Need For Speed: Shift video game

Drive a Pagani Zonda F, Audi R8, Aston Martin DB9 and Bugatti Veyron all in one day with the new Need for Speed: Shift game!

We tried it on a Sony PlayStation3, linked to a high-definition TV.

Most striking was the detail, plus the quality of the cars – bodywork curves and exhausts were perfectly illustrated.

It was a similar story inside, with supercars conveying the classy feel you get in the real thing. Our first crash showed how realistic this game is – the camera blurred and the driver lurched around. Just as convincing were the movements when braking or cornering.

Tracks include a London street circuit, the Nürburgring in Germany and Laguna Seca in the US, and all are well put together.

Arcade drivers will like the time attacks and drift competitions, and you can play against friends online. But the handling disappointed, and even in maximum crash damage setting, the worst issue our car developed was a pull to the left.

Verdict

 * Problems? Quite expensive, crash damage isn’t realistic, handling not accurate, either.

 * So why buy? Great first attempt for simulator, huge range of cars and circuits, highly detailed.