Need for Speed Carbon
Another carbon copy?
It would be really easy to start this review off with a moan about things like how you can tell it must be Christmas soon because this year's versions of all the EA franchises are hitting the shelves, how Need For Speed (NFS) Carbon is just another annual update to yet another of EA's tried and trusted brands, I could mention how for owners of last year's NFS Most Wanted it's debatable its worth you shelling out again for something essentially pretty similar but to be honest not only is there little point (this game will still sail to the top of the charts even if every review in the world slated it) it would also be really quite unfair on a game that, whisper it, is actually really good fun.
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To be fair to EA, the whole NFS series has always been one of it's few properties that despite regular annual releases also seems to manage to re-invent itself often enough to keep people interested. Speaking personally I'd not played a NFS game since before the series went down the whole 'Underground' and 'Most Wanted' route and became the racer of choice for the 'Pimp My Ride' generation of gamers, so coming back to it now it was a pleasant surprise to find such a fun and playable racer underneath all the typical EA gloss.
The basic plot that loosely ties the whole game together centres around your character returning to Palmont City, a place you apparently left a while back under something of a cloud, with a bounty hunter on your trail, an old friend pays him off leaving you in his debt and with little option but to set about trying to win over the city streets and clear your name. Yes it's cliched and yes the game would be just as good without it but hell, it's also kind of fun and gives an added sense of focus to ploughing through the races in order see the story unfold.
Once you've picked what type of car you want to be driving and been introduced to your first crew member (more on them later) the game settles down into the familiar routine of winning races in order to gain territory and take over areas of the map, once you own an area you'll be challenged by the local gang boss to a three part duel, the first part is a straight race around a city circuit, win that and the action relocates to Carbon Canyon and a two legged race down the twisting roads along the canyon edge. Between races you're able to roam around the rest of Palmont City finding and entering races as and when you feel like it, or simply speeding through the streets evading traffic and annoying the local constabulary. However, you're also able to select available races on the games map and jump right to them which does make the free roaming element of NFS Carbon slightly pointless as there really is no reason to drive from race to race other than to annoy the police. The races themselves come in a few familiar flavours, from your standard circuit, sprint and checkpoint races to things like the speedtrap race, where the total speed you travel through the courses speed cameras is added together and driver with the highest wins. There are also Drift races which unlike the rest of the races take place on twisty turny closed circuits away from the city streets and sees your car suddenly handle like something out of Ridge Racer as you try and string as many drifts together as you can to rack up points. Unfortunately these drifting sections feel a little pointless and can be massively frustrating at times, not to mention a little out of context from the rest of the game, but thankfully you can get through a lot of the game without needing to compete in them, although obviously those in search of the 100% completion factor will have to suffer them.
The local police I mentioned earlier add something different to the mix now and then too, race around a particular area of the city too often and you start drawing their attention more and more (leaving the area alone for a while or cleverly repainting your car can ease the pressure if it gets a bit much) and when this happens you may find some unwelcome additions to your races as police cars catch a glimpse of you and decide to join the chase. In many ways these police chases are the highlight of NFS Carbon, there is a real adrenaline kick to be had halfway through an already tough race when you suddenly see police cars pouring out of side streets trying to bring you down, it really adds to the illegal street racing vibe of the game and harks nicely back to earlier NFS games that were built around police chases.
The racing itself is well done, as you would expect from the most recent update to a long running franchise, with cars handling as they should and races well balanced for the most part meaning you never feel like you're coasting but also never like you're unable to win a race given just one more try. The one big new addition to NFS Carbon's racing is the inclusion of crew members. A number of crew members become available to join your team as you progress through the game and you can pick one of them at a time to be your wingman during races. There are three basic types, first up is the blocker who tries his best to block or take out opponents during the race, second is the scout who hunts out the many shortcuts on the courses and lastly the drafters who allow you to slipstream them to gain an extra burst of speed. As good an idea as these sound on paper they never really seem to work, the lack of many decent straights in most of the city mean you never have the time to sit behind drifters enough to build up the speed that would make it worth the effort, once you get a decent car you're often moving too fast to be able to follow the scout once they veer off down a shortcut a few meters ahead of you (and once you know where they are then you don't need to be told every time you race there) and the blockers, while the most useful of the three aren't really that good at their job and have an uncanny knack of getting in your way, a trait most of the crew members seem to share. Losing a race because your own crew member got in your way is the single most frustrating experience in NFS Carbon, and the fact that it happens quite a lot is unfortunate.
Outside of the main career mode there are a number of challenge races to be unlocked and won and there is a split screen mode for two player racing, but that's as far as multiplayer goes, the online option having been omitted from both the PS2 and Xbox versions of the game in favour of the 360.
In-between races you can spend your hard won cash on upgrading and modifying your car. The performance upgrades are fairly standard with new tyres, suspension, engines and nitro's etc. available; it's in the aftermarket section that the fun happens as the game lets you get creative with all manor of bodywork add-ons available, each of which can be auto-sculpted to make your car unique. This section alone can be a great timewaster and will be a boy-racers wet dream as you trawl through all the options tweaking them to make your car look just right.
Graphically the game is lovely for the most part, the cars look as solid as they feel and the city looks good as you speed through it, although look too hard, or drive too slowly, and it does suffer from a lack of detail and that 'flat' feeling scenery that a lot of racing games suffer from. There is also some slowdown to be found at times, especially during police chases, which in this day and age is a little shoddy, it's not like there are ever more than four or five cars on screen at any one time. EA have clearly thrown a lot of money at the cut scenes and in a nice change to most other games at the moment have decided to use real actors again rather than rely on motion captured polygons (am I alone in preferring FMV or even CGI cut scenes over 'in-game' engine ones?) and while the acting and writing wont win any awards it's nice eye candy and in a game targeted at the 'Fast And The Furious' crowd it more than does its job.
Going back to my original point at the start of this review, it would be easy to bash NFS Carbon as being just another update released for the Christmas rush, but to give it it's due it's a more than decent street racer with a few new ideas packaged together and given the usual EA polish. If you've not played a NFS game recently then this is worth a look and if you have and enjoyed it then this isn't going to offer any surprises, but just like a turkey dinner it will probably more than satisfy you.
78%
Comments
And next week cub scouts, we'll be earning our tea-making badges...
ok....
I thought it was a pretty good game, but it is way to short. I got it a week ago and im at 90% done on the career part. Its near impossible to beat with the car i have right now, which is a Dodge Viper, so now i have to win like all the races left, and then sell my viper so i have enough money to buy a car with decent handling enough to take on the canyon race. And the 200k+ prices on some cars just kinda makes me mad... especially with the lack of races. I also didn't like the fact that there are only like 4 cars that you can win.... WHATS UP WITH THAT??!!?!?!?!? I loved when you could win a great car on NFS MW but here you can barely win a car with only like 3 boss races and then the final race.... I haven't finished it yet... and I'm not sure if I want to... It kind of sucks when you get a brand new game and you already want to take it back. I give it a 62%... It's way to short tho...
dude i just want to go realy realy fast ok so dont worry be happy
oi i want to play the game aswell but it won't let lol < :
were do you win the plymouth hemi cuda and the bump truck???
need for speed is really fun and cool i like the part where you drive by yourself and the part where you race another player it is really challenging because they always try to pass you but its hard when there are police because they try to make you wreck and i dont like the traffic part either because they do the same exact thing
well i just finished ready our review and i have to disagree and agree with you, first i will agree with you the game is probably what need for speed franchise needed but all the need for speed games are pretty good ( except need for speed underground 2 on the DS). The game is good as a illegal racing game because new gamers like race car games with tuner i know i do. Any way i agree with it did have kick ass graphics and lack of online play also peeved me off. I played it for PS3 and like that version better but the PS2 version is just as good.
did nfs carbon will work using 3d analyzer?....
...it's because i am using GeForce MX4000
how do u sell cars on this game i been lookin for about 40 mins
HOW DO I PLAY TWO PLAYER ON NEED FOR SPEED CARBON ON ps2
firgure it owt u dumb bo it easy
go to "car select" in the safe house, then select "career controls" then slect "sell car"
Anyone can tell me how to buy cars?
go to yout world map and find a car dealership. then jump to it. it looks kind of like |-| (but only with the horazontal line across the top)
<<<<< I take it you need to unlock two player mode? it doesn't seem to be there under quick race it is stuck on solo ? >>>>>
go to a car lot to buy other cars
how I unlock the nissan 240sx? in nfs carbon pleaseeee telll meeee
We cannot get ours to change off of solo mode either. I have not found anything saying that it needs to be unlocked or anyway to unlock it. Other people seem to have no problem using 2 player mode. (We have ours for a Nintendo Wii)
i beat mine with a nissan skyline it has good handling for going around the turns so you rarely have to use the brakes
to play 2 player, u need to go onto quick race, select a race, then switch for split screen
nfs under ground
hey there me and my bro play this game and have 2 diffrent coppies and we went to race each other and can work out how to as we cant seem to load you the scond memary card ????
can anyone help me please ???
as you could do this on all the others
UMM CAN SUm1 HELPME, i got this game and i am exatly 50% done.. no cheats but i need 2 know how to buy cars and use more then the rx-8 i wanna use my other cars but when i click on sell car it says i need more but i dunno how?!! IM cONFUSED HOW TO GET PLS HELP
why cant you play online with other people like need for speed underground2
nag pangit met... bitin! wew! what kinda game? or is it a game? way too easy maaan....
dis need for speed most wanted tryin to make me online account but for email der no @ signs or . signs -.-'
how do you play two players in this game need for speed carbon!!!
this game is absolutely HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
uhh yea does anyone know how to (if you even can) sell a car in nfs carbon?
hey umm how come when u play two player mode on need for speed carbon theres no music ?!?!?! wut gives ??? it sux just to hear wheels
i want to playthe game, because I want to be on car racer, and I found out that need for speed is the very good area for me to learn, i am a girl, 19 years, and have the passion to play the game!!!
please can anyone tell how to play need NFS Carbon with two player on PS2.....???
heyyy can any1 giv me instalation code or keygen 4 nfs carbon ineed it badly pleeeeease!!!
How do you buy cars in career mode?
how do u do two player
gtfjtyfutfukyguyjg
HI I AM VISHAL.I WANTED TO PLAY THIS GAME. I AM EXICTED TO PLAY THIS GAME.
ankurs_26yahoo.co.in
ankurs_26@yahoo.co.in
I want to now cheats for need for speed carbon on psp
i need cheats!!!
blablablablabla
i want to be a good CA
Whats up
in my need for speed carbon wen i go on two players the music does not come on help me please thank you and god bless you whoever tell hoe to fi x it
in my need for speed carbon wen i go on two players the music does not come on help me please thank you and god bless you whoever tell hoe to fi x it
very good game
how can i play to players on need for speed carbon (PS3)??
IN 2 PLAYER MODE MINE IS STUCK ON SOLO
HAS ANYONE FIGURED OUT HOW TO CHANGE SOLO TO 2 PLAYER YET
The only reason i came to this website is because i wanted to know how to play 2 players on this game and it doesnt tell me so it sucks!!!!!!!!!
i love need for speed
I have nfs carbon on psp.
How do u sell cars!
nixon suditi
goooooooooooooood
I WOULD LIKE TO PLAY SOME NEED FOR SPEED CARBON
it better be kool
wats new
i think i am going to find it 2 hard
how can i do a private race with a friend?
How do I sell my car? We've trying to figure it out to sell it but we so no option for tat anywhere. Are we just stuck with a car once we buy it? Any help would be great thanx
lets becen
how to start play?
hello i am nabil i am very exited to play need for speed carbon
please help me.
need for speed is a cool game
i cant find the multi player thing in the game! where is it at?
i thought the same with cris...
need or speed carbon
i thing it is kool but they should make a website of need for speed where u can have fun win prizes......
i loint
the second best game ever
zelim igrati ovu igricu
im finshed in carrer mode, i got 1 car Lancer viii i got enogh money about 150,000 dollars, im finshed in Challenge series, i nearly finshed on reward cards but i want another cars class PLEASE I WANT THAT OK.
HOW 2 PLAY NFS CARBON 4 FREE????
kkjg hhfyr hggdvcfdre hfgbv
how to play it ? where is d option ? is dere is only underground 2 not any other
l
very good
I want to play Need for Speed Carbon.
Play need for speed carbon
hi
its a good game bottom line
jasaii o9ausiu oiaos
very nice game
we'll be earning our tea-making
ghruh
I'm a beast and can't no boby beat me.
insane while playing
Need for Sreed
stefan
auto808
ok.........
tjsrujsjikersi
ok
this game very speed
hiii
this is interesting game.......
nemanja vukotic