Need for Speed: Shift

 PlayStation 3
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 148 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 77 out of 148
  2. Mixed: 48 out of 148
  3. Negative: 23 out of 148
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  1. fateappointed
    Feb 3, 2014
    7
    Variety: 8 out of 10, Graphics: 8 out of 10, Fun: 7 out of 10, Controls (I used a gaming steering wheel): 7 out of 10, Ease to Learn: 7 out of 10, Length: 8 out of 10, Re-play: 4 out of 10, Value: 7 out of 10
  2. Freddo222
    Dec 19, 2014
    7
    First i loved it! The driving felt solid and gave me a feeling of steering a high power racing car! Unfortunately it becomes really frustrating later in the game (or maybe i´m just to bad at driving games...) and the drifting is just awful! Overall it has a good balance between simulation and arcaderacer.
  3. Stealthgear
    Oct 19, 2010
    6
    The physics in this game make it unplayable. Driving feels like a slot car flying out of its track. At first I was impressed with the realistic graphics and sound, but then I realized there is something deeply wrong with the game. It is not as good as NFS Underground or Hot Pursuit 2. Grid is also a better. Game. By the time you read this review nobody will be playing this as EA won't stopThe physics in this game make it unplayable. Driving feels like a slot car flying out of its track. At first I was impressed with the realistic graphics and sound, but then I realized there is something deeply wrong with the game. It is not as good as NFS Underground or Hot Pursuit 2. Grid is also a better. Game. By the time you read this review nobody will be playing this as EA won't stop making garbage NFS games.… Expand
  4. JE
    Sep 30, 2009
    6
    Very easily could be a solid 9. To many bugs and glitches need addressing. Go to the need for speed shift forum you'll see. There is absolutely no controlling the cars they slide everywhere. The game could be awesome if these are fixed. It looks great, unlimited tuning options, good tracks, alot of sweet cars, and great concept. Right now its almost unplayable. If EA fixes the Very easily could be a solid 9. To many bugs and glitches need addressing. Go to the need for speed shift forum you'll see. There is absolutely no controlling the cars they slide everywhere. The game could be awesome if these are fixed. It looks great, unlimited tuning options, good tracks, alot of sweet cars, and great concept. Right now its almost unplayable. If EA fixes the problems it'll be my personal favorite racing game, Grid was before. Great mix of arcade and sim. I got this at best buy on sale for $40 two weeks after release should have known it was to good to be true. So many problems with it right now. EA fixes it I give it a 9 but right now its a joke. Rent it if your thinking of buying it. If your thinking of renting it get Grid you'll have more fun.… Expand
  5. JackH
    Sep 18, 2009
    5
    We already have GRID, thank you...and it's been out for quite a while. Just because EA has finally done something right on next gen consoles with this racing game, doesn't mean we should be psyched about it. the last good need for speed game i played was Most wanted on PS2...and the underground series BEFORE carbon. Pass.
  6. Mr.Shammy
    Sep 22, 2009
    6
    I agree with Jack H. It seems to be a direct copy of GRID with more cars and diverse classes, more customization. But where it falls extremely short is the controls. Horrible. Some cars a tolerable, others are just horrible, (like the EVO). Drift events are near impossible due to the poor controls.
  7. [ANONYMOUS]
    Oct 14, 2009
    5
    Oh, this COULD be sooo good. Starts out like it'll be, but soon enough the problems/bugs show their ugly faces. Most all cars are quite bouncy to begin with, but you'd expect that to improve with upgrades. Nope, it remains and some of the cars actually get SLOWER! Wow, ever seen a fully modified Lambo have trouble climbing a slight hill? Ever seen an Infiniti G35 slide a corner Oh, this COULD be sooo good. Starts out like it'll be, but soon enough the problems/bugs show their ugly faces. Most all cars are quite bouncy to begin with, but you'd expect that to improve with upgrades. Nope, it remains and some of the cars actually get SLOWER! Wow, ever seen a fully modified Lambo have trouble climbing a slight hill? Ever seen an Infiniti G35 slide a corner at 35 mph? Yep... bugs everywhere once you get past the first few tiers. Almost makes me cry, because at the start I was so excited about progressing through the game. Huge let down.… Expand
  8. DavidE
    Dec 28, 2009
    7
    I'm gonna start with the cons of this game first, the biggest one is..... THE PHYSICS ENGINE SUCKS! I mean, come on, I do drive a racecar and it is nothing like this. I know this is susposed to be a mix of sim and arcade racing, but whenever you hit somebody in the rear quarter panel at 60 mph, you do not go into an uncontrollable spin. You may get loose a little, but it does not I'm gonna start with the cons of this game first, the biggest one is..... THE PHYSICS ENGINE SUCKS! I mean, come on, I do drive a racecar and it is nothing like this. I know this is susposed to be a mix of sim and arcade racing, but whenever you hit somebody in the rear quarter panel at 60 mph, you do not go into an uncontrollable spin. You may get loose a little, but it does not take you out of the race. Also, there is no real sense of speed in the game, ironic because the game is called Need for Speed. I was driving in the very first race thinking i was going about 50 mph. To my surprise, to spedometer said 170mph. Nowhere close to what I was expecting. Now, that is the biggest issue with the game. On a lighter note, this game is alright, with all of the 'helpers' off, this game is quite challenging and wants you to keep playing. Nice cars and upgrades for them kept me playing for a while. All in all, an OK game. If you want a great game, get GRID or Forza 3, if you just want a game to take up a few weeks of your time, this is for you.… Expand
  9. Palp
    Jul 16, 2011
    7
    Need for speed SHIFT can be seen as either a departure from what the NFS series had been trying to establish by way of releasing illicit street racing games such as NFS Carbon and Undercover for years, or can be seen as a refinement and cleanup of the uneven and heavily flawed NFS ProStreet. The result is a gorgeous attempt at a racing simulator that doesn't quite have what it takes toNeed for speed SHIFT can be seen as either a departure from what the NFS series had been trying to establish by way of releasing illicit street racing games such as NFS Carbon and Undercover for years, or can be seen as a refinement and cleanup of the uneven and heavily flawed NFS ProStreet. The result is a gorgeous attempt at a racing simulator that doesn't quite have what it takes to compete with the best on a gameplay front.

    The best part about this game is easily the graphics, which were the best ever in an NFS game at this time. The tracks, cars, and environmental effects such as lighting all looked incredible on an HD tv, and made this game a graphical showpiece for the multiplatform market, and in a way, the graphical aspect of this game is the only part that really made this game stand above the only other high profile racing sim at the time in the form of Forza 3.

    The gameplay in SHIFT is where Slightly Mad Studios decided to cater to newbies and racing sim vets all in one go with mixed results. While the cars do handle somewhat believably, the sense of speed is absurdly exaggerated, giving the game an awkward blend of both realism and arcade. The result of this middle ground makes gives the game a hard time satisfying either the arcade fans, who want something more along the lines of NFS Most wanted and those who want something more along the lines of Forza 3.

    Had this game committed to being one genre, it could have been so much greater, but it ended up being a solid racer sandwiched between two genres that that ultimately feels disappointing to both the arcade and simulation crowd.    … Expand
  10. Syriamn
    Oct 22, 2014
    7
    It is a pretty good racing car game it looks and sounds great and the overall concept is well built.
    STORY/CHARACTERS: N/A.
    PRESENTATION: Need for Speed always delivers in this category an Shift is no exception. GAMEPLAY: Solid controls and you'll have no problems with this. PROGRESSION: This is the weak point. It's very confusing and you don't feel a real progression. Yes there are    It is a pretty good racing car game it looks and sounds great and the overall concept is well built.
    STORY/CHARACTERS: N/A.
    PRESENTATION: Need for Speed always delivers in this category an Shift is no exception.
    GAMEPLAY: Solid controls and you'll have no problems with this.
    PROGRESSION: This is the weak point. It's very confusing and you don't feel a real progression. Yes there are different Tiers but it's just not enough...
    NFS: Shift lacks the x factor that DiRT 2 has for example. Not comparing both of the games since they're different. Having said that it's a good car game.    … Expand
  11. piuscorvus
    Jun 24, 2020
    7
    This Need For Speed is made as a driving simulator unlike many other Need For Speed games I played. It doesn't have a story mode really but it offers first person perspective. Driving simulation isn't as good in Gran Turismo 5 but it was still fun to play.
  12. ian350850
    May 2, 2021
    7
    Juego muy entretenido, es diferente a los demás Need For Speed, en este caso es tipo Gran Turismo, circuitos en vez de carreras callejeras, cosa que no a todo el publico le puede gustar, en mi caso esta bien, he jugado casi todos los Need For Speed, este le pongo nota mas baja que los demás por ese motivo, también puede ser algo repetitivo y si quieres conseguir el 100% del juego en 2021Juego muy entretenido, es diferente a los demás Need For Speed, en este caso es tipo Gran Turismo, circuitos en vez de carreras callejeras, cosa que no a todo el publico le puede gustar, en mi caso esta bien, he jugado casi todos los Need For Speed, este le pongo nota mas baja que los demás por ese motivo, también puede ser algo repetitivo y si quieres conseguir el 100% del juego en 2021 necesitas un amigo que pueda ayudarte en los trofeos online.

    Jugabilidad 7 de 10 (Depende el coche que uses)
    Gráficos: 8 de 10
    Diversión: 6 de 10 (Puede llegar a ser repetitivo=
    Controles: 7 de 10
    Facilidad de aprendizaje: 8 de 10 (Si juegas muchos juegos de carreras será fácil)
    Tiempo de juego: 7 de 10 (20 Horas historia y 30 Horas el 100%)
    Precio: 9 de 10 ( 5€ )    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

35
#35 Best PS3 Game of 2009
19
#19 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2009
20
#20 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 55 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 52 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 55
  3. Negative: 0 out of 55
  1. IGN UK
    87
    Need for Speed Shift gets the most important part of a racing game right and it does so with a flair that’s uncommon in a frequently po-faced genre, providing driving that’s genuinely thrilling.
    Read full review
  2. 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
  3. Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
    90
    The most substantial upgrade the NFS series has ever received, along with some of the best visuals in the genre's field. [Nov 2009, p.83]
See all critic reviews »