EA has officially revealed the next installment of the Need for Speed: Shift series. SHIFT 2 Unleashed is being developed for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The game is expected to be released in Spring 2011, PR and trailer inside.
Update²: Trailer is now in HD.
Press release:
Critically Acclaimed Simulation Series Returns, Now Even Faster and More Connected
Guildford, UK – November 16, 2010 – The race to #1 heats up! Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced SHIFT 2 UNLEASHEDTM, the next entry in the blockbuster Need for Speed simulation series. The original SHIFT game was released in September 2009 and has sold through close to five million copies globally. Its success was propelled by the revolutionary true driver’s experience -- a game design that was heralded by critics as more visceral, more physical and more intense than any other title in the sim category. Capturing the physicality and brutality of racing at 200mph has been the leading area of innovation by the award-winning development team at Slightly Mad Studios. SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED builds on the true drivers experience by introducing the driver’s battle, an even more authentic and primal feeling of power and speed which elevates the fundamental competitive race into a struggle for supremacy against other drivers and even the track itself. In SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED, players’ hands sweat and ache as they clutch onto the controller, their pulse races from the break-neck speeds experienced through the first-person cockpit view. Launching in Spring 2011, SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED pushes the envelope with the most authentic and intense racing experience in the genre. The world debut trailer of SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED was revealed today as bonus content for the action racing Need for Speed title, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit.
“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.”
SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED features an all-new rendering engine with a massive graphics overhaul that puts the player in the heart of the racing action. With an innovative helmet camera view simulating the physical experience of driving at 200mph, the thrilling experience of night racing and authentic degradation of tracks and cars, this is tomorrow’s sim for today’s adrenaline fueled racer. SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED also incorporates the next generation of Need for Speed Autolog - the groundbreaking network that connects friends for epic head-to-head races and compares player stats for the ultimate social racing competition.
All comments (8)
im sorry but:
"a game design that was heralded by critics as more visceral, more physical and more intense than any other title in the sim category"
they honestly put this game in the sim category? they can get real.
i found this cumbersome and the handling was NOTHING like a real car. as usual, EA employed famous faces to promote a game thats apparently used their experience. dooooont think sooooo
Thanks for the SD version.