alias GTR 3

Video at Amazon.com See My God, I do not know where to start ?! Even though I do not like to do that, so I can not help it first a word to the 1-star reviews dispense: Sorry but .. stupid? Stop now! I'm not a fanboy and not kiddie, and I'm not talking nicely, which is not nice! But 1 star is just slander, you should already stick to the facts.

First of all, it is always important to know who the review comes, because tastes differ. So a word to me, I come from the Sim-Racer corner and play GTR (Evo) for many years. So you can imagine how I tick, here my point of view:
- The old NFS parts (up excl Shift.) And something like Dirt or Grid: No racing games but action games with cars, so for me not interesting!
- Gran Turismo / Forza: just plain boring, because to me there Tetris on Level 10 more adrenaline, no matter how "realistic" that should be now ..
- GTR / iRacing / rFactor: Now that's what i'm talking about! ;)

... And what I thought of Shift 1? Well, it was a step in the right direction. What was the focus was the race feeling. Top speed feel, great sound, great dynamics. But shift 1 had a very big problem: The control! One can repeatedly read that driving in Shift turns out to be very difficult. The cars just were not properly controlled, and when you have a nice curve taken, the more luck than skill was. This of course makes not so much fun, and even though Shift 1 did many things right, so the control was the reason why I have put away it after a few days back and just dedicated myself again my GTR.

Now to Shift 2: I've bought myself because I was hoping that they got the control problem under control. If you look around now it seems as if they could not have done. But this I can just say: Yes, they have already, and each of the claims otherwise either has no steering wheel (which one disqualiziert themselves for a review) or has not to set right!
And the latter I can understand well: For the first few hours, I was in fact also not enthusiastic. My steering wheel (Driving Force GT) was recognized from the game immediately and everything worked. But I like to keep already in previous major problems the car under control. After a direct comparison with GTR was clear that the Force Feedback effects were simply too weak. So get up nice shot in the Logitech Profiler and the values. Then still made some fine tuning in the game.

After the settings (see bottom) and a few laps getting used on the Nordschleife with a 600 hp Supra: Totally feels like GTR !! Only prettier, louder, faster, GEILER! If someone plays for many years GTR and so loves like me, it must have been saying something when another game may replace the. I have now played Shift 2 about 30 hours and GTR is after many years on the shelf. The DVD of Shift 2 is now next to the computer - even if the game is not really necessary because can gamble without inserting a DVD.

But I try to be more specific as yet: In handling of physics itself or has actually done not so much compared to its predecessor. The funny thing is that only now - in retrospect - strikes: The physics in Shift 1 was already absolutely great and not so different from GTR and Co! Now attracts determined equal to the one or the other mouse on the "Add a comment" button to flame me! But let me explain it really so: The problem with Shift 1 was in fact not the behavior of the car itself, but the Force Feedback: There was almost none! Although there were many Rumble effects, but the most important, namely the transfer of brains on the steering wheel - was in Shift 1 actually as good as non-existent. That's why you could not drive properly. If you have no feeling for the car, it is anything but "unrealistic" that you can not control a 600 horsepower monster. So shift was not unrealistic by the game engine itself, but the interface to the players has been set in the sand.

In Shift 2 that's been ironed out, I can leave my car absolutely CONTROLLED erupt, and if I do not want to do it, also does not happen it! I feel at any time what is going on. I can estimate the car perfectly. One notices immediately when the power of the Spring Center Wheels subsides and slacken or threatening. The Rumble effect have been improved again. The routes have a lot of small bumps and irregularities that can lose a grip for a fraction of second. This was the predecessor also not really the case.
So the control is just perfect! I can only say again: who says otherwise has not taken enough time with the setup. Or - sorry - it just does not have it! Racing Sims are now times the most difficult games that exist. Who does not like the Challenge must leave it alone.

The control is the most important thing from the table, but of course a good racing game needs more than just a good control. But I realize that my degree review is quite long now - and I have no desire to write another 100 pages, the Nordschleife calls! So I consider myself from now on key points. I share it on in Pro's and Con's.

DANGER:
As Sim-Racer I play really only Time Attack! So things like career, KI, or sticker on the car do not interest me. As for these things I've therefore only purely written what I have seen so and something alluded! But I remember again explicitly because I rate the game from the perspective of a Sim Racers - so it can be good that I even did not address here on many features, simply because they do not care about me. So one probably other reviews and tests read for details.

Pro:
- As I said wonderful ride and Force Feedback!
- 900 ° Wheel support
- Adopted the good things of Shift 1 (graphics, sound, sense of speed, dynamics in the cockpit)
- Extensive car setup, which has a store for any car route combination leaves
- Replays can be saved - there is even an in-game "Youtube" button which allows you to automatically convert the replay and upload it to YT
- Auto-Login: class community feature with which one keeps track of personal bests and progress between friends
- Night mode
- Normal cockpit view, beside the new helmet cam is still available! (I like the helmet cam is not so)
- A lot of content (lots of cars, including a Caterham is to take that :)), many routes
- All in-game sequences breakable, you can immediately jump to the start of the race

Con:
- 24/7 sunshine (no rain, no dynamic day-night cycle)
- Fixtures illuminated the car only at night racing - not illuminated during the day and unfortunately, so dark that you can barely see anything
- Overturning cars looks absolutely stupid
- For me not really a con, but only so that no one is surprised: many routes from Part 1 recycled (not as bad as you think because you are in Shift 2 a completely different experience of the routes has)
- Sound the tunnel sounds just like outdoors
- Mechanical damage model very primitive and gracious (but it exists, eg: @ 260 km / h, wanted to switch from 6 to 5, turn by mistake in 4. -> engine damage, smoke from bonnet, Race over - counterexample: With 100 in NE wall - continue no problem)
- Night Mode not available on all routes - do not worry, for there's Nordschleife him;)
- AI is good for nothing (too aggressive and at the same time too slow)
- No race weekends (no warmup, Qualifying etc)
- BUG: When you Fascinating country in the race going into the menu and the repeat viewing, and then passed the ball missing sometimes to once every FFB effects - then you have to restart the race
- BUG: When my DFGT Wheel pedals have a Dead Zone, although placed in-game to 0%. If you know it's acts are not detrimental to's games, but it's a bit weird
- Intro Movie in the first 10 seconds not be canceled (you can rename the Movie Files then comes no intro But you should of course not have to do as a player, not everyone is familiar with PC's from.)

CONCLUSION:

Shift 2 = Sim-style á la GTR (control, car setup, claim) + the positives from 1 Shift + many minor improvements / innovations
The game is not 100% perfect and you could even patch a few things, but it does with the things that matter makes it all right! It's just hammer it "delivered". For me it has replaced GTR and I come hardly get away from it. Hab Mir 2 days before Dead Space 2 bought what I am totally happy -'ve only 1 hour played and thought it was great too, but then I spontaneously bought Shift 2, and only gambled since the: D

5 star, i love it !! :)

And just look at my video! Round Nordschleife with a McLaren - because you get already shaky from watching hands;)

... And yet last as promised my Settings (Driving Force GT Wheel):

Logitech Profiler:
Intensity of effects 120%
Spring effect 90%
Damping effect 100%
At 25% centering spring activated
Allowing the game settings changes: disabled!

In-Game:
FFB 70%
Dead Zones all at 0%
Speed ​​Steering Sensi to 30%
all other Sensitivities all on 50%
But 360 ° rotation, which is a matter of taste