The "Need for Speed" series of racing games has been around a long time. I got the original for my birthday back in 1996 (and I played it to death), and I've played every one since.

It's hard for a series to stay fresh for that long while still releasing new versions at regular intervals.

So, amid disgruntlement from fans who felt the series had gone stale, EA decided to try something different: "Need for Speed: Shift."

Rather than the usual arcade-style racing, "Shift" is more of a simulation racer, closer to the "Gran Turismo" or "Forza Motorsport" games. It also ditches any kind of storyline.

"Shift" tries to make you feel as if you're actually driving (and, accordingly, you should use the in-car view), so there are a number of visual cues for this.

As you drive faster, you get tunnel vision: the road ahead of you is clear while everything inside the car grows fuzzy. As you turn corners sharply, the camera drifts to either side to simulate the driver's head jerking left or right. Crash into a wall at high speed and all of the color washes from the screen - if it doesn't go entirely black.

It's actually pretty cool, if a little distracting. I applaud that attention to detail.

The other great addition is a plethora of incentives. You earn points for certain moves, which go toward your career total and your driver level. Your driver level determines which features are unlocked for you.

Meanwhile, the points are further divided between precision and aggression, depending on how you drove (a clean overtake versus a dirty one, in which you ram the other car, for example). Whichever you have more points of is the kind of driver you are, and that, in turn, determines the invitational events you play.

In addition, you're given objectives for each race, such as finishing in first through third places and earning a certain number of points. Meeting an objective earns you a star, and total stars are used to unlock more tiers of races.

I love that "Shift" gives me other things to focus on besides simply winning.

As far as controls, the cars act about like I'd expect for a simulation racer. Visually, the game is beautiful.

While I miss the crazy arcade racing from "Need for Speed's" glory days, I do agree it was time for a change.

"Shift" was a smart move.

Etc., etc.

-- Drift off: I have one request. Get rid of the drift races. They're a bad combination of difficult and not fun, and they detract from the rest of the game. I want to race, not slide around corners.

-- For real: "Shift" includes nearly 70 licensed cars and 15 real-world locations.

Aimee Green reviews video games for the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star, a Lee Enterprises newspaper.