NFS producer Jesse Abney answers questions about the project

Several weeks ago we met with Jesse Abney to ask him a few questions about the upcoming announcement of the new Need for Speed SHIFT game. The resulting article turned out to be incredibly popular, but it lacks information about the game. After the article was published, many people approached us with even more questions. We asked Jesse to spare us a little more time to ask him the most popular questions.
Does the game have police?
No. The Need for Speed series now consists of three key directions: Action, Simulation, and Arcade. SHIFT is a circuit racing simulator with connected events. However, Slightly Mad Studios strives to create not a sterile simulator, but an interesting and realistic racing game that gives a genuine feeling of driving.
Will a PS2 version of the game be released?
No. SHIFT is a next-generation project, and the technical requirements of the Slightly Mad simulator exceed the performance of the PS2.
Will the NOS system be used in Need for Speed SHIFT cars?
The nitrous oxide injection system will be an additional technical component available through upgrades. It will also be tunable, but it will work like in professional racing, not arcade racing.
In Need for Speed SHIFT, as in other games in the Need for Speed series, are races held on city streets?
The roots of Need for Speed SHIFT go back to professional racing. The car types and their distinctive features are more like real ones than fictional ones. In career mode and online, the game will consist of both famous Grand Prix tracks and invented city routes.
Will SHIFT have a free race mode?
No. As we already mentioned, SHIFT is a realistic racing game dedicated to circuit racing around the world, so it will not have a free race mode.
Is the handling realistic, or has it remained arcade-like as in previous NFS games?
Slightly Mad's physics engine is very modern and calculates chassis load data with a realism unavailable to competitors. Settings for components that affect car behavior have now become much more complex. For example, you can make the necessary interior changes to reduce the weight of your favorite car or perform special tuning before a drifting competition or race.
If the car takes damage (for example, a tire puncture), can we get to a pit stop and fix it?
This is a common problem in development — how to maintain a balance between realism and enjoyment of the process, because usually these are two mutually exclusive factors on which racing video games are based. Pure simulators punish too many people. SHIFT attempts to preserve the enjoyment of the game while leaving enough options that make the game more difficult even for the most professional players. Difficulty settings, adaptive gameplay, and individual driving parameters provide fine-tuning.
What peripherals and wheels will be available in the game?
The choice is very wide. SMS is extremely interested in supporting all automotive components, even the latest ones, and we always spend a lot of time and effort on implementing this aspect of the game, especially for PC.
Does Shift have Formula 1 cars?
I can't answer that question yet, since we're not talking about the car roster right now, but in Need for Speed we will present a couple of surprises and new features. And very soon you will learn about them!
Will SHIFT have a drifting mode?
Yes. Drifting is one of the key components in career mode, and it is fully supported by the physics engine.
This game is dedicated to professional racing. Will you include real tracks in it?
Absolutely. The game features a set of famous tracks from around the world and invented routes. The feeling of realistic racing comes from driving well-known international racing tracks such as Brands Hatch, as well as thrilling fictional tracks such as the London Loop.
In the preliminary announcements it was mentioned that cars would be customizable. Will this extend to fine-tuning such as setting gear ratios, aerodynamic parameters, brake balance, etc., as in other computer racing simulators?
The settings for car "behavior" and power will become much more detailed than before. You will be able to choose aerodynamic components, tires and brakes, differential, as well as tune the gearbox before participating in a race.
Will there be separate modes for players seeking absolute realism and for those who want something simpler?
SHIFT was designed so that the game would be accessible to everyone, while remaining flexible enough to interest experienced players. Difficulty settings, adaptive gameplay, and individual driving parameters provide fine-tuning.
Will the game be similar to Pro Street?
In many ways the game will be similar to Pro Street, which was based on closed-circuit racing. At the same time, Mad Studios' rich experience in creating authentic racing games (award-winning) helped create a best-in-class physics, visual, and architectural engine.
Can you say anything about the system requirements?
SHIFT will show high performance on the latest hardware configurations, but SMS did not rely on the latest standards when implementing the visual engine and planning performance. DX 9a features and fully scalable graphics settings provide an excellent performance-to-image-quality ratio.
Will Need for Speed: Shift have licensed custom parts?
Most likely, yes. We will present a comprehensive list of additional parts reflecting the world of real professional racing.

Source: Official NFS Shift website