Need for Speed Shift somehow means a return to the origins of one of the most important racing titles of all time. The classic saga that has marked an entire generation of speed lovers meets again, thanks to this title, with the challenge of showing its ability in a series of urban environments, moving the action back to the middle of the city, as in the old days.

Need for Speed Shift is a game that can be much simpler in terms of its plot than some other installments of the saga, although the truth is that you'll still have to prove that you are a much better driver than the others. The idea is that you compete in the different Grand Prix and try to win as many as you can, not only to advance but also to get new vehicles and be able to use them.

As you go imposing yourself in the different races, you will find that it is possible to unlock new unpublished cars when the game starts, to use the best brands, and thus improve your performance. For the rest, Need for Speed Shift's well-designed graphics allows us to be sure to have fun in a realistic and well-designed environment.

Of course, the game doesn't only vary in vehicles; you'll also have access to an enormous amount of the world's leading circuits, among which we can mention the following: Road America, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Mazda Raceway, or Laguna Seca. As in the case of cars, some circuits are available from the very first moment, while for others, you will have to learn how to unlock them yourself.

As far as the game itself is concerned, you'll find that it has been designed primarily to recreate the real driving sensation that a racing driver can have once he gets into the starting position. The detail of the controls inside the vehicle is exquisite, and that's why the first-person point of view. However, it makes driving more complicated and achieves visual effects well above average.

Need For Speed Shift, which could be considered the thirteenth installment of this saga of racing video games, also has different entertainment modes, as we will find the well-known Simulation Racing Mode, also present in NFS ProStreet. In this mode, we can perform a series of tests to ensure that all the car configurations will be helpful during the competition races.

When we have finished with these initial driving tests, we will have the possibility to start participating in the NFS World Tour, with the intention not only to compete in the different races but also to impose ourselves on them. You will find that as you get the stars that represent the other achievements, you will have access to those blocked contents we mentioned before.

Once in the race, you'll be able to see on the screen the primary relevant information for a driver, such as a lap you are on in the competition, as well as the speed you have at that moment. You will also have the chance to visualize the gear you are in and many other significant details.

As you can see in the images accompanying the description, you will see that the game enters a black-and-white phase when we have an important crash, as if the driver of the car lost consciousness for a second. Of course, you must avoid these phases whenever possible, as this is the best way to stay among the first ones.

When highlighting some of the main strong points of Need for Speed Shift, we must stop at its graphics, which are above the average of the category; the realism achieved is fascinating. Then, the different difficulty levels make everything more complicated, and the retro aspect means going back to the beginnings of the saga and completing its main attributes.

Perhaps the issues that we liked the least, or that we understand that historical fans of "Need for Speed" might not like, have to do precisely with this departure from the previous installments of the same saga. In this case, you will have to be content with racing without enjoying a more advanced storyline, or transforming yourself into the bad guy of the movies, as in other installments.

Beyond that, we are sure that "Need for Speed Shift" is an installment that all lovers of this saga, particularly car racing in general, have to install on their computers to try at least once. Having a PC designed for gamers or anything like that is unnecessary, but you can enjoy this title on almost any computer because of its low resource consumption.