Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed

Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed from 2011 by Slightly Mad Studios returned to the more simulation-focused approach to racing established by the first Shift. It offered an extensive career across car series, from circuit racers to drift specials and night races, an emphasis on a realistic feel for driving, and a new helmet-cam view that reacted to the car's tilting, braking, and impacts. Social comparison of results between players was again handled by the Autolog system. Unlike most other entries in the series, Shift 2 was not released on any older console generation or handhelds – it bet purely on the then-current generation of PC and home consoles, which matched its focus on faithful simulation controls rather than a mass-market arcade experience. The career was divided into several tiers by car type and series; the player gradually unlocked more powerful machines and could fine-tune suspension and aerodynamics settings between races according to the specific track.

The Xbox 360 version was released alongside PC and PlayStation 3 and was identical in content – the same tracks, car roster, and career progression. Controls were handled by a standard gamepad, the game also supported select compatible force-feedback racing wheels, and online leaderboards as well as the Autolog system worked via Xbox Live the same way as on the other platforms, linking results between players on the friends list. The helmet-cam view and driving-aid difficulty settings worked identically to the other versions on Xbox 360, as did the selection of car classes and circuits available from the start of the career.

Unlike the PlayStation 3 version, Xbox 360 did not get any similar motion-control hardware add-on like PlayStation Move – otherwise the game's content remained identical across platforms, with no exclusive car or track whatsoever. The career, car selection, and suspension settings worked the same on Xbox 360 as on PC and PlayStation 3.

Why play it: For content identical to PC and PlayStation 3 – the same career, cars, and suspension settings – minus the PlayStation Move control add-on, the Xbox 360 version is a classic choice without any compromise in game content.