Need For Speed: Carbon is a Mean Machine

Posted by: Daniel Gonzales on Friday, August 29th, 2008

Need For Speed Carbon The light turns green, and it’s time once again for the Need For Speed series to feed exactly what its name states: your need for speed.

Need For Speed: Carbon promises to take you to another exhilarating and visually stunning ride through cities, highways, alleyways, canyons and mountainsides. Hold onto the steering wheel as this is one game you won’t want to ride shotgun in.

Race Through Street Corners and Unfamiliar Territory

Hot off the blinding trail of smoke left by Need For Speed: Most Wanted, you and your street crew return to wage a pedal-to-the-metal war against rival racers in peaceful Palmont City. Once the day turns to night, this city is all but peaceful as you seek out and challenge racers one by one until you’re in control of all four territories.

Each territory is divided into multiple zones. But before a crew boss in a certain territory gives you the chance to challenge him, you need to win a few of the local zones first.

Need for Speed: Carbon Video Game This is much easier said than done since none of your rivals will just give up their zones easily; you’ll have to take it from them forcibly. Win against them, and you take their turf.

And once you’ve won enough, you’ll have the chance to win the whole territory. Duels at Carbon Canyon are especially challenging; the roads twist and turn like a snake gone mad. One mistimed turn or over-drifting could spell disaster.

To have a shot at winning, you need both driving skills and a mean car. Fortunately, if there’s one thing that this game doesn’t lack, it’s mean cars. From Japanese import tuners, to European super-exotics, to pure American muscle, this game has one that will fit your taste and driving style.

Before you race, make sure you make a couple of upgrades first; you’ll never know when you might need an extra nitro boost. And while you’re at it, why not make your car look meaner as well? The game’s Autosculpt feature lets you customize the looks of your car that will really make it stand out from the crowd.

Crew members help not only in the garage but in the actual races too. These wingmen, as they’re called, fall into three categories: blockers, drafters, and scouts. Blockers will try to directly interfere with your rivals; drafters will let you ride the slipstream to give you a boost of speed, while scouts inform you of where shortcuts might be. They are the difference between winning and losing. If anything, they add depth to the solid driving sequences of this game.

Need For Speed: Carbon will have your engines revved. Its great single player campaign mode plus online multi-player modes are fast and furious. Its sense of style, visuals and impressive customization options will satisfy the street racer in you. No matter which way you look at it, you’re in for a ride.