[Year's_End]

My straight up honest review of NFS:S after playing it for about five hours.

Ok, this game is sweet, but it sure as shit isn't without its faults. I bought it after reading this thread and checking out some pretty positive reviews and gameplay vids. This review is based on the 360 version. I used a controller, not a wheel.

The Good:

The graphics are amazing. Lighting is good, environments are rich, and the interiors are some of the best I've seen in a racing game. The cars are modeled pretty damn well, with very few jaggy/blocky surfaces. I like the lighting elements during dawn and dusk races. They did a good job with headlight projections.

The sound is great. The engine noises stomp Forza/GT, and tire squeal isn't repetitive or generic; It's quite varied depending upon the surface, oversteer/understeer, etc. Unfortunately, the music in the game is too loud, too in your face, and just straight up annoying some of the time.

Also, no racing sim (if you wish to call this one) has emulated the rush and feel of speed as well as this game. Scenery blurs, the cars shake and bounce, and you get this awesome tunnel vision effect. It's really cool, and it makes driving fast actually interesting for a change. In comparison, going 150+ in Forza is a snore (the same can be said for GT). Combined with the unusually violent but oh-so-awesome sound effects, and you have a game that's really fun to play (most of the time).

The Bad:

Ok, we know the game looks good and sounds visceral, but does it PLAY well? Yes, and no.

The handling is a mixed bag. It's definitely NOT A SIM. Picture Project Gotham trying to be a little more like Forza or GT. The physics models are simply fucked UP at times. Don't expect a car to handle how it should. There's a learning curve. The game tends to reward driving styles that lean towards oversteer. You have to be aggressive. You have to rethink how cars handle. I can't tell you how pissed I've been at certain points where things should have been different. I upset my M3 on a chicane on the 'Ring, and the car would NOT settle down for the next goddamn five seconds. Don't countersteer, just let go of the joystick, that seems to work. It doesn't make sense, just remember that.

It gets frustrating...like I wanna break my controller kind of frustrating...

The AI is a large reason for the fuck-this-shit moments. I don't know WHAT the developers were thinking...these are some broke-ass CPU drivers. They do NOT know about proper racing etiquette. They will gladly ram your ass off the road if you're obstructing their racing line. They'll slow down if you fall behind though, and they'll go beyond what should be the limits of their cars if they're behind you. It's the goddamn rubberband style gameplay that I hate. I don't give a shit if it makes races more "interesting". It breaks the gameplay and it ultimately means it doesn't matter how you drive for the first half of the races.

Another thing...you are not punished in any way whatsoever for ramming opponents. Feel free to pit-maneuver your rival in a duel match. It's a guaranteed win. Better yet, try flipping the dude. It doesn't matter, you get awarded for being "aggressive".

Back to the handling. It takes TONS of tweaking in the menu to get the steering to be remotely acceptable. Decrease the deadzone and the cars will actually respond when they're supposed to. This is mandatory if you're the kind of guy who plays racing games smoothly, none of that tapping shit.

The customization is neat, but the vinyl system is broken. It's a less than mediocre attempt at copying Forza's. The camera sucks, the scaling system inverts at the wrong times, there's a lack of good vinyls, and it takes forever to scroll through the menus. It was painful to do the vinyl job on my 135i and E92 M3.

The modding is pretty sweet though. Everything is generic, like "Increased boost" or "Stage 1 Engine Tune" or whatever, but it works and it adds some depth to the game. The visual mods are actually impressive, despite the lack of choice. I love the fact that I could get a Vorsteiner trunk lid, Ericsson side skirts and some cool looking front lip for my M3. That shit is cool.

There isn't a large selection of cars, which is a shame. They have a good selection of popular performance cars (and old iconic ones too), but not much more.

Anyways, overall, I'd give the game an 7.5-8 out of 10. It's good, but there are a number of flaws that will just ANNOY you at times.

+Graphics
+Sound
+Interior views
+Customization
+Adjustable control settings
-Broke ass AI
-Broken physics
-Rewards dirty driving
-Lack of cars
-Rubberband style gameplay

FYI: I changed my settings to make it as realistic as possible.

Difficulty: Normal
Handling: Realistic
Traction Control: Off
Stability Control: Off
ABS: On
Transmission: Manual

Oh, and the "best line" is almost never the actual best line. It's more of a guide, but you get rewarded for sticking to that line, despite you being slower and all.