I won’t beat about the bush with this one. I have been waiting for Need for Speed: Shift to appear on the PSP since I first learned of its existence.  To me it looked like a step in the direction for the series, and a valid rival for the likes of Forza Motorsport.  I was not impressed by the street racing versions of NFS, and was looking forward to a change in direction.  Upon first playing Need for Speed: Shift, however, I thought it had all gone horribly wrong.

First of all the game was not created by the same people who did the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game, and when I read on the loading screen that said development team was a member of EA, I feared the worse.  Second there were references to ‘street kings’ and other street racing references and I really was reaching for the off switch because this was nothing like the game EA were advertising on their website.

But then I decided to give the game the benefit of the doubt.  I thought that maybe the street racing elements somehow tied into the game I had seen in demos.  I ended up being completely wrong, but the more I played the PSP version, the more I realized what game the developers were basically trying to do.  That was to copy Project Gotham Racing.  The PSP version of Need for Speed: Shift is probably the closest to getting a portable version of PGR (the original title), unless Microsoft releases an Xbox handheld in the future.

The game, to start with, looks great for a PSP title and the sense of speed is actually superb.  The game features a main career mode where you must race to the top of the list of the most established racers.  These racers form your rivals and are an integral part of the game.  The game features real cars from real manufacturers and they all handle and perform differently.  Races are spread out amongst real locations such as London and San Francisco and race tasks include simple races, elimination and point-to-point races that are just like races in the very first NFS game.

As you win each race you are rated at the end of each performance according to how well you race (how fast you go, how well you drift and so on) and these points go towards unlocking some of the more exotic cars.  Each race gives you points and you earn points for pretty much anything.  As you progress through each set of races – which get harder in difficulty as you go – you end each difficulty having to beat your rival in a series of races.  If you beat them you win their car and move on to the next set of races.

One problem with this game is that it just seems too easy.  I beat most races using the default Scirocco, unless I was forced to change cars.    Luckily though the game rewards you for being loyal to manufacturers by offering you new parts such as extra bodywork and nitrous which still maintains some of the street racing elements from NFS of old.

Some races are quite tough though, such as drift races where you must drift constantly to build up a chain of score multipliers in order to beat the top three scores.  The game features no damage except when you hit a car or wall at top speed – doing that results in seeing your car get smashed and damage does seem evident.  Yet the cars really do not handle all that differently after lots of damage.  Or maybe it was just me?

As I said, graphically the game is great for a PSP title.  In terms of sound effects the cars sound good and for once EA have got a decent soundtrack featuring music from the likes of The Prodigy and MASTRKRFT which sets the tone of the game well. Although I did immediately think it was a street racing game .  It does feature more simulation based gameplay and is definitely a step in the right direction in terms of the NFS series as a whole.  The game also features the usual multiplayer options using wireless as expected.

Overall I have to say that I utterly enjoyed the latest NFS title, and even though I thought it would just be another street racing title it actually offers a great racing experience that reminds me of the original Project Gotham Racing on the Xbox.  Anyone who has become disillusioned with the NFS series of late would do well to take a look at this for a pleasant surprise.

8 Ninja Heads Out of 10

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