NFS Shift

Well I finally got Need For Speed Shift yesterday. This has to be the most visceral driving game since burnout. I think burnout kinda falls into a just have fun in a sandbox type of game now though. Its nice to have this type of experience in a semi sim racer. There are 5 different tiers of racing and currently im level 13 in tier 3. I have started to unlock races in tier 4 but I cannot access them yet. A couple of my impressions so far....

Good

-This game has the best cockpit mode in a driving game yet. GT5 Prologue did a great job and im certain Forza 3 wil deliever as well. However, I dont see either being as crazy as this game. The sense of speed you get is on par with burnout and the interior will also change with damage and cosmetically with upgrades.

-The progression system is very unique. You earn stars for different accomplisments on the track. Once you earn those starts they are permanent. What that turns into is say it wants you to spin out 4 opponents to get a start and you do so. However, by driving like a mad man you ended up finishing poorly. You get that star and can go back in and race to get the win next time to get those stars. More stars unlock the tiers of driving events. Also you have a driving exp much like a RPG. Just about everything you do on the track in both aggressive and precision add up to something. You have a drivers level which increases with the exp and each level requires more exp. There are 50 levels to obtain. Going up in level unlocks liveries, special events, bonus cash etc. On top of all that stuff you earn drivers badges. These are for things such as driving a make of vehicle a certain distance or mastering tracks. As far as rewards go though I dont see any point in these. I havent recieved anything for the badges I have earned so far. There are trophies linked to them but thats up to the player.

Bad

-This game has some pretty lengthy load times (PS3 version) even with an install. Not sure on the 360.

-The replays are really buggy for some reason. Very limited controls which pale in comparison to say Dirt 2.

-The soundtrack is horrible. I dont even notice it.

-The control on the car can be just way out of control sometimes. I never really get a feeling like im in control. I think they might have went a little overboard on the physics on the tires.

On a side note. Every car in this game can be purchased with your cash. Not just in game stuff you earn but actual money. Each time you got to buy a car it gives you an option to buy it with in game cash or hit the playstation store. Im not going to pay EA my money for something I can do in game so im not sure how much they are charging.