Need for Speed: Shift is UK number 1 [Review + Video]

EA's Need for Speed: Shift has gone straight to number one in the UK chart in its debut week.
The game, developed by the newly formed London-based Slightly MadStudios, enjoyed high enough sales to knock last week's number one -Guitar Hero 5 - off the top position after just one week there.

Need for Speed: Shift is the 13th installment of the long-running racing video game franchise Need for Speed published by Electronic Arts. It was announced in January 2009 as part of a three-game announcement that includes Need for Speed: Nitro and Need for Speed: World Online.[3] Shift was developed by Slightly Mad Studios—who, under their former name Blimey! Games helped develop GT Legends and GTR 2 together with SimBin Studios—with help of Michael Mann (EP at EA Black Box) and Patrick S�derlund (senior VP of EA Games and head of DICE). In the new franchising model for the series adopted by EA, Shift takes its place focusing on simulation racing and realistic drifting rather than the arcade racing of previous titles in the series. It abandons the street racing formula of previous games and focuses on simulating the "true" driver experience.

Shift's sales were split fairly evenly between PlayStation 3 and Xbox360, with the former just pipping the Microsoft hardware with 52 percent of the sales. Xbox 360 took 44 per cent and PC and PSP theremaining five per cent.
Colin McRae: Dirt 2, which made its debut last week at numbertwo, dropped to number three this week. Eidos' Batman: Arkham Asylumdropped one place this week to number four, and Wii Sports Resortgained one place to number five.

Launch Video

The only other new entry in this week's top ten, alongside Need for Speed, was Bethesda's WET, which entered at number six.
Dropping three places to number seven was The Beatles: Rock Band, whileCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare remained at number eight for a secondweek. Nintendo's Wii Fit fell four places to number nine and EA's TigerWoods PGA Tour 10 rounded off the top places at number ten, afterclimbing one position.

The full UK all-formats chart from Chart-Track for the week ending September 19 is as follows:

01 Need for Speed: Shift
02 Guitar Hero 5
03 Colin McRae: Dirt 2
04 Batman: Arkham Asylum
05 Wii Sports Resort
06 WET
07 The Beatles: Rock Band
08 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
09 Wii Fit
10 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10

Shift has been met with generally favorable reviews, the Windows version gaining a metacritic score of 87.IGN awarded it 9/10 (outstanding) citing among other things an incredible driving experience and excellent sound effects, IGN also gave Need for Speed: Shift a editors choice award.[11]Official Xbox Magazine awarded Shift with 9/10 saying that it has an outstanding driver’s view; a deep, addictive career mode with lots of variety and options; sharp multiplayer racing counts toward single-player career. Official Xbox Magazine has also nominated Need for Speed: Shift for editors choice award.[12]Eurogamer gave it a 7/10, saying, "If the skittish handling and overbearing, messy advancement can be reined in, Need for Speed could have a future in its newly serious and somewhat crowded surroundings. But with the infinitely more comprehensive Forza Motorsport 3 and Gran Turismo 5 looming in the very near distance, it's hard to see the point in this second-stringer this time around, for console players at least. And given Need for Speed's recent, confused history, you shouldn't count on it wearing the same face next year."[13]

General Features

True Driver's Experience– A variety of visual cues delivers the true driver's experienceincluding a three-dimensional HUD that mimics driver head movement,inertia and G-forces. The depth of field also adjusts based on thespeed of the car; so when the car is travelling at high speeds theperspective will shift to the distance putting the car/cockpit out offocus.
Driver Profile – What kind of driver are you? Driver profiletracks the player's evolution as a race driver from event to event.This system is made up of a driver's personality on the track, theirsuccess rate and any profile points and badges accrued all of whichwork together to create a tailor-made career and gameplay experience.Driver profile is pervasive throughout all modes: career and online.
Dynamic Crash Effect - When the player hits a static objector opponent car, the player will feel like they are 'taking damage'. Acombination of visual and audio effects will leave the playerdisorientated and briefly disrupt the race.
Total Customization – Need for Speed SHIFT features acomprehensive customization option that lets the player tailor everyaspect of the cars performance and styling. Go under the hood toupgrade and tune your vehicle to increase its performance. The visualcustomization system allows players to personalize both the exteriorand trick out the interior to reflect their individual style andpreferences.
Photo Real Cars and Tracks – Nearly 70 licensed cars areavailable including the Pagani Zonda F, Audi RS4, and Porsche 911 GT3RSR. There is also over 15 real-world locations like Willow Springs andLaguna Seca as well as fictional circuits like downtown London andTokyo.