Shift 2 Unleashed: Sim-racer picks up speed

Barely two years ago, Electronic Arts entered the sim-racing business with Shift. It wasn't the greatest racer, and at the time it made me wonder what EA and developer Slightly Mad Studios were trying to achieve by entering the sub-genre.

If that title was the foot in the door, then Shift 2 serves as more of a true introduction for the franchise because it has enough style to set itself apart.

The series' overhaul starts with the great graphics, which don't just catch your eye, but are positively arresting. The lighting from car headlights and the environments in the night races are awesome, and the sense of speed helps sell the experience.

I liked the helmet cam, which bobs around as you attack the corners and decelerate, but even though it's another aid that gives you the sensation that your car is going fast enough to break free and slide out, I got used to it quickly and started not to notice it.

Overall, the graphics give the game an atmosphere and identity that is stylised enough to stand out and offer more than just realism. This is no small matter in a field crowded with games trying to look like the real thing.

Shift 2 also betters itself by using a basic XP levelling system in lieu of the old Driver Profile that offers rewards in five set categories (cash, vinyls, cars, rims and paint) up to level 20.

Still, I'm glad the concept of corner mastering has been retained, and I like how it's unobtrusively integrated into the HUD map. I liked seeing how I was doing on each corner from lap to lap, and it gave me something to shoot for at every interval on the track.

The "autolog" system borrowed from Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is about as close as the game comes to making its mark on racing as a whole, as it posts your best speeds at a track on the speed wall for all your friends to admire. You can also jump right into the races they've finished to try to show them up or take back your crown.

Shift 2 defines the franchise in a way that the first one didn't. Although the cars can feel like they swivel on a center axis, the racing is pretty good, and the overall experience gets a boost from the graphics and the erratic nature of the AI racers. It doesn't blow by the competition, but by improving its lap times, Shift 2 is on its way.