Shift 2: Unleashed previews start popping up

You'll probably want this.

Both GameSpot and Joysitq have gone live with what's probably the first two previews in the world of Shift 2: Unleashed.

The Slighty Mad sim was announced two weeks ago on the week of Hot Pursuit's release with a debut trailer and screens, but no write-ups until now, though.

Here's a snip from GameSpot's piece:

"The highlight of our preview was getting to sit down in a force feedback D-Box gaming chair, which was rigged up to a high-end PC running a preview build of the game. Our demo offered us a range of tracks in locations such as Shanghai, Australia's Bathurst track at dusk, and the daunting prospect of Belgium's Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps at night. It was a challenge to race around the latter in a chair programmed to make you feel every bump and corner, especially because the number of driving aids was limited."

And Joystiq's:

"Shift 2 is still months away from its planned release next spring, but the standout addition, a new "helmet cam" view, was fully functional -- and something I think racing fans will be wowed by -- in the preview build. Evolving from the driver's eye camera system in the first Shift, the new camera view not only realistically recreates the effects of g-forces, bumps, crashes, acceleration and braking from an in-car perspective, but now integrates the portions of the helmet that you'd see (if you were a real, careful race car driver) and, most importantly, the camera now looks into turns, just as drivers do in real life."

Keep an eye on this. Shift 2's dropped the Need for Speed monkier it had last time out, and is going at it alone as its own series against the likes of Gran Turismo and Forza.

Shift 2: Unleashed, which will provide an innovative helmet camera view and an updated version of Autolog that was introduced in NFS: Hot Pursuit, will release in spring 2011 for PS3, 360 and PC.