System Availability
Need for Speed Shift is available for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 systems. The last time there was a NFS game where you were on tracks was Need for Speed Pro Street, and I missed the street racing action of the original. I thought at first I might be disappointed with the track-based action in Need for Speed Shift, but I was wrong.

Graphics and Game Play
Of all the NFS games, Need for Speed Shift has the best graphics. The cars are realistic down to their interiors and the bodywork is fantastic. The physics of the cars is top notch and each car should drive like it does in the real world.

The game supports force feedback wheels from Logitech including the G25 and G27 and if you are a true racing fan, one of these wheels is the only way to play the game. Game play is as you expect, you win races to unlock new driver levels, which unlocks new tracks and accessories you can use to soup up your car.

The car customization system is robust and has lots of options. There are three different levels that you can unlock as you progress and you start with tier one parts. As you unlock higher levels, you can make your car faster and faster. As you win more money you can also buy new cars that have more performance from the get go and can be made even faster.

Cars range from VWs to exotic Italian rides that will make the car enthusiasts heart flutter. The cars sound fantastic. Game play is also top notch. I love that you can get bonus points for driving how you prefer. If you like to be clean and technical, you can get points for that. If you are like me and like to trade paint, and knock people off the track, you can get points for that as well.

There are different types of events in the game from time trials to road races and other challenges as you go along. You can make good money and there are several difficulty levels for the game so even novice racers can get in on the action. However, pros won’t feel that they are being helped too much and can turn off everything that helps the novice in the game and be left alone with their machine to drive or crash depending on their skill level.

One of the coolest new features in the game is that when you get hit hard or crash the world goes fuzzy for a bit, just as it would if you got in a real accident. This is one of the top notch racing titles I have tried and is every bit as good as Gran Turismo. Honestly, I think it is better the car customization is robust and there are lots of rides to choose from.