If I met the CEO of EA I would ask him why he is being so good to us!? Much like in the style of the Ferero Rocher advert. Or on the other hand why have people been holding back? I know they are only the publishers but they hold some responsibility for the developers under it's banner. I would also ask him where are my Ferraris In this franchise but thats a whole other matter!

Coming off the back of the Beautiful visuals of Crysis 2 here is another treat for the Eyes in the Shape of Shift 2. For anyone who played Shift 1, you will remember it was an average game trying to force it's way into the niche market of Sim racers and not really causing as much as a bead of sweat on the brows of these Developers: unless you game on multi platforms your either in one camp when it comes to this type of game: PS3=GT5 360=Forza 3

Well be prepared for a new title to enter the fray and not only hold it's own but actually out do the other 2! (I know Forza 3 is dated now so calm down fanboys) I remember playing the first ever NFS on the PC and watching it's self transformation as a franchise from a super car racer to a spotty 18 year olds 1.1 Saxo driving, Max power reading Mcdonalds car park terrorizing "Chavs" favorite game.

I drifted away from the franchise when I discovered the joys of women and drinking as opposed to driving around town racing other "Kevs" lol Although I dabbled with some titles from the NFS series over the past few years none caught my attention like NFSHP and I played this to death! The game got true recognition picking up a BAFTA this year for best online Multi Player.

So bearing in mind I'm a huge fan of Forza and GT whilst enjoying the arcade feel of NFSHP I was skeptical about playing Shift 2 with the frame of mind of expecting a serious racing sim. How wrong I was, This game nails it! The mechanics and physics are near perfect and I'm yet to find fault, if you do take issue with anything the in-depth settings let you change so many settings you can either play full arcade all assists on and above your car view to fully "Elite" all driver aids off and the amazing helmet cam view.

The graphics are up there with GT5 plus you have the bonus of not having to wait 5 hours to install the game before you play it. Although it has a smaller range of cars then the other games the ones that are available are beautifully modeled and include every last detail. The inclusion of the Jeremy Clarkson tongue twister (and it takes a lot to shut him up) Pagani Huayra is the icing on the cake. Small details like the shadow of your car or headlighs effecting you on night races show true polish and as for the feeling of Speed, Chose the Pagini Zonda (one is unlocked from playing NFSHP) and race it around the Dubai national arena and you will never have felt speed like that before!

On a plus note I'm not concerned about the lack of cars available because being a EA game you can bet your life there will be more DLC then you can shake a stick at. Another nice touch is the inclusion of loyalty rewards for playing previous titles(bonus $ XP an cars) On the subject of DLC this game includes the option to unlock all cars and events from the get go for 1200MSP, People moan that its unfair and people should have to work to unlock in game progress but I feel that if you only get to game for say 3 hours a week then you will never get the full benifit of the game as opposed to someone who plays 6 hours a day.

The soundtrack to this game is epic and adds to the atmosphere! Rise against and Biffy Clyro get you right In the mood! And despite the long haired, vegan looking guy from OXM who also looks like he got head hunted from the apple store saying he thought the sound track sucked(I think he would like more Belle and Sebastian in his action games) it's perfect! It can become repetitive in certain events such as Drift as you may need to Restart the event if you crash. Simple option to this is install your own sound track to your Console.

As I just mentioned the drift events in this game are tough! You go to drift school for 3 events but you get thrown in at the deep end and it actually helps. My mate james who is part of the successful Forza 3 Drift Clan "TSM" and a complete Forza 3 fan boy actually prefer the Drift in this and agrees it's a better game! Now that is saying something!

All in all a well presented game with stunning graphics, great gameplay, Challenging and a Solid MP makes this a must own for any Racing Fan. Defo a day one purchase and 1000G is attainable but maybe to time consuming for a rental. If DLC arrives as Regularly as I expect then you will be playing this until the next title drops (or until Forza 4 you fan boys ;p)

Stevie Score 9/10