Shift 2: Unleashed

3 cert, EA, PS3 (also Xbox 360)

Perhaps checking the realistic "damage" setting wasn't the best approach for the first proper race in Shift 2: Unleashed. It ended in Shanghai, with a destroyed Golf GTI hobbling along halfway through the second lap. But that's the best thing about the game: although it claims to be a realistic racer,

it puts you right in the middle of over-the- top action. It even adds in a helmet camera that provides a driver’s-eye-view of the action, including spectacular car-flipping crashes. Dominating the FIA GT1 championship isn’t easy. Opponents are aggressive, and you’ll have to deal with realistic obstacles, such as blinding sun bouncing off the track. XP is earned by racking up points for achieving objectives during the race, taking the best racing line and generally driving like you own the track. Fast-paced, high- octane fun.