- Publisher: EA Games
- Release Date: Oct 31, 2006
- Also On: PC, PlayStation 3
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Electronic Gaming MonthlyIt's great fun and forces cooperation unlike any other racer. [Dec. 2006, p.132]
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Regardless of that feeling of déjà vu, Carbon is another solid racer from EA, and the Auto-Sculpt feature is absolutely fantastic, not to mention the impressive car roster and functional online component.
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What the series needs is not useless gimmicks and badly rehashed game mechanics, but good, old-fashioned racing fun. We don’t need customisable bells and whistles; what gamers really want is a Need for Speed that uses its strengths, and doesn’t try to shoe-horn in its weaknesses for the sake of bullet points on a press release.
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The game hasn't changed that much, but it didn't really need to. Pure arcade fun.
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NFS Carbon as a game on its own is extremely well done but in the context of the previous two games, it simply doesn't separate itself enough.
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games(TM)Carbon is bigger and prettier than its predecessors, but due to a lack of compelling new features it only feels marginally better. [Christmas 2006, p.128]
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While it isn't a revolution in racing design, it's a good game with a lot to do.
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One notable difference is that the frame rate is a lot better than it was in "Most Wanted." But the price you pay is graphics that are considerably worse. Carbon is missing atmosphere. You're still driving through the game strangely un-populated city, but it's got a lot less detail and ambient effects.
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Although it doesn’t do anything revolutionary or ambitious at all, it’s a solid arcade racer to last some cold winter afternoons until the more ambitious games like "PGR4" and "Forza 2" come along, and it has all the classic Need for Speed feeling about it you either love or hate. I must admit I liked it despite its obvious shortcomings.
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A backward step from last year's release. The fact that it's less challenging may make a lot more accessible to the mass market audience that it's so desperate to pander to, but the net result is that it's also, on balance, a slightly less exciting and enjoyable game.
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There's plenty to do and the sheer size of the city will keep you busy for weeks. But Carbon's new features don't stand out enough to make it warrant an immediate purchase if you've already raced through Underground 1 and 2, Juiced or Midnight Club.
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The extensive single player mode, backed up with strong multiplayer support, and some exciting, enjoyable arcade racing make Need For Speed the safe choice it always is. It’s still good distance from a classic, it’s not the best in its genre, but it is damn good fun.
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A surprisingly different Need for Speed, but at the same time all too familiar. With several new ideas, the typical sensation of speed and hot pursuits ultimately ensure Need for Speed: Carbon feels largely the same as everything that's come before in the series.
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There is enough to please everyone, but don't expect to be wowed by anything new or revolutionary, yet it still doesn't take away from the fact this is a solid racing game.
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Testing out the new additions and playing around with the new options is more than mildly diverting. However, after a while the tediousness of the city-scape and the simplicity of the driving model conspire to make one think of the other things that could be done with the time.
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Edge MagazineNeed For Speed seems like it would benefit from choosing a priority to stick to: be either a rowdy pursuit rampage or a lustrous street racer unbothered by traffic or law enforcement, as mixing both can leave it feeling much less than the sum of its generously many parts. [Christmas 2006, p.89]
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BoomtownA lazy effort. Xbox Live play is poorly implemented and those seeking online racing are better off trying the PC version.
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Whilst there are some really good ideas here, Carbon feels too unbalanced as a package – too many bells and whistles attached to an average racing game. Roll on next year’s instalment.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 57 out of 109
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Mixed: 29 out of 109
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Negative: 23 out of 109
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Dec 26, 2011
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Dec 26, 2011
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FrostManMikeFeb 23, 2009