Full Review for Need for Speed Carbon by LTD Crown Victoria

Introduction

Need For Speed: Carbon is the currently newest NFS game (excluding Prostreet, which was delayed so it's not technically out yet.) This game has it's up and downs. I have had times when I said "This game SUCKS!!" or "Why did I even buy this piece of garbage!?" Other times, I'm like this, "This has to be one of the best racing games, ever created!" or "I like this more than Most Wanted!" It's a mixed bag here, so let's get down to business!

Graphics

Graphics are impressive! The cars look beautiful, very very smooth textures! The smoke effects either from drifting, doing a burnout, or powersliding could be exaggerated more. NFS U2 has much better smoke effects, while Carbon has better exhaust flame effects.

Like I said, the cars are amazing, with shiny reflections, and at the same time, not going overkill like in Most Wanted. (remember "Visual Treatment?!") The car damage system is a lot like Most Wanted's, if not just carried over from Most Wanted.

The car interiors are pretty good, but close to impossible to see when crusing around. Some share an all too familiar similarity to Most Wanted's.

I give graphics a 9 overall.

Sound

The sound is pretty good, I love the deep VRRRRRR sound of the muscle cars as you floor it. The exotics sound good, and the tuners are high-revving and loud. But for some cars, like the Mustang GT, it has the sounds of the GTO from Most Wanted. There are a few switches with other cars, which is weird. Police unit sirens are very similar to Most Wanted's if not just a clone. But I love to hear the Phasers when there's 5 or so cop cars around. Radio chatter and the like is improved, car sounds improved (generally,) and the music is much better than Most Wanted.

In Most Wanted there was only 5 or 6 songs I really liked. In Carbon, I loved all but 2 of the Rock songs. Hip-hop and Techno aren't for me but what I hear from Rock sounds great, even with Exotics! The other music, like "Carbon composed music" is good too. Pursuit music is similar to Most Wanted's.

I give sound a 10, it is fantastic! Although sometimes it's hard to hear police sirens.....

Gameplay

Oh boy, here it comes. Gameplay is a mixed bag. High and lows. What I love is that I can just cruise around the city, not giving a crap who I hit or what I do, making 150 MPH. Or just getting the PPD on me and causing chaos. Autosculpt is strange, even dumb but soem people like it, others don't. I like it in some parts, like exhaust tips and hood scoops with blowers. Those look sick! Paint and vinyls is where customization really shines. Moving around vinyls so it's just right to your likes, tons of colors, and just a lot of fun! Good times.

But even this NFS game has it's dark side, and this one has one like none other. There are many, many, cars in the game. Old school, new-gens, exotics, ricers, even police and traffic cars! In career there is no way in the nine hells will you be able to get enough money for every car you want in the game, plus performance and visual. I wanted at least 5 nice cars, all souped up and ready to roll. I only finished out with 2. I even tried to save money and conserve, I really did. But it wasn't enough.

Another thing that makes me very mad. Car prices! Dear god EA what on earth were you thinking! 70,000 bucks for a new SRT-8 Charger!? 60,000 for a Mustang!? There are many other offenders like these, with completely outrageous prices, I just listed 2 that I remembered right away.
What were you smoking design team?! I would never pay 70,000 dollars for a new Charger SRT-8. I don't care how nice it was! That is an insane amount of money for a car worth about HALF that value!

You win a lot of money from races, but upgrades are also pricey to balance that, not to mention sucky car prices. Also, once you do a race, it's done forever! You can't keep making 25-50 grand off it. Your best moneymaking after Career is random encounters, yeidling a mere 1 grand! Try getting to a million doing that! This was very discouraging to me, not being able to keep raising money to keep souping up cars.

One last thing that I find dumb. Reward cards. What the hell!? Seems like EA ran out of ideas to unlock cars, so they give us a bunch of odd jobs, some fun, some impossible and hateful to do, to unlock those cars, rims, etc. 1 million bucks in career mode!? No way is that happening without being EXTREMELY frugal No performance, no customization. Nothing. Fill your garage with only muscle, tuner or exotics? Who thought of these strange, tiring, or even hateful tasks?

EA really shot themselves in the foot with this one, I going to give them a 60%, nice job gameplay deisngers. Gameplay sucks at times, but at least it's not a total failure.

Lastability

This game, depending on wether you have it for PC or PS2 has a varied longevity. If it's on PS2 and you have a lot of money, it's in the 8-10 area, because you know you can afford all the sweet cars you want. If it's on PC, then it's easy to get a lot of money to afford all your cars you desire. If you have this game for PC than for god's sake get a trainer so you can afford all the cars you want! It's good for you to afford everything you want in a game full of great customization possibilites, trust me.

But PS2 (or any other console) doesn't have trainers or money hacks. So your stuck with either being frugal, or being broke. Take your pick. I sometimes just pick up this game and play, sometimes for a bit, other times for hours on end. I still keep playing it, so I would give it a 7.

Overall

NFS Carbon has it's sweet stuff, and it's sucky stuff. I'm not going to pull any punches here, some parts of this game are so half-assed I think EA only spent 5 minutes maximum on it. (Car prices, a wonderful example!) Reward cards are a strange, but some are fun. I do think EA tried on this, but they only had the pedal half way floored. Most Wanted, that pedal was straight to the floor, and that game was a success! But Carbon is where EA took their foot off the gas, and put on the brakes. I would keep that pedal floored, and make a sequel to Most Wanted without glaring points.

Final Score: 80%