✓ Fits the racing sims cluster, with deep simulation, racing gameplay and open world exploration
≠ Its own twist: multiplayer gameplay and visual first person, while skipping adventure storytelling
Shift is the thirteenth Need for Speed game. It is considered one of the most hardcore installments of the series. Unlike many of its predecessors, it is oriented towards the actual driving simulation rather than arcade racing.
Where it drifts furthest from Offroad Mania: world and visuals.
On reception: its Steam reviews are mostly positive, against very positive for Offroad Mania.
It predates Offroad Mania by 11 years, with what that implies technically.