If you like simple, fast paced racing games with quality graphics and exciting game play you will need to take a look at the Windows Phone game Perfect Shift.
The game includes multiple racing modes and over 25 customizable street racers. Gaming environments range from deserted city streets to abandoned tunnels. Timing is key and if you miss a shift by the slightest, it could cost you the race.
Perfect Shift is a fantastic racing title to add to your Windows Phone gaming library. It is a game well suited for when you have just a few minutes to waste or are looking to sit down and enjoy the game for longer.
When you first launch Perfect Shift, you will need to create a screen name and pick out your first car. The game gives you $17,000 to play with, which will get you in a nice sub-compact.
From there you will start your racing career with random street races. As you win races, additional racing modes become available such as the Story Mode where you race fictional characters to be the top dog, Ladder Racing Mode where you race your way up the ladder with each race getting more difficult to win and Daily Challenges that pit you against other player's race cars.
Eventually, the generic racing mode will be where you go to earn some quick cash and fine-tune your shifting skills.
The garage will let you customize your car's appearance and upgrade the hardware beneath the hood. You can upgrade the engine, turbo boost, gearbox, tires, add nitro booster, streamline the weight and improve the car's aerodynamics.
I would have liked to have seen the ability to customize your car's name and your player icon. The names already in place aren't bad but you are stuck with a helmeted figure as your player icon. Shame you couldn't upload a custom pic or have a variety of icons to choose from (hint, hint).
Funds are awarded during game play for not only winning races but also for your performance during the race. You can use these funds for upgrades and customizations as well as buying new cars for your collection. If you want to get a jump on things, funds can be purchased through in-app purchases.
Game Play
Game play is simple. You play from a side view of the cars with your tachometer and gear shifts pedals on-screen. Races begin with you revving your engine where a gearbox symbol (looks like a hashtag) on the tachometer glows green. Once the "3, 2, 1, go" flashes you have to shift up as the gearbox symbol turns green (hint: it will flash yellow first).
The better your shift timing is, the better your chances of winning a race. If you have equipped your car with a nitro booster, a red button sits next to your down shift pedal that will crank out the nitrous.
At the conclusion of the race, your stats and earnings will appear on the screen and any new items unlocked will be displayed. From there you can head to the garage to upgrade your car, buy a new ride or pick another racer to challenge.
Overall Impression
Perfect Shift is a fun game to pass the time with and addictive enough to keep you busy for some time without realizing it. The game reminds me a lot of another Windows Phone racing game, Drag Racing, but with better graphics and a variety of scenery.
Perfect Shift does lack the under the hood tuning and head to head racing of Drag Racing, both of which would be nice additions. But the feel for the game is more in line with what you find with the graphic quality of Asphalt 8 and with less of a Hot Wheels feel (which isn't necessarily a bad thing).
I will agree with the developer's advice that Perfect Shift is best played with headphones on. Still, without sound it's a fun game to have installed on your Windows Phone. We aren't surprised a bit at the 5 Star rating in the Windows Phone Store.
