When the original Need for Speed Shift released in 2009 it was a breath of fresh air into the racing game genre. Just a few weeks from now the team around Slightly Mad Studios will be shipping the sequel to that game in Shift 2 UNLEASHED. EA had set up giant booth with 2 D Boxes and 2 giant 100+ inch screens where players got hands on with the sequel.
Upon getting into the fully hydraulic setup with a force feedback wheel and pedal setup I thought, man, I would love this in my living room. When I settled in and took control of the wheel in this full motion racing seat I was ready to go. Shift 2 UNLEASHED is not a full sim as there are some Arcade style features in the game to keep it accessible but an incredibly immersive experience. I chose the helmet cam and hit the track. It took me one lap to get used to the setup but after that I was ready to run some laps.
UNLEASHED is designed to show players how unbelievably intense racing a car really is and does a great job at it. The camera leans side to side and front to back as an actual person’s head would during these intense conditions. The actual driving will have players on edge, the sounds is blaring and the cars are powerful enough to spin off the track at any moment and control can be as tough as a real sports car would be at Le Mans. After taking the cars around the track a few times I can confidently say that the game plays very fun and should please racing fans. I also played UNLEASHED on a controller and it handles well here too, I would recommend losing any twitchiness though since that will have you in the sand in no time.
Visually Shift 2 is highly improved over its predecessor. UNLEASHED looks fantastic and sharp with popping colors during the day and night events. If you are trying to play a one of the most intense racing games to be out this year, you cannot pass up at least a look at Shift 2 UNLEASHED.
Shift 2 UNLEASHED will be releasing on March 29th for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
