Need for Speed: Carbon is a racing arcade released in 2006. by Electronic Arts and developed by EA Canada, EA Black Box and Rovio Mobile. The plot of the game is revolved in a fictional city called Palmont City after the events of NfS: Most Wanted.
The game's mechanics are pretty similar to Most Wanted, the only main difference is that you're again driving illegal races at night.
The first thing that happens is that you're chased by Cross while trying to get back in town. After he chases you down, you met Darius. He explains to you that many things changed the night you left Palmont City, the area is divided into 4 regions, every region controlled by a crew. You're given the mission to take control of the other opponent's territories. The map is filled with different events like quick races, checkpoints, drifting,... after finishing at least two events in an area, that area is automatically controlled by your crew. After taking all areas, you have to defeat the boss by successfully finishing first in a city race and canyon event which is pretty similar to touge (two phases, firstly you're behind the opponent and then the opposite, the closer you're to him, the more points you score and those points are reduced in the later phase when he is doing the same you did in the first phase, if you lose all points, you lose.).
Apart from the career, you're given a set of challenges divided into three tiers, the first two tiers just gives you access to a higher tier, while the last tier, gold challenges gives you in-game rewards. Not only that but if you complete specific side-missions like have 8 cars in your garage, complete 10 quick races and similar objectives, you also get rewards which can be used in all game's modes.
By completing almost every single event, occuping territories, taking down bosses, finishing four specific missions or finishing gold challenges, you get rewards like cars, car's parts, perfomance updates and liveries. Those items can be used in the career mode by spending money earned by completing career races or in quick races.
When talking about in-game rewards, in the last territory, almost every races gives you a new car that can be purchased, but still you're not given the money to buy them so easily leading to actually having only one main tier 3 car in your garage.
There are many customisation and perfomance upgrades options, every car can look just the way you want it, but unfortunately, even though we are taking races during night, there are no neon light options available, but even without them you will have a great time making the perfect-looking car.
The wanted system is pretty similar to Most Wanted, the cops are really smart and aggressive, but the only thing that in my opinion could've been improved is higher heat ranks in early game territories. Not only is there a difficulty spike when entering the last territory, but also the heat rank is greatly increased leading to more cops appearances, they could've prepared us to that by giving us more cops chases in the earlier part of the story.
All in all, a great sequel to the NfS series, the game is pretty good, with many options and different events available for you to try, great usage of canyons, the main feature of the game. Unfortunately there are no neon lights customisation and the difficulty spike in the last zone takes some time to adapt, especcially because of the heat level. Still even with those small issues, the game feels like a proper NfS game.
The game's mechanics are pretty similar to Most Wanted, the only main difference is that you're again driving illegal races at night.
The first thing that happens is that you're chased by Cross while trying to get back in town. After he chases you down, you met Darius. He explains to you that many things changed the night you left Palmont City, the area is divided into 4 regions, every region controlled by a crew. You're given the mission to take control of the other opponent's territories. The map is filled with different events like quick races, checkpoints, drifting,... after finishing at least two events in an area, that area is automatically controlled by your crew. After taking all areas, you have to defeat the boss by successfully finishing first in a city race and canyon event which is pretty similar to touge (two phases, firstly you're behind the opponent and then the opposite, the closer you're to him, the more points you score and those points are reduced in the later phase when he is doing the same you did in the first phase, if you lose all points, you lose.).
Apart from the career, you're given a set of challenges divided into three tiers, the first two tiers just gives you access to a higher tier, while the last tier, gold challenges gives you in-game rewards. Not only that but if you complete specific side-missions like have 8 cars in your garage, complete 10 quick races and similar objectives, you also get rewards which can be used in all game's modes.
By completing almost every single event, occuping territories, taking down bosses, finishing four specific missions or finishing gold challenges, you get rewards like cars, car's parts, perfomance updates and liveries. Those items can be used in the career mode by spending money earned by completing career races or in quick races.
When talking about in-game rewards, in the last territory, almost every races gives you a new car that can be purchased, but still you're not given the money to buy them so easily leading to actually having only one main tier 3 car in your garage.
There are many customisation and perfomance upgrades options, every car can look just the way you want it, but unfortunately, even though we are taking races during night, there are no neon light options available, but even without them you will have a great time making the perfect-looking car.
The wanted system is pretty similar to Most Wanted, the cops are really smart and aggressive, but the only thing that in my opinion could've been improved is higher heat ranks in early game territories. Not only is there a difficulty spike when entering the last territory, but also the heat rank is greatly increased leading to more cops appearances, they could've prepared us to that by giving us more cops chases in the earlier part of the story.
All in all, a great sequel to the NfS series, the game is pretty good, with many options and different events available for you to try, great usage of canyons, the main feature of the game. Unfortunately there are no neon lights customisation and the difficulty spike in the last zone takes some time to adapt, especcially because of the heat level. Still even with those small issues, the game feels like a proper NfS game.