Need for Speed: Carbon vs Need for Speed: Shift
Need for Speed: Carbon is a racing game from EA Vancouver (2006) while Need for Speed: Shift is a racing game from Slightly Mad Studios (2009).
Quick answer: Need for Speed: Shift has the higher Metacritic, 83 to 78.
Need for Speed: Carbon
Need for Speed: Shift
What each one is
Need for Speed: Carbon is filed under Racing. In contrast, Need for Speed: Shift under Racing.
Need for Speed: Carbon is a 2006 racing video game and the tenth installment in the Need for Speed series. Developed by EA Black Box, Rovio Mobile and published by Electronic Arts, it was released on October 31, 2006, for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, GameCube, Windows, and Mac OS X, on November 17, 2006 as a launch title for the PlayStation 3, and November 19, 2006 as a launch title for the Wii and in 2008 for arcade cabinets. A portable version, Need for Speed: Carbon – Own the City, was released for the PlayStation Portable, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and Zeebo. While it featured similar gameplay to the console versions, the portable versions included new or modified gameplay elements, a different setting and storyline, and a different selection of teammates. Own the City is the final installment in the series to be released for Game Boy Advance.
Need for Speed: Shift is a 2009 racing video game developed by Slightly Mad Studios and published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360. A separate version of the game was developed by EA Bright Light and simultaneously released for PlayStation Portable. Two mobile adaptations were developed by IronMonkey Studios for Java-compatible devices and iOS and released in 2009, with the latter version subsequently being made available for several other mobile devices. Need for Speed: Shift is the thirteenth installment in the Need for Speed franchise.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Setting Carbon takes place within the fictional city of Palmont, which encompasses four boroughs linked by a highway system; Kempton, which houses the city's industrial complexes; Downtown, which houses the city's metropolitan and financial buildings; Fortuna, which houses the city's residential area; and Silverton, which houses the city's casino resort facilities. The city is also surrounded by three canyons known as East, West, and Carbon, which feature… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Need for Speed: Carbon was met with generally positive reviews. IGN gave the PC version an 8. 2 out of ten and the PlayStation 3 version a 7. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception The console versions of Need for Speed: Shift received "generally favorable" reviews, while the PlayStation Portable version received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . IGN awarded it an Editor's Choice award and scored it a 9/10, citing among other things the exceptional quality of its driving experience and sound design. Official Xbox Magazine awarded Shift with a 9/10, praising its driver's view… (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Need for Speed: Carbon | Need for Speed: Shift | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | — | — |
| Steam rating | — | — |
| Critic aggregate | 78/100 | 83/100 |
| Price | Unknown | Unknown |
| Install size | — | — |
| Steam Deck | Untested | Untested |
| Released | 2006 | 2009 |
| Developer | EA Vancouver | Slightly Mad Studios |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Need for Speed: Carbon vs Need for Speed: Shift, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Need for Speed: CarbonRacing gameNeed for Speed: ShiftRacing gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Need for Speed: CarbonNo descriptive tagsNeed for Speed: ShiftNo descriptive tagsThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Need for Speed: CarbonMetacritic 78Need for Speed: Shift ✓Metacritic 83Metacritic's critic aggregate, from the game's Wikipedia reception where it was never on Steam.
Price
Need for Speed: CarbonUnknownNeed for Speed: ShiftUnknownRead live from Steam and subject to change.
Need for Speed: Shift takes 1 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The better reviewed of the two: Need for Speed: Shift (Metacritic 83)
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Need for Speed: Carbon is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Need for Speed: Shift is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
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Common questions
How different are Need for Speed: Carbon and Need for Speed: Shift in scope?
Need for Speed: Carbon lists little scope data. Need for Speed: Shift lists little scope data.
Is Need for Speed: Carbon or Need for Speed: Shift better?
Neither carries enough reviews for us to score it reliably, so we do not call a winner. The table above shows what each does have.
Which is cheaper, Need for Speed: Carbon or Need for Speed: Shift?
One or both do not have a current listed price, so a straight comparison is not possible. See the table above.
Should I get Need for Speed: Carbon or Need for Speed: Shift?
Need for Speed: Shift has the higher Metacritic, 83 to 78. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
All comparisonsHow we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.