Shift 2: Unleashed

 Xbox 360
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 113 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 113
  2. Mixed: 45 out of 113
  3. Negative: 20 out of 113
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  1. Bigredd77
    Nov 13, 2011
    8
    Once again a fun semi-sim arcade being mistaken for a sim, this is not Forza 3 or Forza 4 (which I own and love) but this one is fun and is meant for casual gaming. The drift portion of the game is pretty fun and more proof this is an arcady game. It does what it does well and handling has been improved from Shift (1) Worth it if you can pick it up for $30-$35
  2. vinman
    Apr 5, 2011
    7
    Unlike a previous review i read, I think the handling of the vehicles are the same as on Shift 1. Its a change of pace, although I do like more sim type racing. It's not a Forza, but its a nice escape.
  3. sinproducer
    May 9, 2011
    7
    I'm amazed at the pretentious claims the developers have made versus they game they actually released. I'm not a professional game tester, but have done my share of betas. Within the first 20% of my career I found 9 bugs that should not have made it to final. There's not much you can do about the spotty handling of some machines, but occasionally you hit a wall and find a magnetic forceI'm amazed at the pretentious claims the developers have made versus they game they actually released. I'm not a professional game tester, but have done my share of betas. Within the first 20% of my career I found 9 bugs that should not have made it to final. There's not much you can do about the spotty handling of some machines, but occasionally you hit a wall and find a magnetic force keeping you on it until you bring the car to almost a complete stop and turn off of it. During the drift matches I found places in the track that simply don't give you points at all no matter how "sideways" your car is. I've had situations where I restarted a drift event and it granted me the points from the previous attempt. Although it didn't 'count" and reverted to my much lower score at the end, its not AAA game design. I've had the game load into a race, with no UI on my car, and every model on the track look like a ghostly version of itself. I could go on, but you get the point. One of the most amazing things to me is that this game prides itself on not making the "mistakes" that other racing sims have made in their eyes. One being they didn't want to fill the game up with meaningless cars to race. Unfortunately this game does something far worse. It puts over 10% of the career into a mode that has nothing to do with racing at all. While I don't enjoy driving a VW Van around Top Gear and I don't really like E/F class racing past the intro stages, I'd rather drive a 30hp car around an oval than deal with Drifting. I aced all the events, but it was ironic to see the screen flash up something about "We don't want race, not drive fast cars".... Add the bugs above to the completely random challenge level of these events and a lot of frustration was had. Sometimes the game placed you on a track that was barely drivable from an A to B standpoint, much less one that was able to be drifted on. The game recognized this flaw and set very modest goals for you to gain, but at the same time you could literally ping pong off the walls and finish the race with a car that looked like it had been thrown off a bridge yet still get the 1st place reward. The drifting itself felt great on the right track, but honestly it has nothing to do with racing, especially given the circumstances above. Other games have kept it separate for a reason, and throwing this on an already confused "need for speed" audience isn't helping. I hated it in the first game, and I loathed it in the 2nd one. I will say this game has done the XP system far better than the first game and is completely logical. I don't have to get run off the track cause someone is 'lol intimidating' getting points for ramming people' nor do I have to deal with a subset of challenges that require me to drive like a complete **** This franchise has serious potential but it needs to quit trying to be edgy and cool. Marketing racing sims to people that still say "thats sick bro!" probably isn't the best idea. If people are interested they are already playing Forza or GT5. You can't make people that don't like those games like this one any more by putting a horribly buggy drift mode, an xp bar and some guy no one has ever heard of trying to keep you amped about the game on the screen talking way too much about nothing that has anything to do with RACING. I enjoy this series, but I'm a die racing game player/fan. I'd only recommend this game to those people, while I feel Forza or GT5 could belong in a lot of other player's collections even on a casual level. This game is far from casual, which is a GOOD thing, but its for the wrong reasons. If there is a shift 3 (and we know there will be) it needs to step it up in a lot of places.I'm not even concerned with graphical comparisons..this has to do with whats going on in the car. Overall its going to be a labor of love to want to finish this game for most racing game lovers.… Expand
  4. Gunn_Matt
    Apr 12, 2011
    7
    On March 29th Slightly Mad Studios and EA Games released the follow up to Need for Speed: Shift. This time around, the â
  5. MajorBrusselsXI
    Apr 16, 2011
    9
    Shift 2 is definitely one of the better racing games out there and in my opinion, is an improvement upon Shift 1. Drifting events have been made easier, graphics are good, and there is a variety of good looking cars. I think the single-player is a bit too long though, especially as there are over 5 endurance races that last 20 laps! But still, it's a very enjoyable racer and one of theShift 2 is definitely one of the better racing games out there and in my opinion, is an improvement upon Shift 1. Drifting events have been made easier, graphics are good, and there is a variety of good looking cars. I think the single-player is a bit too long though, especially as there are over 5 endurance races that last 20 laps! But still, it's a very enjoyable racer and one of the best around. Not sure it will beat DiRT3 though...… Expand
  6. KBT
    Apr 26, 2011
    7
    Alright, it is obvious that the user scores and reviews for Shift 2 Unleashed (S2U) are not unanimously positive, although the vast majority is quite pleased with it. Now, I will try to give my own perspective on the game and hopefully showing that what it is that makes this game pleasant for most and bad for others. First and foremost, S2U has some elements which are certainly wellAlright, it is obvious that the user scores and reviews for Shift 2 Unleashed (S2U) are not unanimously positive, although the vast majority is quite pleased with it. Now, I will try to give my own perspective on the game and hopefully showing that what it is that makes this game pleasant for most and bad for others. First and foremost, S2U has some elements which are certainly well worked out and worth the attention, especially for the race sim fans. However, I believe that the game has too many major flaws which impede it being a great game like forza. These interesting elements, i.e. the surplus for the racing genre, consist of the helmet cam, the personalised sense of a racing career, night racing and the autolog for the multiplayer. As stated, on the other hand there are major downsides to this game as well. The most important one is the frustrating gameplay (especially at the beginning). Trying to balance between arcade and sim, the handling of all the cars in S2U is 'floaty.' At least to me, it didn't feel realistic at all due to frequent oversteer with all cars. This is not just a matter of tuning, it is the very way the driving mechanics work in S2U. Especially at the beginning of the game it feels like the car isn't on a race track at all, but on a ice rink. The cars you drive slide from side to side and then there is the just as frustrating minor lag between controller input and car reaction; the latter problem makes things even more difficult. Add the fact that the difficulty 'easy' is a bit too difficult for the occasional sim driver (like me) and way too difficult for the inexperienced, and the sum is a difficult car to control, and a too difficult game to master considering its pretence of being between arcade and sim. Besides the 'unrealistic' handling of the cars, the game forces you into the career mode and doesn't allow a quick race where you can choose from one of the the many cars the game has to offer. These quick races are only possible for the cars you own and this is a major mistake I believe. Another failure is the absence of the rewind option during racing; there is only the famous restart. Considering the difficulty of the game the rewind option is essential for a less frustrating, and more arcade, play. The sound and music is proper, but not special. One part of the sound did trouble me and that was a peculiar 'tic' every car in S2U makes during races (irrelevant to the view), although I never heard it at Forza nor GT.
    Although S2U has some neat features (helmet cam, night racing, personalized experience) it is far from the status of forza. The most important element in race games, car handling, is flawed per se. Add the difficulty for beginners and occasional gamers, the game is not what it is advertised to be. Nevertheless if you like the challenge and accept the shortcomings, the game can be fun. A seven.    … Expand
  7. Larux18
    Dec 19, 2011
    6
    Personally, i find this game to be a game that can't decide if it wants to be a simulator or a casual racer, that is this games bigger problem. Realism here is represented by the great crashes caused in the game and the helmet view which makes it even more realistic. The drawbacks of this game nevertheless are a very poor handling and an average online. This game is a great experience forPersonally, i find this game to be a game that can't decide if it wants to be a simulator or a casual racer, that is this games bigger problem. Realism here is represented by the great crashes caused in the game and the helmet view which makes it even more realistic. The drawbacks of this game nevertheless are a very poor handling and an average online. This game is a great experience for those who want realism but not at a very extreme point like Grand Turismo. You should consider this game despite some flaws but don't expect pure realism or a new hot pursuit.… Expand
  8. DLB008
    Apr 4, 2011
    10
    I nearly didn't buy this because shift 1 had the worst handling of any driving game i've ever played. This however has GREAT handling, exciting races, a good difficulty curve and wonderful cars. The single player game reminds me of PGR2 (which in my eyes is the best racing game ever). you do a series of events with different cars at different tracks from around the world. Normal races,I nearly didn't buy this because shift 1 had the worst handling of any driving game i've ever played. This however has GREAT handling, exciting races, a good difficulty curve and wonderful cars. The single player game reminds me of PGR2 (which in my eyes is the best racing game ever). you do a series of events with different cars at different tracks from around the world. Normal races, elimination, hot-lap, drifting are all here and the variety is great. If you are thinking of buying this but didn't quite like shift 1 then my advice is give it a try. I'm glad i did!… Expand
  9. Karthik7Nike
    Apr 2, 2011
    9
    SHIFT 2 : Unleashed is for ONLY those gamers who:
    1. Love the **** View and Helmet Cam View
    2. Aren't Bent on the game being a complete simulation or complete arcade. This game is a mix of both and it does so very well. THE BEST Driving Experience you can get in the market now! Might not be as obsessive and realistic as Forza 3 or Gran Turismo 5, but it delivers a very authentic driving    SHIFT 2 : Unleashed is for ONLY those gamers who:
    1. Love the **** View and Helmet Cam View
    2. Aren't Bent on the game being a complete simulation or complete arcade.

    This game is a mix of both and it does so very well. THE BEST Driving Experience you can get in the market now! Might not be as obsessive and realistic as Forza 3 or Gran Turismo 5, but it delivers a very authentic driving feel that is completely out of the world. Very Interesting soundtrack mix, but it just works! The songs that play once you win a race are really good but might get repetitive. FMV sequences could've been better. Car Models are excellently modeled and car sounds are mindblowing! Great Game! overall. but it's only for a certain group of gamers. NOT SUITABLE for every gamer.    … Expand
  10. Lamyaaadkins
    Apr 11, 2011
    10
    Pure real racing!People,review companies,ect.. review this game on its pure nature of racing.It's a perfect 10 if you really do that.Play a lap with Forza 3 then GTR 5 then Shift 1 then play this game.The straight up racing part of this game is perfect for a racing game in 2011.Of course there will be a patch for some problems at launch in the game so I don't even look at that.I will say aPure real racing!People,review companies,ect.. review this game on its pure nature of racing.It's a perfect 10 if you really do that.Play a lap with Forza 3 then GTR 5 then Shift 1 then play this game.The straight up racing part of this game is perfect for a racing game in 2011.Of course there will be a patch for some problems at launch in the game so I don't even look at that.I will say a perfect 10 now and 5 years from now.This is racing,this is what those guys go through every day,not bouncing off of walls to win a race in Gran Turismo 5.Or finding some nice girls that someone made with the vinyl editor in Forza 3.I love both of those games for different reasons but this takes the cake for me!Great game 10… Expand
  11. wadad17
    Apr 3, 2011
    8
    First lets get one thing straight. The game is Realistic, as in all the cars handle differentally, from shift speeds, braking distance, Grip to the road, everything. So if your car isnt handling the way you want, such as drift, make sure your using the right car. A FWD car cant drift, so make sure its a RWD(Ryan15x). Now the game is good. You can take a simple car and turn it into yourFirst lets get one thing straight. The game is Realistic, as in all the cars handle differentally, from shift speeds, braking distance, Grip to the road, everything. So if your car isnt handling the way you want, such as drift, make sure your using the right car. A FWD car cant drift, so make sure its a RWD(Ryan15x). Now the game is good. You can take a simple car and turn it into your car. From tuning, mechanics, and cosmetic. The game is exciting, and has alot of depth. I found myself leaning from left to right, and could feel my heart drop when i was mere inches from hitting the wall. Your car feels like its really going fast, unlike GT5 where it says your going 100+ MPH, yet the Kid in the stands is out running you on his way to the restroom. The AutoLog from the previous NFS game is back and adds some replay value and comptetion. I found a few things i didnt like. Such as the AI sticking strictly to the guide line. You could easily abuse this, ecspecially on S turns. The absolute biggest complaint is the soundtrack. There is only 1, yes 1 song in the entire game. I acutally have it stuck in my head. Luckly my MP3 has alot of the songs from older NFS soundtracks. Beyond the crap music, i mean the crappy single song, the game is enjoyable. NFS may be leaving the whole Underground Fast and Furious stage behind, but i personally dont thing thats such a bad thing. I like it, and hope they try to improve on this formula in the future.… Expand
  12. Gamer44
    May 27, 2011
    10
    okay this game is off the hook brilliantly done and totally awesome the depth of detail almost makes it feel like you're sitting in the drivers seat I love the helmet cam brilliant idea. The detail they put into the game is wow the detail in the cars looks fantastic the entire game looks and feels fantastic the driving is easy and even if you're a beginner you will find the driving easyokay this game is off the hook brilliantly done and totally awesome the depth of detail almost makes it feel like you're sitting in the drivers seat I love the helmet cam brilliant idea. The detail they put into the game is wow the detail in the cars looks fantastic the entire game looks and feels fantastic the driving is easy and even if you're a beginner you will find the driving easy once again EA dit a brilliant job with shift 2 unleashed I remember playing need for speed for the first time on my pc 10 yrs ago and to be honest need for speed on the console is much better than on the pc if I could give this game a 100 I would but it truly deserves a 10.

    This is once again one of my favourite need for speed games and can't wait for need for speed:The Run it already sounds awesome and knowing EA they will deliver a stunning game once again    … Expand
  13. philgreg
    Aug 27, 2011
    9
    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
  14. Jobadkins
    Apr 6, 2011
    9
    First,its not better then Shift 1, getting that out of the way, this game is very different then the original.For what it's trying to accomplish it succeeds on every level.While GTR 5 and forza 3 are amazing in different ways and you need both of those games because for every thing you want in each game that is missing the other one has it so that's that.This game shows you the terrifyingFirst,its not better then Shift 1, getting that out of the way, this game is very different then the original.For what it's trying to accomplish it succeeds on every level.While GTR 5 and forza 3 are amazing in different ways and you need both of those games because for every thing you want in each game that is missing the other one has it so that's that.This game shows you the terrifying part of racing which no other game shows you, they just show you the nice and dandy parts which is fine but neither rival game shows you the fear that comes along with racing and what these racers go through,fearing for there life every race so on that note Shift 2 unleashed delivers all over the place with non stop grade A quality racing.I really think that they should of named this game differently because there is a lot of people that had there hopes up that are disappointed because it doesn't have the feel of the first game, just here and there.I think on that note the game would of been more highly rated then it is.I give this game a 9.5,I'm knocking off half of point for not having the few bugs that are present during game play but I'm sure there will be a patch for download there always is nowadays that's what makes some companies lazier then before but that's a whole different topic.Great game 9.5… Expand
  15. s2696
    Jun 30, 2011
    1
    Damn, this game sucks so bad. 1/10
  16. Miz3k
    Apr 1, 2011
    5
    I'll start off by saying this will be my last NFS game which is sad because I've played them all since the original, this will also probably be my last EA game as the last several I've reviewed have been less than stellar. Where to begin? Graphics, they've been improved since the last Shift but still have that overall grainy jagged look that plagued the first, only to a lesser extent.I'll start off by saying this will be my last NFS game which is sad because I've played them all since the original, this will also probably be my last EA game as the last several I've reviewed have been less than stellar. Where to begin? Graphics, they've been improved since the last Shift but still have that overall grainy jagged look that plagued the first, only to a lesser extent. Still, compared to Forza and even the uneven visuals of Gran Turismo, this is pretty shabby looking. Interiors look great however tracks still have a cartoonish look I really don't care for and lighting is so so. This game looks nowhere near as good as all the pre-release videos we were shown which is not cool. As for the audio, cars sound good but pretty much all sound the same, there's not much distinction, also there's a weird clicking noise during races which I'm sure some car-nerd will attack me over and rant about what it was and how I should have known, but I've been in a lot of cars, race cars too, and I've never heard this sound. Apparently there is only one licensed song in the whole game cause that's all I hear on loop the whole game, either that or its all a bunch of generic 30 Seconds to Mars-sounding bands, it may be them, I can't be bothered to look. As for the physics, while better than last time they are still a far cry from realistic, anyone who says different lives in Ridge City. Cars are really floaty still and body-roll is too exaggerated. Drifting in the last game was broken, and that's being generous. Here its playable but still not great. The AI in the last game was all about rubber-banding and while they don't do that her there is an equally annoying issue. Rivals are overly aggressive, even on easy they are too good. Not everybody possesses the same level of skill, if everyone did there would be no Vaughn Gitten Jr. or Chris Rado, we'd all be so good there would be no greats. That's why if a game has an easy setting it should be easy, medium should be challenging, and hard should be near impossible for all those who like punishment. It should be able to be enjoyed by those of all skill levels, not just those who have mastered sims. Also, it doesn't really matter what car you drive. Certain races say you have to have say a D car 0-499 (performance rating) so you'd expect that if you drove a car that was rated 499 and everyone else was rated below you that you'd dominate. Nope, all the opponents are ramped up to match your car so its always a level playing field, well not really when you add in the too-good AI. This renders upgrades pointless, I went the majority of the game without upgrading and then only did it because I was bored. I'm sure I didn't need to. I also purchased the unlock all cars DLC, which I soon found out was pointless after I realized how the aforementioned game mechanic worked. Also, expect to be rammed off the track and spun out, A LOT, your opponents are total jerks. The accessibility that was claimed to be packed in is also hampered by this system. To even have a fighting chance against the AI, all assists must be off because when the game is helping drive it brakes too hard, too late or too soon, accelerates too slowly and handles questionably. If you play with the assists on you will lose, A LOT. This kinda defeats the purpose of allowing you to turn them on or off in the first place. I can't imagine newcomers to the genre playing for very long when they are continually being destroyed every race. Having real racing stars in the game was a nice touch and so is being able to win their cars. Speaking of cars there are a good amount, just don't expect as many as Forza or GT5. Also on the forums a lot of fanboys are defending this game saying it isn't designed as a sim when people attack how arcade-like it is. Sorry to inform you, and its well-documented in magazines and on the web, that EA marketed this as a sim and set its sites on being in the same league as Forza and GT5 (not even close). EA really needs to drop all the false advertisement, most of us have had enough. Sell your product for what it is and stop with all the misdirection ( I'm looking at you too Dragon Age 2). This was a very promising game that looked to make good on promises and one-up its predecessor, as well as give other sims some competition. Oh well, maybe next time. Also, THIS IS A NEED FOR SPEED GAME! I don't get where everyone is saying they're moving away from the NFS brand. It says Need for Speed at the bottom of the box art, the stylized NS logo is placed beside the title Shift 2 Unleashed, not to mention it states it before the game starts where the company branding is shown, as well as all through the game. Stop trying to make this game something it isn't. This is Need for Speed Shift 2 Unleashed, and its just as mediocre as all the rest of the games in the series.… Expand
  17. Mmario
    Apr 4, 2011
    10
    ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss… Expand
  18. Bal81
    Apr 12, 2011
    5
    Shift had bad controls but gave you the options to do something about it and with Shift 2 the controls are tighter and with the same options from the first game you can customise the deadzone of the steering,the throttle and clutch just like the original but,as you progress to different cars,faster cars you will find yourself going back and fourth to the option screen to try and fiddleShift had bad controls but gave you the options to do something about it and with Shift 2 the controls are tighter and with the same options from the first game you can customise the deadzone of the steering,the throttle and clutch just like the original but,as you progress to different cars,faster cars you will find yourself going back and fourth to the option screen to try and fiddle with it all again because the car your now racing in is more dangerous than the last one
    Graphics are great and the sound is great,the atmosphere again great but the handling is so crazy you will learn to love the game but in the faster cars you will learn to hate the game from being sick of trying to find a sollution that works when all you want to do is race.
    Dirt 3 is around the corner and somewhen in the furure im sure we will see a refined Grid sequel so all hope is not lost for the gamers who just want to race a fair race in machines that are of the same quality.
    Just a shame Shift 2 misses because of the same handling model.
    The reason Dirt and Grid were great was because the handling was pretty much spot on and the greatness or crappness of your driving came down to how much skill and time you had put into it andn not the handling model itslelf.Not once did i want to go to the option screen with Codies games and it would be pretty pointless if i did because you cannot change it like in Shift but the reason for that is Codies have been refining their handling model for years even back as far as the Toca games on PS1.
    If you want this then atleast keep the reciept.    … Expand
  19. WildfireV2
    Jul 23, 2011
    3
    One of the worst racing game series ever made, NFS needs to go back to its roots, Desperately, What happened to NFS underground and Most wanted ideas? NFS has become worse ever year its released.

    As a simulation racing game, its god awful, The graphics are good, the soundtrack too, and to some extent, i like the idea of a racing game with more involvement of the lower formulas of    One of the worst racing game series ever made, NFS needs to go back to its roots, Desperately, What happened to NFS underground and Most wanted ideas? NFS has become worse ever year its released.

    As a simulation racing game, its god awful, The graphics are good, the soundtrack too, and to some extent, i like the idea of a racing game with more involvement of the lower formulas of racing, i.e. GT1 But for me, the driving is just SO BAD, that it makes even the best Sim racers look like noobs. The cars have horrible understeer, theres barely any options for setup or taking assists off, only 3. The responsiveness of the car is almost non existent, the car feels lazy somewhat.
    If youre looking for the best simulation game money can buy, F1 2010 & soon to be F1 2011 is the game you want. Once you drive that, nothing else compares.    … Expand
  20. The-Passenger
    Apr 14, 2012
    5
    I personally believe Shift 2 has the good underpinnings of a game that could be developed with more cars and a bigger distinction between Easy, Medium and Hard, resulting in a more professional AI (less aggressive) I also think that it could expand its different racing modes, maybe to incorporate some rally-cross type races, like the better races from the DiRT series. The step away fromI personally believe Shift 2 has the good underpinnings of a game that could be developed with more cars and a bigger distinction between Easy, Medium and Hard, resulting in a more professional AI (less aggressive) I also think that it could expand its different racing modes, maybe to incorporate some rally-cross type races, like the better races from the DiRT series. The step away from the world of Most Wanted and Underground shows EA is moving away from its roots, and although I never played The Run, Hot Pursuit was enough of a bore to convince me not to buy The Run. The reason EA stepped away from the street-racing in the late 00's was probably because the market was flooded with street-racers (Midnight Club, Burnout etc), but now there's no modern, 2011+ game that has 100's of cars from all over the world.… Expand
  21. Ryan15x
    Apr 2, 2011
    2
    Shift one was a lot better. this game is just overly realistic and angering to play. the handling on the cars is stupid how it doesent even turn or drift the way you would like it to. this game just SUCKS!
  22. Aerotsu
    Apr 29, 2011
    3
    EA just keeps making the franchise worse and worse. When I look back to the masterpiece that Underground 2 was, I really wonder how did they manage to screw so bad with the series. On this awful installment, we got everything one could hate on a racing game : Bad framerates and jerky animations, crappy handling and a game that's not neraly as technical as Gran Turismo or Forza butEA just keeps making the franchise worse and worse. When I look back to the masterpiece that Underground 2 was, I really wonder how did they manage to screw so bad with the series. On this awful installment, we got everything one could hate on a racing game : Bad framerates and jerky animations, crappy handling and a game that's not neraly as technical as Gran Turismo or Forza but certainly not fun as the oder installments of the series, or burnout. It's a shame how this franchise is drifting away into pure awfulness.… Expand
  23. jdrandall38
    Apr 6, 2011
    1
    The same game as the last 5 NFS games. I'm so glad I didn't buy this one, hot pursuit or shift. I will just play most wanted again.
  24. Qwik
    Apr 5, 2011
    3
    I purchased this game with the hope of having a more realistic game yet something enjoyable to play. While the sound track and graphics are good (not the best but good), the overall gameplay is just too complex and hard. If their intent is to offer this game to the small hardcore real racing segment, then they might have done a good job. But in reality, no general consumer or even carI purchased this game with the hope of having a more realistic game yet something enjoyable to play. While the sound track and graphics are good (not the best but good), the overall gameplay is just too complex and hard. If their intent is to offer this game to the small hardcore real racing segment, then they might have done a good job. But in reality, no general consumer or even car fan will enjoy the game given the complexity especially as you get to higher levels. I found myself pissed off too many times and ended up selling it back. Too bad.… Expand
  25. Mep2k
    Mar 31, 2011
    5
    The Need For Speed brand has come a long way in the last couple of years. Even if Shift 2: Unleashed has moved somewhat away from the Need For Speed moniker, it's still enough NFS to help raise the impression of the brand. So then, it's better than the previous installments of the series, the graphics are quite nice, the autolog adds some meaning to re-racing races and the sound is ok. ButThe Need For Speed brand has come a long way in the last couple of years. Even if Shift 2: Unleashed has moved somewhat away from the Need For Speed moniker, it's still enough NFS to help raise the impression of the brand. So then, it's better than the previous installments of the series, the graphics are quite nice, the autolog adds some meaning to re-racing races and the sound is ok. But the feeling and the control is a bit iffy. It kinda feels like the car is much heavier then it really is and that there is a ever so slight delay when you control the car.

    Even so, I would say it's an ok racer. I had the same annoyances with NFS Hot Pursuit, so if you liked how the cars in that game handled and you want a more curcuit racing kind of experience, this is it. If you're like me, it's more of a rental than a buy.    … Expand
  26. rednas21
    Apr 19, 2011
    6
    You have to be great at all the racing games to play Shift 2. I am fairly decent at racing. Not comparing this to Forza 3 really but I own at Forza 3 (very simple racing game in my opinion). Shift 2 is very hard. I got through the first 7 or so races fine (using the new helmet view camera). Handling is very difficult with the helmet cam but not as difficult if you use different cameraYou have to be great at all the racing games to play Shift 2. I am fairly decent at racing. Not comparing this to Forza 3 really but I own at Forza 3 (very simple racing game in my opinion). Shift 2 is very hard. I got through the first 7 or so races fine (using the new helmet view camera). Handling is very difficult with the helmet cam but not as difficult if you use different camera angles which is weird to me at least, I'd expect the same from all. Anyway, after those 7 races, BOOM! Not going to lie, I gave up. I spent like 3 hours on the same race track 2 days in a row. I could barely get past the second turn. I have fiddled with the settings and that has helped but not enough.… Expand
  27. Rimsie
    May 15, 2011
    6
    This is basicly Forza 3. Nothing new here except drift which holds no enjoyment and is really just hard graft to earn the points to progress. The Forza tracks are better looking. If your looking for a next gen racer or something altogether refreshng this is a no no. Its been done better before.
  28. hallowedspirit
    Jul 27, 2011
    5
    I don't know why, but I found the cars so hard to control. I was all over the place. I've been playing racers since the original Gran Turismo, I've never encountered a game that was this frustrating. I can't recommend it to anyone. Get it used, or not at all.
  29. sinadoom
    Jun 28, 2012
    7
    Shift 2 is a bit of a mixed bag really. On the one hand you get the most engaging and realistic driving experience through helmet cam and Elite handling mode, which is aided by the ability to have manual with clutch and you can now fully change controls instead of being stuck with one default layout. Shift 2 improves on the first game by adding to that sheer awesomeness of speed when inShift 2 is a bit of a mixed bag really. On the one hand you get the most engaging and realistic driving experience through helmet cam and Elite handling mode, which is aided by the ability to have manual with clutch and you can now fully change controls instead of being stuck with one default layout. Shift 2 improves on the first game by adding to that sheer awesomeness of speed when in interior view, and without a doubt no game comes closer to making driving feel more real. All these people saying how it's no Forza are clearly using assists. I play all my racers with no assits and manual where possible, and this game is fairly realistic- more so than Forza in my opinion. But aside from that, the improvements on Shift 1 are merely in presantation than in real substance. It's the same game but without the stars system and different menus. Car choice is pretty generic, and gameplay and tracks are same as the first Shift- but you get an even bigger choice of tracks. All that's been added is night-time racing really. Corner mastering has been greatly improved, and customisation in terms of visuals and both upgrades & tuning has been deepened to Forza standard. The reason I can't rate this game highly is not just the lack of additions from Shift, but because there are some things it has got wrong. Sure, the lighting effects are outstanding for any racing game, but the textures on the vehicles are extremely low-res and grainy; however this may be due to the Xbox 360's highly outdated hardware. Drifting, whilst difficult to master relative to other games (Forza 3's is so much easier with all assists off than this), there is no satisfaction or fun to be had. Which is dissapointing, given that Need For Speed should be good at this. Even on the dedicated Underground 2-style drifting tracks it's not fun even if you get very high scores. Time attack and Hot Laps are the best part of this game though because you can drive without the stupidly annoying AI. Shift 1 had very bad and frustrating AI, but in Shift 2 it's even worse- espeically if you just want a pure driving experience with just you, the car and the track. Even on easiest difficulty the AI are ruthlessly aggressive and give you a very hard time, by bashing you off or due to rubberbanding effect. If you can beat Easy AI you can certainly do Medium. If the entire game was hot laps and time trials it would be amongst the greatest track driving games, but unfortuantely the buggy AI which is completely done wrong ruins the experience. One minute you're enjoying driving round a track getting lap times, the next you're constantly restarting because if you make the slightest bit of contact with AI cars you will flip if going over 120mph or so. If you want enjoyable, intense and above all VARIED racing which is more fun, less frustrating, more consistent and a more diverse game try DiRT 3. From what I can see, that game beats this on all fronts, including the intense engagement between car and driver- player and controller. If you can overcome the difficult AI, which is possible but takes time getting used to, then you will enjoy this game far more. But only IF. Ideally this problem shouldn't exist though.… Expand
  30. Andreasg
    Jul 8, 2013
    6
    A really mixed bag..
    It does offer the amazing in helmet view, with great sense of speed and danger, which in times it feels more like a survival game. The sound it plain unbelievable, emerging you even further into the game..
    But on the other hand the game is trying to be both a simulation and an arcade racer, offering at times very unrealistic con controls (managed to flip a car at    A really mixed bag..
    It does offer the amazing in helmet view, with great sense of speed and danger, which in times it feels more like a survival game. The sound it plain unbelievable, emerging you even further into the game..

    But on the other hand the game is trying to be both a simulation and an arcade racer, offering at times very unrealistic con controls (managed to flip a car at 40mph while turning). Especially the impact model with other cars is completely broken, just a nudge from an other car will sent you flying.

    This game can be fun and challenging, as long as you bypass its main weakness    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

45
#45 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2011
51
#51 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2011
78
#78 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 70 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 70
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 70
  3. Negative: 0 out of 70
  1. Gamer.no
    May 18, 2011
    80
    At its best, Shift 2 is one of the most intense and rewarding racing games around. There's some flaws (like the entire drifting part), but the overall package is really solid and fun.
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  2. XboxAddict
    May 13, 2011
    82
    While Shift 2 may not be as sim-heavy as Forza or arcade-like as Burnout, it does cut out its own groove in the genre with it's amazing helmet cam and driving aids that can be toggled to suit any racers experience or play style.
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  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.
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