14 DAY TRIAL // EA decided to really please fans of its Need For Speed franchise this week, as not only did it launch the newest game in the series, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, but also revealed a brand new title, Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed.
The title, as you can guess by its name, is the sequel to last year's NFS: Shift, which impressed a lot of people by taking the arcade racing series into simulator territory, and delivering a much grittier and realistic experience.
Shift 2 Unleashed will upgrade the experience of the original, and take the innovative cockpit view to new heights by introducing special modes like the driver's battle, which is highlighted by the first trailer of the new racing game below.
“Shift 2 Unleashed is redefining immersive racing by blending the rush of tearing up the track at unbelievable speeds with the emotional experience of competitive battle,” said Marcus Nilsson, Executive Producer, Shift 2 Unleashed.
“We are also working closely with real-world performance drivers to ensure that Shift 2 Unleashed captures their experience and becomes the benchmark in authentic racing action.”
An all new rendering engine is at the heart of the new racing game, meaning better graphics and realistic behavior from other racers.
The helmet camera view was also tweaked, in order to deliver the most realistic experience when players take their race cars to 200 mph, compete in nighttime races and when they smash up their cars.
Like the new Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, the Autolog online feature will also be a major part of NFS Shift 2 Unleashed, meaning players will easily be able to keep in touch with friends in the game and challenge them to races or beat their times in the single-player portion of the game.
Like the first Shift, the new game is developed by UK-based Slightly Mad Studios, and will be launched on the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in Spring of 2011.
Until then, check out the first trailer of Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed below, which can also be viewed as bonus content in the new Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit.