Shift 2: Unleashed

 PlayStation 3
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 121 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 121
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 121
  3. Negative: 32 out of 121
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Mickael486
    Apr 8, 2011
    6
    After a few laps you start blaming yourself for not doing as good as you did with the 1st Shift game... and then you start realizing that it's the game.. It's very touchy...and unpredictable. The physics are broken. And the Aggressive A.I.!! OMFG THE AGGRESSIVE A.I. If the community doesn't complain enough to patch this game, it'll be unplayable...worse than the first one was beforeAfter a few laps you start blaming yourself for not doing as good as you did with the 1st Shift game... and then you start realizing that it's the game.. It's very touchy...and unpredictable. The physics are broken. And the Aggressive A.I.!! OMFG THE AGGRESSIVE A.I. If the community doesn't complain enough to patch this game, it'll be unplayable...worse than the first one was before the patches. What a let down. I really enjoyed the first one after they fixed it. I should explain why the AI is so bad.. You could be minding your own business, NOT being aggressive at all.. going about 20mph around an corner... and bam!!! You're car literally flips over 3 times by an AI controlled car behind you out of nowhere.. during the final lap of the race... You go from 1st place to LAST place and the race is over.. if that's your idea of fun, then play this game.… Expand
  2. Misterobotto
    May 21, 2011
    9
    I was actually seriously disappointed by this game when I first played it on release day. There was just something off with they physics, which is a deal breaker for me. I'm happy to announce that EA has recently patched the game, and it's awesome. I love the gran turismo series, but there is just something about Shift's brutal, visceral racing experience. Oh... and I'm not a big fanI was actually seriously disappointed by this game when I first played it on release day. There was just something off with they physics, which is a deal breaker for me. I'm happy to announce that EA has recently patched the game, and it's awesome. I love the gran turismo series, but there is just something about Shift's brutal, visceral racing experience. Oh... and I'm not a big fan of the helmet cam... but you can't really fault them for adding a feature.… Expand
  3. Nessy
    Apr 6, 2011
    9
    All in all it´s a really good game, better than i expected. Graphics are nice, especially the lightning is way better than in Shift 1. There´s a good variation of tracks, night races and a ton of events to play in career mode. The handling has been improved and feels somewhat between Shift 1 and GT5.

    Unfortunately it´s not so tight and realistic as    All in all it´s a really good game, better than i expected. Graphics are nice, especially the lightning is way better than in Shift 1. There´s a good variation of tracks, night races and a ton of events to play in career mode. The handling has been improved and feels somewhat between Shift 1 and GT5.

    Unfortunately it´s not so tight and realistic as GT5 or Forza 3. (Played both for months)
    The AI is a bit aggressive and in terms of difficultly the game seems a bit unbalanced.

    Nonetheless it´s a great racing game.
    Intense and sometimes frustrating but always motivating.    … Expand
  4. eddyloko
    Apr 13, 2011
    4
    This game has several awesome features like helmet cam, night driving and autolog, they are really nice. But the core feature is totally broken, the driving experience that was hyped so much is a lie and the physics are just another lie. You can't play on hard and elite with a car fully upgraded and a controller without tuning the entire car and game settings. I hope this game was made toThis game has several awesome features like helmet cam, night driving and autolog, they are really nice. But the core feature is totally broken, the driving experience that was hyped so much is a lie and the physics are just another lie. You can't play on hard and elite with a car fully upgraded and a controller without tuning the entire car and game settings. I hope this game was made to be played with a driving wheel because it's impossible to play with the controller. I regret so much that I bought this game, perhaps if Slightly Mad fixes the handling and the physics this game will be almost perfect.… Expand
  5. Lil3incher
    May 19, 2011
    0
    well where to start, when i first heard about this game i was very excited, that changed when i played this game, graphics i would give maybe a 6.5 or 7 out of 10, but the rest is really terrible, the handling of the game is awful, you cant tough the control and your in the wall or off of the track, then you are out of the race, i don't know what else to say but stay clear of this garbage.
  6. boblikepie
    May 28, 2011
    0
    This game is terrible. They are a lot of good idea's but all poorly executed. The AI is frustratingly aggressive and can spin you out with one tap, the handling is terrible, the look of the game is okay. But what makes this game the worse racing in existence is the online community. If you're trying to go for the win an online driver duel championship good luck because the amount ofThis game is terrible. They are a lot of good idea's but all poorly executed. The AI is frustratingly aggressive and can spin you out with one tap, the handling is terrible, the look of the game is okay. But what makes this game the worse racing in existence is the online community. If you're trying to go for the win an online driver duel championship good luck because the amount of cheaters out there who'll run you up the ass in the first corner completely ruins this gaming experience. DON'T BUY THIS GAME… Expand
  7. philgreg
    Aug 27, 2011
    10
    The main concern about this game is that it takes a lot of tweaking to get it working properly. I have never played it with a controller so I cannot comment about how it drives with one, but with a wheel one has to do many adjustments to get it to feel correct. Because of this I would not recommend this game to someone who wants to just pick it up and go. If you have patience and areThe main concern about this game is that it takes a lot of tweaking to get it working properly. I have never played it with a controller so I cannot comment about how it drives with one, but with a wheel one has to do many adjustments to get it to feel correct. Because of this I would not recommend this game to someone who wants to just pick it up and go. If you have patience and are looking for a solid simulator using a wheel, then I would highly recommend this game.
    There are a few problems I see that people keep complaining about in this game. 1) It is too hard. One must understand that the Shift series is a simulation based racing game, not arcade like most NFS games.
    2) Cars are impossible to drive or they don't feel like they should. This is a problem most people are complaining about. The main underlying cause of this is the car setup. For some strange reason the stock set up of every car has the spring rates at 0 and the tire pressure at 50 or so. Due to this, it makes all the cars feel like they are boats. With this floppy set up it makes the car very unstable and uncontrollable in a corner or a slide. To fix this problem one must tune the tire pressure down to around 30 and purchase a suspension that can adjust spring stiffness and adjust it to at least 3 for normal cars and higher for race cars. Every car has to be fixed in this way, which can be annoying to some. After they are fixed you will find that Shift 2 has extremely good physics and car dynamics.
    There are many internal settings for the wheel that can be adjusted, this makes Shift 2 more dynamic and customizable if you know how to adjust these settings properly. I found that the easiest way to adjust the wheel is to set it up so that it drives and turns properly with a normal car, which will have the highest degree of turn. After that, one must go to tune setup for every car to adjust the steering sensitivity for that particular car. The higher one tunes the sensitivity on a car, the less one has to turn the wheel to make that particular car turn. By doing this one can adjust race cars to turn with less degree of movement in the wheel than normal cars, without having to readjust the wheel every time you change cars.
    In conclusion there is a very good game hiding inside Shift 2 but it takes some adjustments and digging to find. If you have to patience to work out the problems then it is a fun and solid racing game.    … Expand
  8. Gunhead
    Feb 14, 2012
    4
    Lots of resources spent on presentation, twists and bells and the core game play is broken. There is no way you can play this game on Hard Difficulty not even with a high quality steering wheel. There is a very pronounced input lag that make driving impossible. Of course if you play on easy mode and with all assist set to high you can have fun if you are into that type of thing but racingLots of resources spent on presentation, twists and bells and the core game play is broken. There is no way you can play this game on Hard Difficulty not even with a high quality steering wheel. There is a very pronounced input lag that make driving impossible. Of course if you play on easy mode and with all assist set to high you can have fun if you are into that type of thing but racing games are all about beating track times and you cannot do this when you have no audio or visual clue for when your car starts to loose grip. I cannot believe how most of the reviewers came up with these high scores. I suppose they storm through the game on easiest difficulty. This just show how little trust one should put into game reviews.… Expand
  9. RebelFreedom
    Apr 2, 2011
    3
    1st off, im 18 and own forza3 and gran-turismo5, and shift 2. i registered to this review site just for this game. i just want to say, dont let them lie to you, this is no driving simulator. i pride myself on driving skill, and have driven fast for real (in one of the actual cars i used in game too XD) and this is more of a "boat" simulator. the handling is all wrong, and youl find1st off, im 18 and own forza3 and gran-turismo5, and shift 2. i registered to this review site just for this game. i just want to say, dont let them lie to you, this is no driving simulator. i pride myself on driving skill, and have driven fast for real (in one of the actual cars i used in game too XD) and this is more of a "boat" simulator. the handling is all wrong, and youl find yourself struggling to simply drive in a straight line at times. drifting is robbed too of course. its the same arcade style its always been. 2nd. tuning upgrades- tuning is extremely unrealistic, too. the values you use to tune dont represent anything in real life (i.e. springs:- 1- 2 - or 3, dampening: - 1 2 3 4 ect.) and upgrades, are well, kinda the same as NFS has always done.. but no individual tire width or things like that. so its not realistic, nearly in anyway.. 3rd. painting a car with vinyls like in forza is imposable. it took me an hour to do simple stripes for a charger, and the stripes arnt perfectly even at that. but enough bad, i dont want to ramble. some good, 1st. its pretty, and night driving, and the helmet cam are great, i dare say, perfect?. 2nd. NOS! i love that incorporated into it, i wish forza had it, its an amazing feature. and it doesnt replenish magically during a race either. i like that alot. (forza you paying attention? get NOS!) and thats about all worth mentioning to mind. i give it a 3 out of 10, and i really dont recommend buying it. i wish i hadn't. EA 'hyped' it up soo much, and its (im not exaggerating) mostly, a big LIE. im finding that out about alot of new games. rent them first, proceed carefully.… Expand
  10. SOUR_11b
    Nov 10, 2012
    1
    ive tried forcing myself to like this game, but its just not possible. the in-car helmet cam is the only good thing going for it. just being able to drive the car straight is a force to be reckoned with. imagine sitting in a swivel office chair spinning as you roll down the street, thats what this game is like. i only gave it a higher than zero score because the helmet cam is such aive tried forcing myself to like this game, but its just not possible. the in-car helmet cam is the only good thing going for it. just being able to drive the car straight is a force to be reckoned with. imagine sitting in a swivel office chair spinning as you roll down the street, thats what this game is like. i only gave it a higher than zero score because the helmet cam is such a great idea.… Expand
  11. The_Pun_One
    Apr 7, 2011
    10
    There is no such thing as too many race games. NFS SHIFT 2 is on the top of my shelf right now. It follows in the line of Pro Street ( I know it was buggy but I loved it ) and of course the first SHIFT. It's a great sim/arcade mix and has enough car customizing to keep me happy between races. I actually like that I cannot win the race the first time out every time. The AI and damageThere is no such thing as too many race games. NFS SHIFT 2 is on the top of my shelf right now. It follows in the line of Pro Street ( I know it was buggy but I loved it ) and of course the first SHIFT. It's a great sim/arcade mix and has enough car customizing to keep me happy between races. I actually like that I cannot win the race the first time out every time. The AI and damage is more fun then GT5. 10 baby ... 10!!… Expand
  12. MaverickSWAT
    May 18, 2011
    8
    Shift 2 is a huge step from from the first game, but not quiet as sim as it could be. With that said, I have way more fun playing Shift than I have playing GT5 or Forza 3. The track list is simply the best out of all the console racers out on current gen systems today. The ability to works upgrade any car is a huge upgrade over the first game. It has the best damage model when compared toShift 2 is a huge step from from the first game, but not quiet as sim as it could be. With that said, I have way more fun playing Shift than I have playing GT5 or Forza 3. The track list is simply the best out of all the console racers out on current gen systems today. The ability to works upgrade any car is a huge upgrade over the first game. It has the best damage model when compared to GT5 and Forza 3. The few faults have to do with the physics. The cars still seem a bit floaty compared to GT and FM, but nothing like the first game. The learning curve can be a bit steep for new players, even with all the assists and on the easy difficulty. It's a step in the right direction, but I feel that it could have done better and blown any other racing game out of the water.… Expand
  13. PatBenedict
    Apr 3, 2011
    8
    Another reviewer mentions `There is nothing here that warrants a purchase if you already own Forza3 or GT5. '. In case you have GT5 (no forza of course on the ps3) and are wondering if there is indeed anything that this game has going for it that GT5 doesn't, the following come to mind:

    1)* User interface is far superior to to GT5, not mired in unnecessary `Ok' prompts and loading between    Another reviewer mentions `There is nothing here that warrants a purchase if you already own Forza3 or GT5. '. In case you have GT5 (no forza of course on the ps3) and are wondering if there is indeed anything that this game has going for it that GT5 doesn't, the following come to mind:

    1)* User interface is far superior to to GT5, not mired in unnecessary `Ok' prompts and loading between screens. Anyone who has played GT5 for a while knows how irritating the process of upgrading a car can be. Not so here- upgrades can be done (and undone) extremely quickly.
    2)* Most (all?) cars can be race modified.
    3)* More customization of the appearance of cars, and no bizarre `you can use this colour of paint only once' nonsense.
    4)* Superior track selection. There're a *lot* of courses here.
    5)* The autolog feature is clearly very different to anything on offer with GT5.
    6)* More consistent graphics. GT5 of course has incredible graphics at times (especially the premium cars), but also many puzzling low points- things like jagged shadows, aliasing problems screen tearing, several tracks that look like ps2 hd and so on. For me the most serious disadvantage of these graphical problems issues is that they can distract the player, and undermine the sense of immersion. I've been pleasantly surprised on many occasions by Shift 2. It may not be the strongest game graphically on the ps3 but the developers seem to have a lot of skill in creating that feeling that you're really there, at these locations.
    For instance you can almost feel the dry air and heat of Dubai, huge skyscrapers hazy against the horizon; palm trees against a beautiful sunset at the Dakota Raceway. Very nice!
    7)* Effective cosmetic/physical damage model - there's really no comparison here to GT5. As far as gripes go, the handling for some of the cars seems to be very twitchy (for those with GT5, think the Lotus in the Top Gear challenge), perhaps in general the driving experience is not as strong as GT5 but I've found it to be perfectly enjoyable with quite a few cars.

    In summary then, Shift 2 offers quite a few things for Ps3 users that GT5 does not, and I recommend it as an enjoyable, *immersive* experience!    … Expand
  14. dmonee
    Mar 29, 2011
    10
    This is why i'm sick of these aggregate sites. First and foremost, is the numerical score associated with a game. Then there is the reason behind the score. Why dock a point from Shift 2's score because it's not GT5 or Forza? Because it's violent and nerveracking, and not what real racing enthusiasts will enjoy. Really? I'm a racing fan and think this game is the best mix of sim and arcadeThis is why i'm sick of these aggregate sites. First and foremost, is the numerical score associated with a game. Then there is the reason behind the score. Why dock a point from Shift 2's score because it's not GT5 or Forza? Because it's violent and nerveracking, and not what real racing enthusiasts will enjoy. Really? I'm a racing fan and think this game is the best mix of sim and arcade racing EVER! It takes all the boring **** from Forza and GT5 and throws it away. Then they add a ferocity and an edge, let's not forget the best **** view in a racing game, and one that will be copied by everybody from here on out. Things thatve never been done before, BUT! gotta knock it! Gotta control the situation and make buyers balk. This game may not look like GT5 and Forza, but it's close. It's got 3rd party graphics. But, Gameplay! EWWW weeeee! Most fun i've ever had with a racing game. Customization, paint, drifting, etc....It's all here, oh yeah, awsome crashes, nighttime races on any track. You will see why graphical compromises we're made. Just a real fun, exhilerating experience. Go racers GO!!!!!… Expand
  15. Giggidy78
    Apr 14, 2011
    10
    Personally, being a racing fan and loving any games of this sort I've only noticed two major problems with shift 2. One being the ridiculous AI. The competition feels more like the movie "deathrace" than anything else. As soon as you turn into a corner you have some kamikaze psycho slamming your car off the road. Besides that.....trading paint is near impossible. You so much as brush upPersonally, being a racing fan and loving any games of this sort I've only noticed two major problems with shift 2. One being the ridiculous AI. The competition feels more like the movie "deathrace" than anything else. As soon as you turn into a corner you have some kamikaze psycho slamming your car off the road. Besides that.....trading paint is near impossible. You so much as brush up against any car at any speed and your car flies off the road like you were picked up like a tornado and the AI car drives away like nothing happened. The steering seems a bit clumsy also. Ya spend more time correcting the oversteer than anything else. It's way too sensitive. Other than that the game would be fantastic. The helmet cam option is awesome(can't wait to try to drift in that mode....hope it doesn't give you that lost feeling like in shift 1). Well I too hope they correct these issues. They seem like they're heading in the right direction but this needs a bit of tweaking. So If you guys are listening WE NEED A PATCH!… Expand
  16. glenrivman
    Apr 25, 2011
    9
    Now this is how it's done ,Gran Turismo can learn alot from this game,O.k initially the handling was too sensitive ,so it needed to be tweaked,once i got the handling sensitivity sorted i was hooked,This is what gaming is all about , youv'e got great graphix , a.i is agressive maybe too agressive at times , sense of speed is awesome, overall presentation is really good,some might think aNow this is how it's done ,Gran Turismo can learn alot from this game,O.k initially the handling was too sensitive ,so it needed to be tweaked,once i got the handling sensitivity sorted i was hooked,This is what gaming is all about , youv'e got great graphix , a.i is agressive maybe too agressive at times , sense of speed is awesome, overall presentation is really good,some might think a tad cheesy , but for me it adds to the overall xperience ,love this game one of the best racing xperiences around at present.So bring on SHIFT 3 for PS4????… Expand
  17. KillerTomato
    Apr 8, 2012
    3
    I did not enjoy Shift Unleashed 2 at all. I just recieved it as a FREE game from Playstation Plus and I am upset that it currently occupies 6GB of hard drive space. Actually, I am surprised that games like this are accepted by any portion of the market. The graphics and physics are not up to snuff. If Gran Turismo can nail the aforementioned features, then clog it all up with a ton ofI did not enjoy Shift Unleashed 2 at all. I just recieved it as a FREE game from Playstation Plus and I am upset that it currently occupies 6GB of hard drive space. Actually, I am surprised that games like this are accepted by any portion of the market. The graphics and physics are not up to snuff. If Gran Turismo can nail the aforementioned features, then clog it all up with a ton of useless cars and other features, someone should be able to release a straight forward racer that includes those quality visuals and physics without all the extra fodder. This game is not the one.… Expand
  18. mongoman
    Nov 17, 2012
    2
    Shift 2 is not a good game, its not a good racer, its not pretty, its not genre defining, and it is not fun. I struggled to simply finish a race, hell I struggled just trying to stay on the track. I unfortunately paid cash for this crap but even if you get the free download on PSN plus it is not worth the time it will take you to download it. Do yourself a favor and play any other raceShift 2 is not a good game, its not a good racer, its not pretty, its not genre defining, and it is not fun. I struggled to simply finish a race, hell I struggled just trying to stay on the track. I unfortunately paid cash for this crap but even if you get the free download on PSN plus it is not worth the time it will take you to download it. Do yourself a favor and play any other race game instead of this. I give it a 2 out of 10 simply for the helmet cam but even that gets old after two laps.… Expand
  19. Seano
    Apr 5, 2011
    9
    Don't believe all the negative comments. I am a complete racing game fan and have completed all the major titles. Pgr4, Gran turimo 5, grid. dirt 2. forza 3 etc. Does shift 2 stand up to the others. Yes it does. In fact some aspects are way superior to the others. In shift 2 it feels as if you are actually moving at high speed, something gran turismo and forza failed to do. When drivingDon't believe all the negative comments. I am a complete racing game fan and have completed all the major titles. Pgr4, Gran turimo 5, grid. dirt 2. forza 3 etc. Does shift 2 stand up to the others. Yes it does. In fact some aspects are way superior to the others. In shift 2 it feels as if you are actually moving at high speed, something gran turismo and forza failed to do. When driving career mode the A1 drivers actually have a mind of their own and avoid crashing into your car. They are constantly looking for opportunities to overtake without knocking you off the track. This is something that no other racer has managed. Graphics are good but not the best. I suppose you can't win e'm all. Highly recommended.… Expand
  20. SzpaneRR
    Apr 2, 2011
    8
    I thing this game is really awesome. I was play in Forza 3, GT 5, but there we have something alternative to boring races. I know, someone don't like Shift 2 cuz it's the driver sim, not car.
  21. mathew071294
    May 5, 2011
    9
    shift 2 is a very good racing game clean graphics very smart AI they react to your presence on the race track it is the most realistic racing game in history the all new helmet game is awesome your drivers head turns to go around the corner fantastic display of speed very good engine sounds this game was made for 7.1 surround sound Gran Turismo 5 your time is up plus it has the awesome auto log
  22. Gamer44
    May 26, 2011
    10
    this game is awesome the driving is awesome the cars awesome the graphics awesome on of the best racing games ever everything about this game is awesome this is one game were I found no cracks or let downs overall:AWESOME AWESOME
  23. unexist
    Feb 28, 2014
    0
    Well, to me Need for speed Shift II is one of the worst racing games. Yes it's that bad !
    At the beginning I was thinking, maybe it will get better .... but it didn't.
    Now after the 5th race I just give it up, I just don't like it and I will not play the game anymore.
    I'm a BIG racing game die hard, but this is a game for the blacklist.
    It SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS BIGTIME.
  24. Ginnungagap
    Mar 31, 2011
    3
    This isn't a car porn product like it's two main platform exclusive competitors Forza and GT, with that out of the way this could be a pretty decent fun focused circuit racer. I can forgive the abominable default sterring wheel set-up as it can be tweaked out to a reasonable and fun setting. Like most others I find Autolog to be an interesting features and the modern day online system isThis isn't a car porn product like it's two main platform exclusive competitors Forza and GT, with that out of the way this could be a pretty decent fun focused circuit racer. I can forgive the abominable default sterring wheel set-up as it can be tweaked out to a reasonable and fun setting. Like most others I find Autolog to be an interesting features and the modern day online system is refreshing after GT5's 1997 set up. As far os overall presentation style goes Shift 2 is to Shift 1 what Dirt was to Colin McRae Rally. You get 'gnarly' drivers from 'hip' racing disciplines with little to no actual pedigree telling you about types of racing they never took any part in like they're the bl**dy world champions and I really don't care much for this type of fake 'extremeing-up' of motorsports. It's like making a MotoGP game and instead of Rossi or Stoner, hiring Travis Pastrana to be the face of it. I much prefferred the british bloke in Shift 1 telling you to 'Have fun' over the radio who actually sounded like a human being, instead of Vaughn Gittin Jr's crap you will get in Shift 2, thankfully he can be muted, you still have to watch his mug in unskippable videos though *grinds teeth* But none of that is really game braking. The killing blow is the graphics and all you need to know is that the game only looks good during night races when the objects in the distance are obscured with darkness, during the day the amount of aliasing otherwise known as jagged edges makes it impossible to see where you are going. In a racing game... You can't see where you're going... It really is this bad. The only way I could hit the apex properly was to enable the driving line. Yup... I had to race by looking at a coloroued line artificially drawn on asphalt to race successfully because the graphics are, pardon the caps, UNREADABLE.… Expand
  25. JohnnyCA
    Apr 3, 2011
    1
    I own Forza 3, Shift, Dirt 2, GT5, and now Shift 2. Outside of what is the exceptional Autolog feature, this game is average across the board. There is nothing here that warrants a purchase if you already own Forza3 or GT5. Actually, I don't recommend purchasing this game. The Autolog is the only reason why I'm still playing it. When I ask people online what they think
  26. justabout72
    Apr 2, 2011
    4
    really never been a big need for speed fan.
    i liked hot persuit and would you believe i traded it in for shift 2
    man what a mistake.
    this game is frustratingly hard even on easy with all assists on.
    the ai is ferocious and one slight slip and its game over.
    doesn't even look pretty either.
  27. MarVell
    Jun 14, 2011
    6
    There's nothing particularly wrong with this game, it just feels a bit dull and average. There are many racing games available for the PS3 and this one does little to stand out from the crowd.
  28. onewarmslime
    Feb 24, 2015
    8
    I don't get why people b!tch about this game so much. Yes, the handling isn't great (it's hard to drive the faster cars even on a straight line) and they've probably done this to make it more exciting but honestly I don't mind that much. Just set the difficulty to easy and the handling mode to "normal" and you're set. If you have a steering wheel you can probably play the game just fineI don't get why people b!tch about this game so much. Yes, the handling isn't great (it's hard to drive the faster cars even on a straight line) and they've probably done this to make it more exciting but honestly I don't mind that much. Just set the difficulty to easy and the handling mode to "normal" and you're set. If you have a steering wheel you can probably play the game just fine even on the default settings. The graphics are unreal, there's a ton of cars and almost all of them sound super-realistic, and there's a ton of events too (too bud there's no soundtrack). So all in all this isn't as good as Hot Pursuit but it's not nearly as bad as the reviews make it to be.… Expand
  29. BeeMan175
    Feb 1, 2023
    0
    The game is incredebly over complikated, and Why no Volvo. Volvo is a classical car, and a butyful story to be told. Isaac newtoon loves Volvo so why no Volvo???

    #microsoft is bad
  30. lolobar
    Jul 26, 2011
    4
    First of all the menu... fancy but unneeded... i have to wait for a few seconds for the animation to reach the options or the tunning... after the first time i was annoyed. The tunning was a good thing but as with most games... it's generic... all the cars have the same generic settings... i could live without it... this means that you can tune your car to suit your driving style but...First of all the menu... fancy but unneeded... i have to wait for a few seconds for the animation to reach the options or the tunning... after the first time i was annoyed. The tunning was a good thing but as with most games... it's generic... all the cars have the same generic settings... i could live without it... this means that you can tune your car to suit your driving style but... guess what... when you're racing there's not much room for driving style... you just have to be perfect... so it's a lot of guess work to find the perfect setting... it's kind of fun and reminds me of F1 but not the thing i would expect from this kind of game. The collisions were fixed a bit after the patch so one thing is less annoying. What annoys me most with this game is that even on easy difficulty... it's still hard... i'm playing with a controller and i find it very difficult to finish at least 3rd. Mind you that i've finished dirt 1,2 and 3... shift1... gt5... and as you know getting first in these games is not easy. For me it broke the game... i had to play the same race again and again... tune the car... and again... just to be able to finish 3rd? Excuse me but this frustrates me... i want to enjoy myself and feel like i'm the champion of the world... not struggle and enrage myself. One of the most enraging things is the kind of cheating the game does even in the easy difficulty setting... your opponents magically appear right behind you no matter how fast you're going... i get the feeling that there's a cable connecting me to them... i go fast... they go fast... i go slow... they go as slow as me... my thought is when i'm driving my best i should leave them 10m behind... like in every racing game (all except need for speed games). To sum up... this game isn't for me... i want to enjoy myself, not feel like i'm working... i wouldn't recommend this game to anyone, even if they liked racing games. I would suggest to everyone interested to first try it and if you like it then buy it. This game made lose all faith for the nfs franchise... next time i'll make sure i want to buy a nfs game!… Expand
  31. Mr_Connecticut
    Sep 27, 2011
    4
    This game has nothing to do with competitive driving skill. It's about using luck to get in front and then hoping you can manage to stay there. If you get stuck in the pack then say good bye to any chance of winning. The AI is OVERLY aggressive, they will run you off the road, and push you into walls. A lot of the time there is no point in upgrading your cars as the opposition is scaled toThis game has nothing to do with competitive driving skill. It's about using luck to get in front and then hoping you can manage to stay there. If you get stuck in the pack then say good bye to any chance of winning. The AI is OVERLY aggressive, they will run you off the road, and push you into walls. A lot of the time there is no point in upgrading your cars as the opposition is scaled to your cars performance. While I like this in theory, in practice it doesn't work as the cars are easier to handle when unmodified, and it is far easier to win races in poorer cars. Ultimately, there are features of this game that I like; customising appearance of cars, some great cars and interesting tracks. However these are all ruined by the poor physics and terrible AI.… Expand
  32. venneer
    Oct 17, 2011
    8
    The game is fantastic once you LEARN IT. The controls are very touchy but they work flawlessly if you take interest in learning them. The AI is very aggressive, which I love. The races are exciting and you feel like you EARNED every win you get. The "Helmet Camera" view is wonderful and makes for very engrossing driving. Sound is also amazing, they made everything very loud and visceral.The game is fantastic once you LEARN IT. The controls are very touchy but they work flawlessly if you take interest in learning them. The AI is very aggressive, which I love. The races are exciting and you feel like you EARNED every win you get. The "Helmet Camera" view is wonderful and makes for very engrossing driving. Sound is also amazing, they made everything very loud and visceral. What I also liked is the fact that the game "cares" if you are driving right or wrong. I played GT5 recently and I could cut any corner however I wanted, do whatever and the game wouldn't penalize me. Shift 2 throws bonus to players that master a track, the corners and drive skillfully, as well as has some pretty strict rules about trying to cheat your way throw. Drift is completely broken though. And the music is just god awful, better shut down entirely.Overall, it might not be an accurate simulation, but it is one hell of a FUN game to play once you get the hang of it… Expand
  33. spiderman221
    Jun 26, 2012
    6
    what settings do you use to flip your car so easily.Cause i cant do it do it its like every one else can do it but i cant do so someone help me with the settings to flip your car so easily.
  34. Glavas89
    Oct 7, 2012
    7
    While vehicle choice convince physics and circuits that provide acting strangely neglected appearance and the confusing menu navigation for a bad aftertaste. Especially during the night race the cars competing in the light of your headlights look simply just bad.
  35. Pelusa
    Nov 6, 2013
    10
    First of All, I have played GT5, F2010, F2012, F2013. and they don't give a smile after you played, but SHIFT 2 does. This is best semi-simulation racing game, where I got the chance to have fun. I enjoyed the attention to detail to delivery the best racing gameplay experience ever. Slightly Mad Studios did a great job by offering the fantastic feeling of simulation, when I accelerated,First of All, I have played GT5, F2010, F2012, F2013. and they don't give a smile after you played, but SHIFT 2 does. This is best semi-simulation racing game, where I got the chance to have fun. I enjoyed the attention to detail to delivery the best racing gameplay experience ever. Slightly Mad Studios did a great job by offering the fantastic feeling of simulation, when I accelerated, chanced gear, touched track kerbs, braked, went off track. I personally like aggressive AI because It made difficult to pass or keep the position. Engine sound are the best, sound track selection is not my preferred, but it is OK. Online Multiplayer needs to be improve with a racing lobby.… Expand
  36. Freddo222
    Dec 19, 2014
    7
    Like with the first NFS Shift, first i loved it but than i hated it! Its a good game that has a great balance between simulation and arcaderacer, but the more i played it the more i became frustrated with it. The only thing that kept me going were the awesome customisation possibilities.
  37. Jonzz0000
    Dec 9, 2014
    10
    Very good racing SIMULATOR.
    Traction, braking, weight distribution.. Gravity.. everything but pit stops and gas.
    GT5 is far too too much like a Dealership Magazine than an actual racing simulator. This game is for the people who enjoy the actual Racing aspect.. and not the Racing 'experience'. (Pit Stop, Tire wear, fueling etc). There are some issues.. Animation delay. The car    Very good racing SIMULATOR.
    Traction, braking, weight distribution.. Gravity.. everything but pit stops and gas.

    GT5 is far too too much like a Dealership Magazine than an actual racing simulator.
    This game is for the people who enjoy the actual Racing aspect.. and not the Racing 'experience'. (Pit Stop, Tire wear, fueling etc).

    There are some issues.. Animation delay. The car reacts instantaneously but the steering wheel animation seems to have some delay.
    As well the A.I (even though they have been improved since SHIFT 1) are crazy.. but I drive like a crazy person in the game.. so it is like having a bunch of me's!

    10/10 due to the availability of an actual racing Simulator for PlayStation 3 being almost nonexistent.
    (F1 2012 is second best... pit stops, tire wear etc.. but not as much fun as this game)    … Expand
  38. Vapor96
    Jun 17, 2019
    7
    The game looks very good and the car crashes are absolutely terrifying. However, I'm not sure if Shift 2 Unleashed wants to be an arcade-y Need For Speed game or a more realistic Gran Turismo game, leaving us with a confusing racer that blends in with the crowd the entirely wrong way.
  39. Anthonylu123
    Aug 23, 2016
    10
    Shift 2 unleashed is the best Slightly Mad Studios racing game ever! Even better than the first Need For Speed Shift game from 2009. I can create my own custom liveries for my own race cars. Across a wide variety of career events for the big win too. I wish more players can challenge me as one of the LEGENDARY players in this game.
  40. brachypelma44
    Nov 7, 2019
    0
    The handling is terrible no matter what game settings you use, what car you use, or what driving style you employ. If the handling is bad on a racing game, then the whole game is for nothing and you might as well not even play it at all. I absolutely loved NFS Shift, but this is just awful.
  41. Ardho
    Aug 28, 2021
    9
    I really like the gameplay, not too simulating, but also not arcade, my favorite circuit car racing game
  42. Yojimbo2015
    Jun 25, 2023
    7
    Another solidly executed track racer, but I personally prefer the rough and tumble of the Grid games.

Awards & Rankings

50
#50 Best PS3 Game of 2011
48
#48 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 52 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 52
  3. Negative: 0 out of 52
  1. Console Monster
    Jun 9, 2011
    85
    Overall Shift 2 is an excellent racing game that really tries to throw you behind the wheel of a professional driver. With great graphics minus a few debris issues and impressive car mechanics, Shift 2 will challenge the best of drivers during the single player campaign and online. Fans of Forza Motorsport 2 and Gran Turismo 5, or just racing games in general, should definitely think about getting Shift 2 to keep you busy.
    Read full review
  2. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    May 27, 2011
    90
    It's official: Gran Turismo 5 is on notice. Like V8 Supercars 3 [Pro Race Driver 3] wooed us from GT4 back in the halcyon days of PS2, SHIFT 2 Unleashed is currently busy courting us with its incredible sense of speed, well-rounded garage, long list of tracks and impressive attention to detail... Forget what you think you know about where Need for Speed games stand in the racing sim landscape because the crew at Slightly Mad Studios has just taken a bulldozer to it. [May 2011 p.72]
  3. Videogameszone.de
    May 24, 2011
    87
    Shift 2 Unleashed is a wonderful racing game. Only the agressive AI and the sensitive drifts are a little annoying.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »