Volume 2 Issue 6 December 2006 Sony ... - Hardcore Gamer

Review by Shoegazer
Publisher : Electronic Arts
Developer : EA Black Box
Release Date : 10/31/2006
Rating : Everyone 10+
Genre(s) : Racing
Category : Street/Tuner
# of players : 1-2 (1-8 Online)
It’s safe to say that the Need for Speed franchise
has dominated the current-gen street racing
wars. However, its somewhat disappointing
return to its roots with last year’s Most
Wanted, as well as competition from the
improving Midnight Club series, has inspired
EA Black Box to go back to what the series does
best: insanely fast street racing.
The game is graphically stunning on all
platforms, but for the 360 owners who felt that
Most Wanted didn’t quite live up to next-gen
standards, wait until you see this baby in motion.
The car models are incredibly detailed, the city
is full of activity (although why so many civilian
motorists are out on the road after dark is beyond
me), and the sense of speed is right back to what
it was in the rst Need for
Speed
Underground.
The sounds of the game are also well
implemented. Everything from the screeching tires
to the chatter from police radios comes through
with impressive detail. If only the yawn-inducing
soundtrack wasn’t so lame. Don’t get me wrong, I
know the kids today love their rap (Dave, you’re
not that old. -Thomas), but how about just a tad
more variety, huh, EA?
The concept of the game is to form a crew
and race to take control of areas and gain
respect. Each section of the huge city has
several challenges to complete, and by doing
so, you’ll earn control of that territory.
When you start gaining respect, rival
crew bosses will come looking to challenge you to
a canyon race for control of their turf. The story
mode is campy fun, thanks to the pseudo-FMV
clips that progress the game. The character bio
videos are hysterical, but was that intentional?
No tuner game would be complete without the
ability to customize your car with ridiculous
amounts of options, and Carbon doesn’t
disappoint. In addition to all the standard parts
and paint job upgrades, the all-new Autosculpt
feature is introduced. It allows you to tweak the
shapes and sizes of all your purchased upgrades
to give a car your personal touches. Raise your
rims, stretch your ns, or plaster a Canadian
ag vinyl on your hood. You’re only limited by
your imagination.
Of course, none of the above would even
matter unless the game had solid controls,
which Carbon absolutely does. Cars glide naturally on
the streets and you can almost feel the tires gripping
the road around sharp turns. You’ll also have wingman,
nitrous and speedbreaker controls for when races get a
bit sticky. Use them wisely.
I am left with nothing major here worth complaining
about. If you get tired of the objective-based gameplay,
you can always just enter free-roaming mode and
attempt to evade the police in classic hot pursuit for
as long as you want. When you’re ready to come back
to the meat of the game, it’s waiting for you. Carbon is
very good, but is it as good as Burnout? You be the judge.
Rating : 4 of 5
4of 5
2nd opinion by 4thletter • Alternate Rating : 4 of 5
After taking a detour with Most Wanted and Underground 2, the NFS series looks to be getting back
on the right track.
60_REVIEW_NEED FOR SPEED: CARBON
HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 2_ISSUE 6_ELECTRIC PEEN