    Handling assist at HIGH has smoothen the steering, but it counter steers back in some cases that make me feel it's not fire at will, so it offer less in simluation and less excitement. I plays it fine all the same with handling assist at LOW in Shift 1, so really dislikes it when it's set to HIGH, it makes it feel more like on-rail arcade game.

    With those same named race tracks from Shift 1, Shift 2's track/road has flatten even more sideway. The hills/slopes are not that inclinded/steep as before.

    There is no adjustment for brightness in-game. So if the car you've chosen for the race has sun tinted glass, then the vision is too dark, worst is when the VGA card's feature couldn't make changes to the in-game brightness, or can barely makes any changes to them. Well, it works in Shift 1, can't see how it failed on SHift 2.

    Graphic is now more photo realistic compared to Shift 1, color is no longer vivid. More textures details such as on the race track's surface.

    Some car models' AI skill is buggy, better not to choose identical cars as opponents, as they makes the same mistakes on a U turn over and over again. Better choose Same Class as opponents.

    Here is a setups to race on AutoPolis (Lakeside) race track:
    ((Gameplay option)):
    Difficulty: Medium _ H.M: novice _ steering assist: yes _ B.A: no _ Anti-Lock Brakes: yes _ T.C: high _ S.C: yes _ damage: visual only _ best line: no _ HUD: Full (mirror off) _ S.O.P.N: off _ D.U: Metric

    ((Gameplay, ADJUST CONTROL)):
    (from top to bottom): 50, 0, 64, 0, 62, 0, 25, 0, 50, 75, 68

    ((Garage, Car tunning, advanced)):
    (from top to bottom, 1st column): 45, 55, 26, 8
    (from top to bottom, 2nd column): 22, 13, 20, 20, 20, 20
    (from top to bottom, 3rd column): 6, 7
    (from top to bottom, 4th column): 8, 8, 2
    (from top to bottom, 5th column): 24, 24
    (from top to bottom, 6th column): 1, 1, 2, 2, 18, 12
    (from top to bottom, 7th column): 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 5, 5
    (from top to bottom, 8th column): 5, 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3

    4 laps, 3 opponents, dusk or day. Race car to drive: Aston Martin DB9 Coupe. Use helmet view to race. Not hard to win the 1st place.

    Control keys remap:
    Z = Look back _ X = nitros _ C = handbrake _ V = brake _ Spacbar = change race view _ Arrow Up = Accelerate _ Left/Right arrow keys = steering left right _ arrow down = reset car _ A = press A to increase steering speed if about to do a 45 degree turn _ S = press S to increase level 2 steering speed if about to do a 90 degree turn _ D = press D to increase level 3 steering speed if about to do a 180 degree U turn _ F = press F to increase level 4 steering speed if about to do a 360 spin off (dropped the hammer) burntout on a very tight narrow track _ G = gear up _ B = gear down _ backspace = transformer the car into Autobot _ Left Shift = change HUD display or switch to iron sight view _ right mouse mouse (hold it down) = sprint _ Left Ctrl = change ammo type _ Left Alt = bring up Crysis power suite HUD    … Expand
  29. tayfuntuna
    Feb 18, 2014
    8
    I've seen some user reviews, they complain of input lag, which I have not encountered. I played the game with Saitek R660 Force Feedback wheel and my overall experience was pleasant, the tilted view when approaching the corners feels like I'm actually there. This is not the best racing game out there, but it's a pretty damn solid one.
  30. KacperFlak
    Dec 27, 2013
    8
    What I've liked:
    - nice driving physic (with PTU mod is even more realistic!)
    - simple, interesting and flexible career mode - very good quality of 3d car models, enviroment and visual effects - quite good sounds - real prices of cars and car parts - drift races are awesome - resonable amount of cars - simple and effective menu -quite realistic AI of opponents - helmet view and    What I've liked:
    - nice driving physic (with PTU mod is even more realistic!)
    - simple, interesting and flexible career mode
    - very good quality of 3d car models, enviroment and visual effects
    - quite good sounds
    - real prices of cars and car parts
    - drift races are awesome
    - resonable amount of cars
    - simple and effective menu
    -quite realistic AI of opponents
    - helmet view and inside car view
    - tuning mode for professional use

    What I've disliked:
    - unbalanced car's engines sounds (mod fixed it)
    - unrealistic damages
    - poor forece feedback support for gamepads
    - music soundtrack would be better
    - no "LAN" ,"HotSeat" and "SplitScreen" multiplayer mode
    - no ghost cars
    - no "Flashbacks"
    - no sponsor stickers on opponents cars
    - would be more race tracks    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Best PC Game of 2011
63
#63 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
59
#59 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Jun 9, 2011
    70
    As PC's only alternative to GT5, Shift 2 is satisfactory at best. But true racing enthusiasts will need to go elsewhere to really satisfy their...need for speed. [July 2011, p.74]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    May 22, 2011
    90
    NFS series is back where we want it to be. Perfect graphics, enhanced driving model and the view from the cockpit are the features you will Shift 2 piously worship. [Issue#203]
  3. GamingExcellence
    May 11, 2011
    83
    Overall, Shift 2 Unleashed is a fantastic driving game that should satisfy fans on either side of the arcade/simulation spectrum. The game may not be as sheer fun as Hot Pursuit was only six months ago, but could easily occupy a cherished spot on your shelf right next to it.
    Read full review
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