Need for Speed: Carbon

The battle for the city is won in the canyon

NA release: 31st October 2006
EU release: 3rd November 2006
JP release: N/A
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: Electronic Arts
NGC Magazine Score: 73%
Mods Used: None

When a racing game starts you off in one of the top tier cars of the game (which is either a flash forward or, in this case, means you will lose everything and have start from scratch) , it’s supposed to feel awesome – this is the what you’re grinding through an immense amount of events to complete for. However, this opening section feels dreadful, as the powerful car you have handles like a brick on sandpaper.

Once you lose everything and get to choose you starting car, it actually feels a lot nicer to drive, but the handling model of the game is still a bit rubbish that you’ll soon encounter the bad handling again, making it an odd case where this game would be better if you could just use the basic cars for the entire game.

The gameplay itself just feels like a more generic version of Most Wanted, you complete events in an area to “take over”, with one new event being one where you race through speed cameras at checkpoints and it’s the highest total that wins, so it’s just those small moments that matter, but for the most part it’s more of the game, and in a dull looking city.

There’s also police chases and, thankfully, you don’t have to grind them. But they’re also completely unnecessary and just get in the way, especially as they’re just not enjoyable. One neat new mechanic is how you can have an ally join you and, depending on the class, can either find short cuts, provide drafting or ram into opponents (by far the most useful). It’s just shame about the handling as the game is fun when you start out, but just gets worse as you play.

Fun

The problem is, Carbon city ain’t that interesting. Once it’s showcased all its upgrades, it stares o get a bit samey. AI opponents will try to oust you from your territory, but the process of driving them into oblivion doesn’t change; you play exactly the same modes, using exactly the same tactics, on exactly the same stretches of road.
Mark Green NGamer Magazine #4

Remake or remaster?

A collection would be good.

Official Ways to get the game

There’s no official way to buy Need for Speed: Carbon.