EA Black Box hosted a Need for Speed: Shift demo event recently and I was given an opportunity to attend the event. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance. Stations were set up with the game running so I took a stab at it. Mind you, I’ve never really dug the racing genre so I was a little bit hesitant to give the game a try. Instead of featuring an open world map like Burnout Paradise, it was closer to a racing simulation, comparable to Gran Turismo or Forza. Right away, I noticed the level of detail that went into the cockpit area, giving the viewer a sense of actually being the driver.

Familiarizing myself with the controls, I sat on the available bar stool and set to playing. My first foray into the track was not pretty. In fact, I didn’t factor in how sensitive the controls were and set about crashing against the side rails. And when I crashed, I felt the repercussions – color faded from the screen and noises suddenly canceled out to create a more visceral experience. It was actually quite jarring to have that happen and I took my trigger fingers off, gently tapping instead. Eventually, I finished the race dead last with my mangled car puttering to the finish line. I was rather discouraged with that first try.
Producer Jesse Abney graciously took the time to answer questions (that he probably answered at least a few hundred times) and give me a walkthrough. He mentioned that while the game is a racing simulation, the team worked hard to make sure it’s also accessible to all audiences. He wanted gamers to be able to just pick up the controller and start playing right away. At the same time, he was conscious of the staunch followers of the racing genre; the game features a hardcore mode for those looking for a challenge. Another component that he pointed out was the crashing effects, a nod to first-person shooter games that simulate trauma. I explained my firsthand experience with crashing against barriers and he looked quite pleased. After all, I did flinch when I abruptly smashed against concrete.

While the learning curve can be a bit steep, the game can be merciful towards beginners such as me. Jesse explained that before gamers tackle races, they do a short track test run to gauge their skill level; in my case, I played in the casual mode. He insisted that I give at least a few more tries to get a hang of the controls before giving up. Not one to turn down a request, I played another round. This time, with Jesse guiding me through the race, I fared a lot better. Yes, I still crashed left and right. And yes, I finished in the bottom half. But I felt more comfortable with the controls!

While the controls are easy to latch onto, applying the right balance of pressure and ease can be a tricky thing. Easing into the racing circuit, I’m provided directional and speed cues with arrows changing colors – green to accelerate, yellow to slow down and red to ease on the brakes. When I crashed, I panned out the camera for a third-person perspective to see how much damage I sustained. At one point, the hood came off. Tapping on both the accelerator and brakes, I improved drifting on the track. As time passed by, I was placing higher in the standings. By the time my fifth trial rolled on, I had placed 2nd – a definite improvement. Playing through, I realized that the system encourages the player to build on skills and move on to higher degrees of difficulty, extending the gameplay.

While casual gamers may not necessarily pick up the game, Shift attempts to draw in everyone. It offers fine-tuned details, challenging modes and an engaging learning curve that is worth looking into. Need for Speed: Shift is currently available on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC platforms.