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| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Racing Developer: EA Black Box Publisher: Electronic Arts |
After “Need for Speed Underground” outsold all other games in 2004, last year’s release of “Need for Speed: Most Wanted” shipped at
the launch of the Xbox 360 and introduced players to a creative take on the idea of storytelling and gave the game a fresh look. The
police were back and they were out for vengeance. This year’s release, “Need for Speed Carbon,” has players dueling for territory in
the city below Carbon Canyon. This is a minor change for the series, shifting new features in and dropping others, all while continuing
the heavy story telling. In other words, this release is a good update from last year’s release.
“Need for Speed Carbon” is an arcade style racing game that players a lot like other games in the “Need for Speed” franchise. It
provides four different camera angles for players to use, a ten to fourteen hour single player campaign and a series of mini challenges
based on collecting racing cards. The Career mode is the main part of the game that comprises of a city split into four territories plus
canyon races outside of the city. Players can pick from one of three different car classes, either exotics, tuners or muscles, which
broadens the game’s middle of the road feel in a smart and controller manner. Four new features offered in the game are a crew, a car
customization, drifting races and additional car classes. One of the biggest additions is the online functions which enables one to eight
players to play online.
The Career mode follows last year’s FMV-based narrative. Because of the addition of the crews, and because it adds a lot to the overall
game play, the game is filled with many cut scenes and a lot of ghostly looking, well-dressed racers. The game was very basic last
year, Razor was the enemy, he was a total jerk and he rigged the player’s car. This year the narrative is a bit watered down with more
forced mystery behind it rather than going with the simple story line. The specialized cut scenes are still very entertaining and fun to
watch, but at times it seems as though there was a little bit too much effort into creating it.
The progression this time around has players start off as a nobody on the street who once had everything, but lost it all and must start
all over again. Players begin by choosing a car class. Muscle cars tend to be classic American cars, they have V8s and drive like
dragsters, with great acceleration and top speeds. However, if this isn’t the right choice for players, they are able to win races, beat
bosses and earn enough money to buy new cars. Also, as players beat bosses in the game, they are able to pick from a set of random
cards, one of which is the boss’s pink slip. There are forty plus cars to earn or unlock. Some of the muscle cars include the new
Mustang GT and the Dodge Charger SRT8. The tuners feature the Eclipse GT and Lotus Elise, among many more.
Last time around, “Need for Speed Underground” introduced serious customization to the game and “Need for Speed Most Wanted”
and “Need for Speed Carbon” add a lot more in this area of the game. As in previous versions of the game, players earn money by
winning races. Each new win unlocks the ability to pick up new parts and cash. By pressing down on the D-pad, players can view a top
down map, pick a race to enter, visit their safe house or go to a car lot where they are able to buy or sell cars. At the Safe house players
are able to customize each of the vehicles that they own.
Players are also able to race in a series of cooperative courses with as many as four of their friends with “Need for Speed Carbon”
multiplayer. Though these are just basic races, these cooperative challenges are a lot like playing with their crew who happen to be the
friends that they meet up with, which is easily twice as much fun as playing in the single players mode. Players are then able to auto
sculpt their car to the ultimate level and they are also able to bring their new creation online and show it off to all of their friends, who will
ultimately be jealous and will compete to make a car that looks even better.
Though “Need for Speed Carbon” is by no means a revolutionary game, it is also very far from being a bad game. Instead, it has a lot of
elements that have worked well in the past and added a few new ones. Overall it gives players a pretty good gaming experience with a
lot of features. The game switches out drag racing and Pacific North West backgrounds for drift racing and the urban streets of the
inner city. The FMV stuff is back in the game again, and there also seems to be more than ever before, maybe even more than
necessary. The drifting is something players need to get used to, the canyon duels are an okay change in the game and the crews are
not a great addition. Of all of the new features added to the game, the addition of the muscle cars and the online functions are the best.
The muscle cars add a bit of a challenge to the game and the online games are great cop chase adventures.
the launch of the Xbox 360 and introduced players to a creative take on the idea of storytelling and gave the game a fresh look. The
police were back and they were out for vengeance. This year’s release, “Need for Speed Carbon,” has players dueling for territory in
the city below Carbon Canyon. This is a minor change for the series, shifting new features in and dropping others, all while continuing
the heavy story telling. In other words, this release is a good update from last year’s release.
“Need for Speed Carbon” is an arcade style racing game that players a lot like other games in the “Need for Speed” franchise. It
provides four different camera angles for players to use, a ten to fourteen hour single player campaign and a series of mini challenges
based on collecting racing cards. The Career mode is the main part of the game that comprises of a city split into four territories plus
canyon races outside of the city. Players can pick from one of three different car classes, either exotics, tuners or muscles, which
broadens the game’s middle of the road feel in a smart and controller manner. Four new features offered in the game are a crew, a car
customization, drifting races and additional car classes. One of the biggest additions is the online functions which enables one to eight
players to play online.
The Career mode follows last year’s FMV-based narrative. Because of the addition of the crews, and because it adds a lot to the overall
game play, the game is filled with many cut scenes and a lot of ghostly looking, well-dressed racers. The game was very basic last
year, Razor was the enemy, he was a total jerk and he rigged the player’s car. This year the narrative is a bit watered down with more
forced mystery behind it rather than going with the simple story line. The specialized cut scenes are still very entertaining and fun to
watch, but at times it seems as though there was a little bit too much effort into creating it.
The progression this time around has players start off as a nobody on the street who once had everything, but lost it all and must start
all over again. Players begin by choosing a car class. Muscle cars tend to be classic American cars, they have V8s and drive like
dragsters, with great acceleration and top speeds. However, if this isn’t the right choice for players, they are able to win races, beat
bosses and earn enough money to buy new cars. Also, as players beat bosses in the game, they are able to pick from a set of random
cards, one of which is the boss’s pink slip. There are forty plus cars to earn or unlock. Some of the muscle cars include the new
Mustang GT and the Dodge Charger SRT8. The tuners feature the Eclipse GT and Lotus Elise, among many more.
Last time around, “Need for Speed Underground” introduced serious customization to the game and “Need for Speed Most Wanted”
and “Need for Speed Carbon” add a lot more in this area of the game. As in previous versions of the game, players earn money by
winning races. Each new win unlocks the ability to pick up new parts and cash. By pressing down on the D-pad, players can view a top
down map, pick a race to enter, visit their safe house or go to a car lot where they are able to buy or sell cars. At the Safe house players
are able to customize each of the vehicles that they own.
Players are also able to race in a series of cooperative courses with as many as four of their friends with “Need for Speed Carbon”
multiplayer. Though these are just basic races, these cooperative challenges are a lot like playing with their crew who happen to be the
friends that they meet up with, which is easily twice as much fun as playing in the single players mode. Players are then able to auto
sculpt their car to the ultimate level and they are also able to bring their new creation online and show it off to all of their friends, who will
ultimately be jealous and will compete to make a car that looks even better.
Though “Need for Speed Carbon” is by no means a revolutionary game, it is also very far from being a bad game. Instead, it has a lot of
elements that have worked well in the past and added a few new ones. Overall it gives players a pretty good gaming experience with a
lot of features. The game switches out drag racing and Pacific North West backgrounds for drift racing and the urban streets of the
inner city. The FMV stuff is back in the game again, and there also seems to be more than ever before, maybe even more than
necessary. The drifting is something players need to get used to, the canyon duels are an okay change in the game and the crews are
not a great addition. Of all of the new features added to the game, the addition of the muscle cars and the online functions are the best.
The muscle cars add a bit of a challenge to the game and the online games are great cop chase adventures.
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