Shift 2 Unleashed

60%
Game Brain Score Based on 998 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • optimization
Shift 2 Unleashed Game Cover
Shift 2: Unleashed may not be the Forza or Gran Turismo competitor everybody was hoping it to be, but it is a damn good game, with a lot of really enjoyable moments.
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"Shift 2 Unleashed" is a racing simulator that emphasizes realism and immersion. Experience an authentic racing experience with advanced car physics, night racing, and real-world tracks. The game also includes a unique view system that shifts between interior and exterior perspectives, providing a distinct sense of speed and intensity.

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Reviews

60%
Audience ScoreBased on 998 reviews
graphics70 positive mentions
optimization6 negative mentions
  • Shift 2 Unleashed offers a fun and immersive arcade racing experience with a good variety of cars and tracks.
  • The graphics and sound design are impressive for a game of its age, providing a visually appealing and engaging atmosphere.
  • The game retains a lot of replayability, especially for players who enjoy tuning cars and completing various racing events.
  • The game suffers from significant input lag and unresponsive controls, making it frustrating to drive, especially with a keyboard.
  • Frequent crashes and stability issues, particularly during races, hinder the overall gameplay experience.
  • The AI can be overly aggressive, often resulting in frustrating collisions that can ruin races.
  • graphics155 mentions

    Overall, the graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many players noting that they hold up surprisingly well for a title released in 2011. While some users mention minor glitches and performance issues, the visuals are often described as beautiful and impressive, particularly in terms of car models and track detail. However, there are also criticisms regarding the aging graphics and optimization challenges on modern hardware, indicating a mixed reception in terms of graphical fidelity.

    • “The visuals are stunning.”
    • “Graphics are quite nice overall, could use a bit of improvement but it is understandable as it is quite old.”
    • “Fantastic graphics and detail on even the smallest design flourishes of the automobile are flanked by locations rendered in breathtaking accuracy.”
    • “I played the tutorial, the graphics are worse than Shift 1, the narrator isn't as good, the driving physics are worse, everything is worse.”
    • “Despite the decent graphics and vehicle design, as well as the variety of different tracks available to race on, all the issues with the game pull it down.”
    • “NFS Shift 2 has the most god awful glitches in regards to graphics and cranking them up.”
  • gameplay69 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its immersive and intense racing experience, while others criticize the driving mechanics and control responsiveness as subpar. Many users noted that cutscenes disrupt the flow of gameplay, and issues such as crashes and poorly optimized controls further detract from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, some players find it enjoyable for casual racing, especially when compared to other titles in the genre.

    • “The gameplay is immensely intense; you know if you hit the driver in front or brake slightly too late it could all be over in a savage first-person crash.”
    • “Exciting and realistic gameplay compared to other NFS games, worth it for those who want to try sim racing without being too serious about the physics.”
    • “The graphics are sharp and the gameplay is awesome; this is one of the best Need for Speed games ever.”
    • “The announcer's irritable voice was off-putting and out of place in this title, which affected gameplay in an obviously bad way.”
    • “Worst driving mechanics in any racing game.”
    • “The keyboard keys are bound to impossible keys, in-game mechanics aren't optimized for PC, and the AI is poorly done, not to mention the fact that the game crashes often on high graphics.”
  • optimization42 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many users reporting severe performance issues, including frame drops and stuttering, particularly in the Steam version compared to the Origin version. While there are options for performance customization, the overall experience is marred by bugs and poor optimization, making it one of the least optimized entries in the series. Despite these issues, some players noted improvements in performance with specific setups, highlighting a disparity in experiences based on platform and configuration.

    • “Great performance customization.”
    • “Right from the start, the difference in performance was huge - I got 88 fps without any drops, where I had 35-40 fps in the Steam version.”
    • “With the addition of a horde of new cars, quantity of cars and classes, and the performance index system, there is now a whole new level of strategy in picking and choosing the best cars and parts to suit your gameplay, while still staying in the performance index rating.”
    • “Probably the buggiest, least optimized game in the entire series since Undercover.”
    • “The first is performance issues: this game struggles to run at decent frame rates, and busy parts of tracks have noticeable dips in frame rate.”
    • “The keyboard keys are bound to impossible keys, in-game mechanics aren't optimized for PC, and the AI is poorly done, not to mention the fact that the game crashes often on high graphics.”
  • music35 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack as a masterpiece featuring a great selection of songs and atmospheric compositions, while others criticize it for being repetitive or lacking variety during gameplay. Many players appreciate the custom remixed tracks and the overall ambiance created by the music, but some report issues with only hearing a single song on repeat in the menu. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a highlight for some, but a disappointment for others due to its inconsistency and limited presence during races.

    • “The music is gorgeous.”
    • “The music is beautiful, the cars incredible and the experience is surreal.”
    • “This is really a great racing game overall; it’s fun, very challenging, and has one of the best soundtrack lists to listen to while playing the game.”
    • “The resulting menu music is pompous and overdramatic, but fitting.”
    • “One song plays on repeat in the menu.”
    • “My reasons for not giving it a higher score is that it has a very lacking soundtrack (only one menu track on infinite loop), the career mode is really bad in terms of layout for example seasons/circuits don't have a points/position system, as long as you place 3rd you're good, so there is no overall winner in a class/series, and certain handling elements that bog you down when it shouldn't.”
  • stability22 mentions

    The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various graphical glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players have experienced ongoing issues even after extensive troubleshooting, leading to frustration and a sense of abandonment regarding potential fixes. Overall, the game is perceived as poorly optimized and riddled with bugs, detracting from what could otherwise be an enjoyable experience.

    • “Constantly freezes, horrible performance overall.”
    • “After all this time, I've given up. Between the graphic glitches, bad animation like shifting a manual with a teleporting arm that resets every shift, to having to repair the game every month to even keep it stable...”
    • “Crashes, low FPS issues, and freezes are common.”
  • story15 mentions

    The game's story has received mixed reviews; some players appreciate its variety and find it engaging, while others criticize it for being minimal and repetitive, lacking a coherent narrative or satisfying conclusion. Many users noted that the cutscenes are poorly executed and do not enhance the overall experience, leading to disappointment in the campaign's storytelling aspect. Additionally, technical issues have hindered some players' ability to fully engage with the story.

    • “There is a good variety in cars, the story is great and it's simply amazing.”
    • “This game almost has Forza 5 graphics, but it has night racing customization options and somewhat of a storyline.”
    • “Decent story, but for me the game glitched and I missed all of B and C.”
    • “First of all, Shift 1 barely had a story, but this game has even less. You just climb up the ranks playing meaningless repetitive races, and believe me, these races are much more repetitive than the first game was.”
    • “The races and god-awful cutscenes that replace the story are a step back. The UI and the way you choose tracks and cars is also a step back, and that's saying something because while effective, Shift 1's UI was terribly unattractive.”
    • “Also, this game just doesn't even have an ending. You unlock the last of the races, the drivers say something in their terrible cutscenes that I couldn't hear, not even about the story, but about the races we unlocked, which by the way, the final races are just drag races...”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively time-consuming and tedious, often requiring a significant investment of time to achieve desired upgrades. While the gameplay can be enjoyable once fully tuned, the repetitive nature of grinding and frustrating menu navigation detracts from the overall experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “As a result, the menu navigations are nonsensical and tedious.”
    • “There's an extremely tedious and obnoxious guy who tells you how awesome he is and then explains to you what a muscle car is, as if you've never seen one before.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by unexpected moments, such as a message prompting players to plug in a controller while using a steering wheel, which many found amusing despite the game's realistic label. Players also noted that the quirky controls and physics, reminiscent of previous titles like NFS Shift, added to the comedic experience, making the game both funny and challenging. Overall, the humor seems to stem from the game's inconsistencies and the absurdity of certain gameplay mechanics.

    • “This is funny because Vaughn Gittin Jr. clearly says at the beginning of the game.”
    • “For a game that is labeled as realistic, I was both shocked and dead laughing when a message asking me to plug in a controller popped up while I was trying to play the drift mode with my steering wheel.”
    • “Controls and physics are just as funny as in NFS Shift - a lot of skidding and steering delays.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is highlighted by its appeal to achievement hunters and the enhancements provided by mods, which significantly improve the experience. However, the presence of unskippable tutorials detracts from replay value for some players, making repeated playthroughs less enjoyable. Despite this, many users find the game offers substantial replayability, especially compared to its predecessor.

    • “If, like me, you're obsessed with getting all achievements, this game retains a lot of replayability after the years.”
    • “Even better than the first, with tons of replayability.”
    • “Don't play without the PTMU mod; it makes the game 100% more playable.”
    • “Unskippable tutorials—millions of them—result in no replay value. Reinstalling means facing the tutorials again.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players express frustration with the game's mechanics, noting that even minor contact with opponents leads to significant setbacks, which can evoke feelings of helplessness and inadequacy. This emotional response is heightened by the AI's seemingly unaffected behavior, amplifying the player's sense of struggle and defeat.

    • “And now he is extra emotional.”
    • “I'm not a newbie to racing games, but this game made me feel like a novice!”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users noting its uniqueness for a racing title, complemented by an amazing soundtrack and enjoyable career mode. The physics model also contributes to the overall immersive experience.

    • “Legendary, the atmosphere is unique for a racing game.”
    • “Great atmosphere, amazing soundtrack, enjoyable career mode, nice physics model.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy is perceived as hasty and poorly executed, leading players to feel that the sequel is primarily a cash grab rather than a thoughtfully developed game.

    • “Just seems a bit sloppy and half-baked... like let's knock out a quick sequel for a cash grab.”
    • “The monetization feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “It’s frustrating that so many features are locked behind paywalls, which ruins the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

83% average critic score

Buy Shift 2 Unleashed

Play time

9hMedian play time
9hAverage play time
20hMain story
50hCompletionist
2-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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