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Need for Speed: Carbon

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Need for Speed: Carbon
File:932990 75531 front.jpg
Developer(s)EA Black Box
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
Platform(s)PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Wii, GameCube, Nintendo DS, GBA, Xbox 360, Xbox, Mobile
ReleasePC, PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360:

United States November 1, 2006
United Kingdom November 3, 2006
European Union November 9, 2006
Australia November 9, 2006
PS3:
United States November 20, 2006
Wii:
United States November 19, 2006
Australia December 7, 2006
European Union Inc UK December 8, 2006

Japan December 31, 2006
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Need for Speed: Carbon is the latest installment in the Need for Speed series but using the same engine from Need for Speed Most Wanted. It was first shown in EA's montage at Sony's E³ 2006 conference and was the cover story in Game Informer magazine of July 2006. Carbon will be the the first in the Need for Speed series to be released for all next-generation consoles. Carbon features a selection of cars from its predecessors, as well as many new additions including the Audi Le Mans Quattro, Shelby GT500, and the Chevrolet Chevelle SS. Carbon features actress and model Emmanuelle Vaugier. The PSP, Nintendo DS, and Game Boy Advance version of the game is called Need For Speed Carbon: Own the City. Need for Speed: Carbon debuted at number one on the UK all format gaming chart on its first week of release, beating Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 6. [1]

Gameplay

Carbon bases its ideas on real life racing clubs and teams. One can pick specific people to be in one's crew, such as a scout who can help one find shortcuts throughout the track, a blocker who races beside one in the race and can target cars during the race and knock them off the course, and a drafter who can help one find the slipstream in the race. Also, each crew member will also have a second specialty, such as fabricators, who can modify certain parts of your car and enable AutoSculpt (a tool which allows the player to customize the modifications), mechanics, and "fixers", who can reduce your wanted level or get truckers out of your way. Also the player is able to win territories, which has benefits from certain car part stores to important people. The game also features drift racing, a mode that had been included in Need For Speed: Underground, but omitted from Most Wanted, and canyon racing, a two-part race where the one part involves you gaining points depending on how close you follow your opponent down a mountain trail and the other part involving you losing points depending on how close the opponent is following you.

There is also the ability to upload one's car's picture to the Need for Speed website, complete with stats and modifications. Also, the PC version features an online "Be the Cop" mode.

A Collectors Edition of the game is also available offering 3 exclusive cars, 10 pre-tuned cars, 6 new races, 3 unique challenge events, 10 unique vinyls and a Bonus DVD. The Collectors Edition also features alternate packaging with alternate cover art and metallic finish packaging.

Environment

According to the July 2006 Game Informer issue, Carbon's city Palmont is located on the West Coast of the United States. The city is divided into different sections, each controlled by different bosses. Several real-world cities that apparently influenced the designs of this city are Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Phoenix, Arizona, San Diego, Seattle, and Vancouver. Within each district there are 5-7 neighborhoods, and one goal in the game is to win as many of these neighborhoods as possible to gain turf from various bosses and find better shops and teams. As you gain territories you will gain access to other team members, shops, and cars. The Need For Speed Carbon: Own the City version for PSP uses 2/3 of the map from last year's game.

Plot outline

Template:Spoiler In the game, the player starts out by driving down Carbon Canyon in the BMW M3 GTR belonging to the player, which the player retrieved from Razor (the antagonist in Need For Speed Most Wanted) and subsequently left Rockport with. A recap of his last race in Palmont City (with Kenji, Angie, and Wolf) is then shown. As the race comes to an end, police use an electronic tazer device to disable all the racecars except for that which belongs to the player. Then Nikki comes to drop off a sack inside the car of the player, but the player then escapes before Nikki comes into the vehicle while the other racers are off getting handcuffed and/or arrested. Then the recap ends abruptly. Agent Cross (a returning character from Need For Speed: Most Wanted) follows by beginning to chase the player down the entire canyon. The player reaches a dead end and smacks right into a big truck, where he is cornered by Cross.

At this point, the player is introduced to the games chief antagonist, Darius, and Nikki comes into the scene as well. Then the player is brought up to the current speed on the changes within Palmont City throughout the one-half decade which has passed while the player was incarcerated (it has actually only been one year, since the player got out of prison early for having excellent behaviour. The main concern is then shifted and transitions to focus on the loss of various territories between rivaling gangs. Darius recruits the player with the intention of gaining back this territory of his. The BMW M3 GTR which belongs to the player has now been completely totaled and is all ruined. Therefore, Nikki comes up with an offer which the player is unable to refuse. The offer consists of terms which entail the player deciding and making a selection for which new automobile the player would like. This is where the fat helper man who becomes an employee of the player (seeing as how the fat man is the only option available to the player) then appears at the location where the player can select the new car to drive. The new employee is a shorter man who has a double chin and dark brown hair with big sideburns and a big belly. At this next moment, the player is forced to make a choice between an Asian tuner (AZN), an Italian exotic (ITA), or an American muscle car (USA) as a starting point for the new career the player is about to embark on. The new career consists of the player rebuilding the street reputation which the player lost while in prison (it decreases at a fixed rate, according to the game).

As the player inevitably proceeds to win more and more races, the player gains new territories and eventually continues on to challenge bigger and bigger maibosses (there are no drug references outright, but drug culture is implied throughout). One such race is in a street and and another is in the canyon. to win complete control over their territory. As the story progresses, the player learns that after Nikki came, she left a sack in the vehicle which belongs to the player before the player made a big escape and got away. It is then revealed that the precious sack which Nikki comes to realize she is missing originally contained hard currency, but at some point the cash was removed (you see a short clip which shows the thief, who is wearing the same shoes as Darius) prior to escape of the player in the beginning. The player is left with an empty sack. Trouble is looming for the player.

The player continues racing against the small-time racers. Eventually the player defeats three big bosses (sequentially, one by one). It is at this point that the player is told to meet up with Darius. Darius decides to divulge that he (Darius himself) was just using the player to come and gain his territory for him. The player is then arrested by Cross (he was setup by Darius). Next, Darius leaves for a short while and Nikki comes with a set of keys in her back pocket. The keys are perfect to fit into the closed lock of the current car of the player. Nikki comes with her hands containing aid for the player and returns the keys.

Simultaneously, much to his chagrin, Cross lets the player go. After this, the player is permitted to race in the town called 'Silverton' (which happens to be the main vicinity which Darius has asserted as his own territory). As the player begins to start the first race in this new realm, Darius is informed of the fact. He becomes agitated and recruits the nearby three major big bosses so that the player can be defeated once and for all. Darius gives orders to ensure that the threat offered by the player will be diminished. However, once the player champions all of the small-time racers in the town called Silverton, the racer is challenged by Darius to a street duel. It involves many difficult maps. Darius races in a red Audi Le Mans Quattro, which has 20 inch chrome rims. At this point the player is faced with the challenege of beating Darius (while he is in his Red Audi) in a street race as well as a fast-faced and twisty canyon race.

After Darius is defeated in both raced in a row, he comes over to the player and hands over the keys given by Nikki who comes with the Red Audi. Darius is indefinitely banished from Silverton. Template:Endspoiler

Characters

There are several main characters that the player encounters during the game:

Name Casted by Voice by Car(s) Boss of Description
Nikki Emmanuelle Vaugier Emmanuelle Vaugier Ford GT - The player's girlfriend, who eventually becomes a selectable crew member as a drafter later in the game.
Darius Tahmoh Penikett Tahmoh Penikett Audi Le Mans Quattro Stacked Deck Helps you escape in the beginning, but apparently has a hidden agenda as the game progresses.
Cross Dean McKenzie Dean McKenzie Chevrolet Corvette Z06 - Formerly a police sergeant who lost his job after failing to stop you from escaping Rockport in NFS: MW. Currently works as a bounty hunter bringing street racers such as yourself to justice.
Angie Danielle Kremeniuk Danielle Kremeniuk 1969 Dodge Charger R/T
2006 Dodge Challenger Concept 		21st Street Gang located in Kempton, prefers muscle cars.
Kenji Ken Kirby Ken Kirby
Archie Kao 		Mazda RX-7
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 		Bushido Gang located in Downtown Palmont, prefers tuner cars.
Wolf Shaw Madson Shaw Madson Aston Martin DB9
Lamborghini Murcielago 		tFk Gang located in Fortuna, prefers exotic cars.


As the game progresses, the player can select the following people to be a crew member:

Name Casted by Voice by Roles Skills
Colin Steve Lawlor Steve Lawlor Drafter Fabricator
Neville Chris Gauthier Chris Gauthier
Brian Scolaro 		Blocker Fixer
Nikki Emmanuelle Vaugier Emmanuelle Vaugier Drafter Mechanic
Sal Elias Toufexis Elias Toufexis
Josh Keaton 		Scout Fabricator
Samson Noah Danby Noah Danby
Joe May 		Blocker Fixer
Yumi Melody Melody
Kim Mai Guest 		Scout Mechanic


Other miscellaneous people include:

Name Casted by
Stunt Nikki Silje Halvorsen
David David Footman
Flag Girls Cheryl Dee Chung
Heather Johnson

Official cars

File:Nfscarbon.jpg
A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX and a Lamborghini Gallardo, two cars featured in Carbon.

Cars featured in the game:

*Exclusive to EA Downloader NFS: Carbon Collectors Edition
**Exclusive to NFS: Carbon Collectors Edition

The official site only lists 46 vehicles, 3 of those being special police cars.

Source - Official Need for Speed website: Link Source - Official Need for Speed Car Library: Link

Trivia

File:Nfscarbon055.jpg
Cross's Corvette
  • The police department vehicles and most of the police radio are recycled from Most Wanted.
  • The San Juan district is unaccessible by free roam. It is only used as a practice course in the beginning of the game.
  • Although the flashback is 5 years from the game release date, some cars appearing in the scene were not in production yet. Examples include Wolf's Aston Martin DB9, the Chrysler 300C used as the car that backs up to allow the player to escape, and the police GTO interceptors.
  • Colin's clothing appears to be the same from the flashback to the current scene.
  • All the hotels and casinos in Silverton are spoofs of their real counterparts (London hotel is a spoof of New York, New York).
  • David Footman (the director) has a cameo as one of Darius' crew members in the intro scene. His name is used to take care of Cross.
  • There's a deleted scene (viewable in the Collector's Edition bonus DVD) where Cross will back up in the player's BMW as an insult and will call him Romeo.

Soundtrack

File:Nfsc 6.JPG
A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution during a circuit race in Carbon.
  1. Dynamite MC - "Bounce & After Party"
  2. Ekstrak feat. Know-1 - "Hard Drivers"
  3. Eagles of Death Metal - "(Don't Speak) I Came to Make a Bang"
  4. Every Move A Picture - "Signs of Life"
  5. Gary Numan/Tubeway Army - "Are "Friends" Electric"
  6. Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five - "Scorpio"
  7. Goldfrapp - "Ride a White Horse (Serge Santiago Remix)"
  8. Kyuss - "Hurricane"
  9. Lady Sovereign - "Love Me or Hate Me"
  10. Ladytron - "Sugar (Jagz Kooner Remix)" & "Fighting In Built Up Areas"
  11. Melody. - "Feel The Rush (Junkie XL Remix)"
  12. Metro Riots - "Thee Small Faces"
  13. Part 2 feat. Fallacy - "One of Dem Days (Remix)"
  14. Pharrell feat. Lauren - "Skateboard P presents: Show You How to Hustle"
  15. Priestess - "I Am the Night, Colour Me Black"
  16. Roots Manuva - "No Love"
  17. Spank Rock - "What It Look Like"
  18. Sway - "Hype Boys"
  19. The Bronx - "Around the Horns"
  20. The Presets - "Steamworks"
  21. The Vacation - "I'm No Good"
  22. Tiga - "Good As Gold"
  23. Tigarah - "Girl Fight (Mr. D Hyphy Mix)"
  24. Tomas Andersson - "Washing Up (Tiga Remix)"
  25. Valient Thorr - "Heatseeker"
  26. Vitalic - "My Friend Dario"
  27. Wolfmother - "Joker & the Thief"
  28. Yonderboi - "People Always Talk About the Weather (Junkie XL Remix)"

Critical Reception

Many magazines reviewed the game well. PCFormat gave it a score of 78%, saying that it was "engaging enough," but lacked innovation.

[stub]

References

  1. ^ ""Christmas charts take shape"". 2006-11-13. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
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