Video of Need for Speed Shift 2 Unleashed from the 2011 Detroit Auto Show

You read that right – the next chapter in the Need for Speed series will be a racing simulator following in the shoes of Need for Speed: Shift. Click here for a gameplay review from the 2010 SEMA Show if you missed it when it was first published but the short of it is this: Shift 2 is a serious competitor in the world of racing simulators.

There is no more bouncing off of walls at 200mpg in a 2008 Civic DX with rims as you beat out a Murciélago LP640, as you will need to use more brake than gas on the more intricate courses and drifting won’t do you any favors either. Now, don’t get me wrong – I own and thoroughly enjoy every Need for Speed game but with Shift 2, the folks at EA look to make gamers rethink how they look at the NFS series. Click here to watch the gameplay video of Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed and you can see from the short clip that there is little tolerance for running through the grass or brushing the walls.

I can’t wait until Need for Speed: Shift 2 arrives in stores this spring and this time I need to thank Ford Motor Company and TheXboxSource.com for this look at the upcoming racing game from Electronic Arts.