SHIFT 2 Unleashed™: DOES IT LIVE UP TO ITS HYPE.

So I have had the pleasure of trying out Shift 2 and I know that in the sim racing community there was a lot of hate towards this game which I understand the first one seem to tick all the wrong boxes and when the iRacing community found out that they "touk er track" Mt. Panorama they were not very happy.

But I can quite happily say they have made leaps and bounds in the right direction first of all I can leave my wheel on 900 degrees and thats done FFB is OK and it dose not take a day just to try and tap in your settings. Secondly the physics are quite good and there a lot of driving aids for those people learning with the usual test lap to suit whats best for you. The graphics are stunning maybe a little over the top but thank God they did not go crazy on motion blur like the first one the damage is brilliant and I had some serious fun against the AI most sim games and yes I did call it a sim the AI are like little slot cars and are more of a moving chicane than anything. The customization is awesome engine trans-plants, custom vinyls plus a works conversion to turn your little corolla into a full blown race car you gotta love that. This game I would call a sim with a few arcadish touches thrown in there to please the mass's.

So what are some of the opportunities in the game to improve well personally for me the in-car view the wheel in it was a bit jerky and so I went to bonnet cam which was fine, Also after the second cut scene you are over it I mean its great to create theater but sometimes all you wanna do is race not a cut scene anytime something minor happens maybe an option to turn it off, for PC users you might want a fairly descent PC for this one as the graphics and detail are massive and I could not find anywhere to turn them down, the biggest let down of this game is Mt. Panorama why I can quite happily say it kills Grid there still light years away of being as good as ORSM's version which is still a fair bit away from being accurate one day boys it will happen.

All right I can see the hate mail coming all ready about this review a lot of sim guys are gonna bag on me for saying something positive about a game that has lead to a lot of disappointed people but here I am saying give it a go probably the best sim on console I thought it was better than GT 5 obviously this is no iRacing but its good fun and something you can play by yourself so pick up a copy at your local EB and if you do not like it take it back. Just go into this with an open mind forget the disappointing taste the first one left in your mouth and try it again you never know you might just like it. Personally with this much improvement I say bring on Shift 3

Shift 2:

THE MECHS ARE BACK

I haven't been this excited about an indie game in so long all this fruit slicing was really starting to upset me anyway the boys at Adhesive Games are releasing Hawken a mech FPS.

Mechwarrior 2

Now I fondly remember the Mechwarrior games my Uncle was obsessed we use to love going over there jumping on his PC and taking a big bad Mech out for a run. Loading it up with weapons then having it shut down after one shot cause you linked all your guns together and you heat went through the roof.
Now this was a brilliant time in gaming and truly a brilliant sim for these day standards, although the graphics are a little out dated now. The Mechwarrior games we have not seen in some time and there are many stories about what's going on with them there is a very strong following for them though and a bunch of die hard fans.

Hawken

Well I am glad to say from the footage that is out of Hawken it looks to be a whole lot of fun and the boys at XSG can't wait to get there hand on this.
This is Adhesive Games first game and they definitely have given themselves some big shoes to fill.
But wow does it look good so what we thought is we might put together a Mech pack for you guys with help from the guys at CH products the best in aviation sim gear.
But first some eye candy :).

MECH PACK $399

The Mech pack comes with a fighterstick plus a pro throttle and normally retails for $499 we have combined these products and it has a massive saving of $100 when you purchase these together for $399. Also we have a multi-function panel where you can place keys wherever you want and label them no more scrambling across the keyboard trying to find the right button they are also $399. All prices include P+H.


If you are interested in any of these products send us an e-mail at xsg@garmicom.com.au or on the 25th April head over to www.xtremesimgear.com.au.

MULTI-FUNCTION PANEL $399

XTREME SIM GEAR

Xtreme Sim Gear (XSG) a new company based around sourcing the best quality gaming peripherals for gamers. The team at XSG have been solid gamers for a long time and after the difficulty we faced trying to track down these products it was only natural that we bring them to you.

We are also involved heavily with the community and have our own FPS team (Team XSG) and Sim Racing team (XSG Motorsport).

We also currently support the following groups Australian Virtual Racing jump over there for some great racing and to hang out with a brilliant group of guys and also the boys at TT-R to get some awesome tips on how to go fast.

Through this Blog we will be bringing you all the news related to XSG, all the info on events that we will be attending, hardware and software reviews.

So welcome to the blog make sure you stick around join our facebook page here and get ready for the website launch on the 25th April.