The first step in creating a new Need for Speed game is making sure the screenshots look amazing. Slightly Mad Studios nails it with these screens for Shift 2 Unleashed.

Revealed earlier this month via a video teaser, Shift 2 Unleashed is the sequel to Need for Speed: Shift, the simulation side of the Need for Speed franchise. Once again Slightly Mad Studios shows it has a knack for creating compelling images of cars racing about a track.

As Shift remains one of the better-rated games in the Need for Speed series in recent years, we'll assume what's under the hood in the sequel matches the paint, until proven otherwise.