14 DAY TRIAL // For quite some time, the racing genre of videogames has been synonymous with Electronic Arts' flagship Need For Speed franchise, as it has single-handedly introduced elements that we now take for granted in almost any racing game out there.
From high-paced races in exotic scenarios to escaping from cops to the introduction of tuning into the racing game genre, we owe a lot of things to the NFS series. But sadly, in recent years the franchise hasn't seen a lot of success, as titles disappointed long-time fans and didn't attract new ones. However, things will change this year, at least according to Electronic Arts, which announced that four new titles would appear, all bearing the NFS brand. Three of them we already know, NFS Shift, World Online and Nitro, but there is another one currently in the works at the Black Box studio, which has taken care of the racing franchise for quite some time.
We've already heard a few things about the free-to-play game NFS World Online but now EA has just released a batch of screenshots in which it details the professional racing simulator that will be NFS Shift. Aiming to provide a true driving experience throughout various professional competitions, this future title will target all the hardcore racers who want the most realistic effects possible in a game.
From the batch of screenshots we can see that there will be at least two competitions, both them singlebrand, meaning that drivers will race in the same cars as their rivals, with the Porsche 911 and Audi RS4 models both prepped for the racing track. Also, it seems that other performance racing cars, like the Pagani Zonda, will also be featured in the game.
The interiors of the cars look very realistic and we can clearly see that damage will play a big part in the development of the races the players will participate in, and which will take place in either purposely built surroundings or cities where the course has been set out for professional competitions.
All in all, it definitely seems like Shift will deliver the realistic experience it has promised. Look forward to it this fall when it will hit the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. Here are the rest of the screenshots.
