Shift 2 Unleashed

[kalniel]

Anyone else playing this?

After some rage at the download manager, I'm quite enjoying it. They've addressed many (but not all) of the flaws in NFS:Shift, including:

-Ability to save different set-ups and pre-apply set-ups on either a per track or per type of track basis
-Ability to buy more than one of the same car (so you can have the same model upgraded to different classes)
-More tracks
-Better online stuff
-Better upgrade options

I don't know if there are more cars than NFS:Shift, but there are certainly different cars.

The handling model is pretty similar - it's a little smoother, but it's still often quickest to just chuck the car in, wait for the grip then continue around the corner, which is quite fun, but not very realistic! I had to do a far bit of control setup tweaking as the default 360 pad configuration provides so much assistance you're basically full lock on every corner and letting the damping sort it all out, which isn't very fun.

The new helmet cam mode would be fine, except for the turn to apex feature which makes it basically unusable for me. Thankfully the cockpit mode returns, though it's harder to read the dials than previously.

Graphically it's swings and roundabouts - the lighting is slightly improved, and there's more rubber gunk coming off tyres and splatting on windscreens, but the track detail/texture seems a little lower than the first game. Certainly it runs a lot faster than the first game, once you turn off AA in game which seems to be bugged.

Audio is quite different - it's not the cacophony of squeals and pops that the first game was, instead engine sounds dominate. Probably more realistic, but it's slightly harder to judge grip levels. As you upgrade to more track oriented parts the noises come back so it's not all bad.

AI are still quite aggressive, but in the early stages they're not quite as bad. The XP progression is improved over the stars system as well.

Overall it's a good improvement over the first game, but don't expect a completely different game.

[jackvdbuk]

i played it on 360, although im not a big fan of racing games, i just couldnt get on with it.

the AI keep ramming me and id go flying all the time and the tricks are too difficult for me

[Behemoth]

Waiting for Steam to finish downloading as we speak, getting rather bored of waiting now though lol

[chuckskull]

Agreed with kal, feels very similar, it's a nice update to the series, but you can certainly tell it hasn't been that long since the first. Only real annoyance so far is that for some reason I couldn't buy a Murcielago(only the already modded GT1 version available), and had to settle for a Gallardo. Still a rocket ship but I wanted the slightly more powerful rocket ship

[Damnation]

i can't wait to get stuck into this game! just waiting for some pc parts to come back into stock and then a steam download.

[kalniel]

Agreed with kal, feels very similar, it's a nice update to the series, but you can certainly tell it hasn't been that long since the first. Only real annoyance so far is that for some reason I couldn't buy a Murcielago(only the already modded GT1 version available), and had to settle for a Gallardo. Still a rocket ship but I wanted the slightly more powerful rocket ship

The LP640? Did you buy the limited edition, and have you signed into EAs online thingy? When you do it should become available to buy for $0 in the car lot. Can't tell much difference from the Reventon, styling aside (and I love the Reventon cockpit )

[Andy3536]

Anyone using a wheel with this on PC? There was a video on youtube showing a pretty awfull delay with the wheel input.
Kinda putting me off, i like the look of it though so am interested in getting it. So any views from people using a wheel apreciated

[kalniel]

Anyone using a wheel with this on PC? There was a video on youtube showing a pretty awfull delay with the wheel input.
Kinda putting me off, i like the look of it though so am interested in getting it. So any views from people using a wheel apreciated

Don't have a wheel, but have been following the input lag discussion out of interest. Firstly, ignore the wheel turning animation - that lags behind the actual steering let alone the input. Secondly you can adjust dampening in the control config XML files - remove dampening and input lag is reduced. Thirdly apparently there is a modified dxinput dll you can drop in which removes more dampening at the MS controller driver level. Finally it's also a function of framerate - I found I had quite bad input lag on the gamepad when I had AA enabled, but since disabling AA I've not noticed it so badly.

I do still notice it a tiny bit on the pad (I've not tried the modified dll), but it also seems to depend on the car, so it's almost like it's a measure of how quickly the car is responding and a function of suspension set-up therefore.

[Andy3536]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHsGk...layer_embedded

That's one of the vids putting me off.

I might wait untill the price is a bit cheaper or a see a patch coming out that fixes the problem specificly.
Can't imagine it'll be long before they fix it.

[chuckskull]

The LP640? Did you buy the limited edition, and have you signed into EAs online thingy? When you do it should become available to buy for $0 in the car lot. Can't tell much difference from the Reventon, styling aside (and I love the Reventon cockpit )

Ah, no and ugh no. That'd be my problem. Not tried the reventon, it handled like a brick in the first one, so I dodged it. The Gallardo outdrags just about everything, so not really had cause to go back and look at others. On the styling front, the new Pagani is gorgeous. The works version too.

Also I have decided this game has the most realistic AI ever, after having a veyron come flat out the wrong way down a straight, right into me, it's just like playing against humans.

[kalniel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHsGk...layer_embedded

That's one of the vids putting me off.

I might wait untill the price is a bit cheaper or a see a patch coming out that fixes the problem specificly.
Can't imagine it'll be long before they fix it.

Well you can see in the vid that the animation lag is much worse than the steering lag!

[Andy3536]

Well you can see in the vid that the animation lag is much worse than the steering lag!

Can't see that, it looks to me like the steering matches the animation. Right at the start fo the vid the guy takes a 90deg left hander and he turns in quite sharply. The car doesn't seem to turn in untill the animation turns the wheel.
I don't think the juddering on the wheel helps though, the animation of the wheel seems to always be busy when the input isn't. Really makes it difficult to see how bad the delay is.
I'll keep an eye on what the patches are doing though, see if it's improved.

[Behemoth]

Drift mode still sucks

[kalniel]

OMG the caterhams are sooo fun!