Need for Speed Rivals vs Need for Speed: Shift
Need for Speed Rivals is a horror open-world game from EA Gothenburg (2013) 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 76.
Need for Speed: Shift
What each one is
Need for Speed Rivals is filed under Horror and Open-World. In contrast, Need for Speed: Shift under Racing.
Erase the line between single player and multiplayer in this street-racing rivalry between Cops and Racers. Seamlessly join a world where your friends are already racing and chasing
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
The player can choose to play as either a racer or a cop. In the Racer story, the player assumes the role of a street racer known as Zephyr. In the Cop story, the player takes on the role of an unnamed, newly initiated police officer. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Need for Speed Rivals was well received by critics at E3 2013 and was awarded with "Best Racing Game" from Game Critics Awards . Previewers who had access to Rivals called the game a spiritual successor to 1999's Need for Speed: High Stakes , citing similar gameplay style. Others called it an improved version of Criterion's Hot Pursuit , citing similar gameplay mechanics. (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 Rivals | Need for Speed: Shift | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 6.8/10 | — |
| Steam rating | Mostly Positive (76%, 10,553) | — |
| Critic aggregate | 76/100 | 83/100 |
| Price | $19.99 | Unknown |
| Install size | 30 GB | — |
| Steam Deck | playable | Untested |
| Released | 2013 | 2009 |
| Developer | EA Gothenburg | Slightly Mad Studios |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Need for Speed Rivals 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 RivalsHorror open-world 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 RivalsRacing, Driving, Open WorldNeed for Speed: ShiftNo descriptive tagsThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Need for Speed RivalsMetacritic 76Need for Speed: Shift ✓Metacritic 83Metacritic's critic aggregate, from the game's Wikipedia reception where it was never on Steam.
Content and scale
Need for Speed Rivals10,553 reviews · 1 add-on · 30 GBNeed for Speed: Shift—Reach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Need for Speed Rivals$19.99Need 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)
Where they differ
RacingDrivingOpen WorldMultiplayerCombat RacingPvP
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Need for Speed Rivals is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Need for Speed: Shift is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Need for Speed Rivals and 0 for Need for Speed: Shift. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
If you like one, also try
Common questions
How different are Need for Speed Rivals and Need for Speed: Shift in scope?
Need for Speed Rivals has drawn 10,553 Steam reviews, ships 1 add-on and installs in 30 GB. Need for Speed: Shift lists little scope data.
Is Need for Speed Rivals 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 Rivals 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 Rivals or Need for Speed: Shift?
Need for Speed: Shift has the higher Metacritic, 83 to 76. 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.