I don't know if you've noticed, but the car simulation genre is starting to get a little crowded. PC gamers have been playing the hardest of the hardcore games like iRacing and Live for Speed for years, and the console crowd has been catching up with stellar releases like Forza Motorsport 3 and the...

I caught quite a bit of flack for my review of Sony's realistic racing simulation Gran Turismo 5 . You see, I gave it less than a perfect score, which some readers didn't quite agree with - to say the least.

I don't know if you've noticed, but the car simulation genre is starting to get a little crowded. PC gamers have been playing the hardest of the hardcore games like

Anyone who has ever gotten into a Need for Speed title knows what the franchise is all about. It's about going fast in exotic cars with nary a thought given to realistic physics. This formula has done the franchise proud for years, and culminated in last year's Hot Pursuit remake.

Intense driving action the leans towards the simulation end of the spectrum; plenty of driving assists for those who want a more arcade like experience; first-person cockpit mode puts you right in the thick of the action; loads of cars and events to try out; autolog function increases online value

Collisions with AI traffic feel cheap and unrealistic; a few minor control issues; EA store attempts to grab money from you at every turn

My advice? Don't bother with any of the exterior cameras when playing Shift 2: Unleashed. Just don't. Play it as you'd drive a real car; perched behind the windscreen, head dancing to the contours of the track. Be the driver, not the car.

Another year, another Need for Speed from EA. This year takes the series in a whole new direction, a shift if you will, into the racing sim genre. While this change is drastic compared to the series' arcade racing roots, make no mistake they made the transition almost flawlessly and retained all of...

A bucket of road racings best bits. Stick your hand in and youll pull out something fun, if you can handle the handling.

A sequel that barely makes it across the finish line against its predecessor

Focus. Shifted.

I'm a speed king, you gotta hear me sing.