The Skinny: EA's long-running exploration of all things racing pulls up alongside Gran Turismo and Forza and revs its engine. Though the series has dabbled in realism before, Need for Speed SHIFT must be serious about entering the simulation genre. Not only is the game named for a feature most casual players disable, but that name is in ALL CAPS.

1. SHIFT is a product of asexual reproduction. After years of cycling through various shifting identities, Need for Speed is splitting off into three separate games this fall: Need for Speed Nitro (arcade racing on the Wii), Need for Speed World Online (a free cops-and-robbers MMO for the PC, debuting in Asia first), and Need for Speed SHIFT (meticulous, high-fidelity racing for gearheads).


2. Black Box is moving up to management. Though still at work on an unnamed action racing entry, longtime Need for Speed developer Black Box serves mainly as a consultant on this fall's bumper crop of new games. SHIFT is being developed by Slightly Mad, formerly Blimey, the British studio responsible for GTR 2, a well liked, slightly under-the-radar PC racer.

3. SHIFT can give you a concussion. The racing sim genre is, basically, a feature arms race. What SHIFT brings to the pissing contest is an emphasis on the physical sensation of racing. Smashing into a barricade at 70 mph while in the first-person cockpit view will render your view blurry and disoriented. The game also employs whiplash-simulating neck physics for chiropractic authenticity. Finally.


4. SHIFT wants you to like sim racing, even if you hate it. Those who find Gran Turismo and Forza punishing instead of fun may, according to the game's developers, enjoy SHIFT. Their solution to your pathetic lack of ability? Artificial intelligence that adapts to your skill level, and a to-be-revealed reward system that keeps you interested while you finish, again and again, in fifth place.

5. SHIFT goes boldly where others have gone before. Like Gran Turismo and Project Gotham Racing before it, SHIFT makes its own play at carving a fantasy racetrack through the streets of London. Perhaps this is a fantasy all British car lovers have while sitting in traffic at Piccadilly Circus.


The Crispy Forecast: For a game shown at a fairly early stage, SHIFT looked great and played well. The smallest details will determine whether it has what it takes to compete in the genre.


This preview is based on a hands-on demo of the game at a media event.