Need for Speed: Carbon
Need for Speed: Carbon | |
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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 |
Release | PC, PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360:
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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 |
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Stunt Nikki | Silje Halvorsen |
David | David Footman |
Flag Girls | Cheryl Dee Chung Heather Johnson |
Official cars
Cars featured in the game:
- 2006 Alfa Romeo Brera - Image
- 2004 Aston Martin DB9 - Image
- 2003 Audi Le Mans Quattro - Image
- 2003 BMW M3 GTR - Image
- 2006 Chevrolet Camaro Concept** - Image
- 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS - Image
- 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS - Image
- 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 - Image
- 2006 Chrysler 300C SRT8 - Image
- 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T* - Image
- 2006 Dodge Challenger Concept - Image
- 1969 Dodge Charger R/T - Image
- 2006 Dodge Charger SRT-8 - Image
- 2006 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Coupe - Image
- 2005 Ford GT - Image
- 2006 Ford Mustang GT - Image
- 2003 Infiniti G35 - Image
- 2007 Jaguar XK** - Image
- 2006 Koenigsegg CCX** - Image
- 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo - Image
- 2004 Lamborghini Murcielago - Image
- 2007 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 - Image
- 2001 Lexus IS300 - Image
- 2004 Lotus Elise - Image
- 2006 Lotus Europa S - Image
- 2007 Mazda MAZDASPEED3 - Image
- 1999 Mazda RX-7 - Image
- 2003 Mazda RX-8 - Image
- 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK500 - Image
- 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG - Image
- 2004 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren - Image
- 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX - Image
- 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT - Image
- 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR Edition - Image
- 1992 Nissan 240SX** - Image
- 2006 Nissan 350Z - Image
- 1999 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R - Image
- 2006 Pagani Zonda F * - Image
- 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda - Image
- 1969 Plymouth Road Runner - Image
- 2006 Pontiac GTO - Image
- 2004 Porsche Carrera GT - Image
- 2006 Porsche Cayman S - Image
- 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo - Image
- 2006 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - Image
- 2005 Renault Clio V6 - Image
- 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 - Image
- 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 - Image
- 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi - Image
- 1985 Toyota Corolla GT-S - Image
- 1993 Toyota MR2 - Image
- 1998 Toyota Supra - Image
- 2005 Vauxhall Monaro VXR - Image
- 2006 Volkswagen Golf R32 - Image
*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
![]() | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. |
- 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
- Dynamite MC - "Bounce & After Party"
- Ekstrak feat. Know-1 - "Hard Drivers"
- Eagles of Death Metal - "(Don't Speak) I Came to Make a Bang"
- Every Move A Picture - "Signs of Life"
- Gary Numan/Tubeway Army - "Are "Friends" Electric"
- Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five - "Scorpio"
- Goldfrapp - "Ride a White Horse (Serge Santiago Remix)"
- Kyuss - "Hurricane"
- Lady Sovereign - "Love Me or Hate Me"
- Ladytron - "Sugar (Jagz Kooner Remix)" & "Fighting In Built Up Areas"
- Melody. - "Feel The Rush (Junkie XL Remix)"
- Metro Riots - "Thee Small Faces"
- Part 2 feat. Fallacy - "One of Dem Days (Remix)"
- Pharrell feat. Lauren - "Skateboard P presents: Show You How to Hustle"
- Priestess - "I Am the Night, Colour Me Black"
- Roots Manuva - "No Love"
- Spank Rock - "What It Look Like"
- Sway - "Hype Boys"
- The Bronx - "Around the Horns"
- The Presets - "Steamworks"
- The Vacation - "I'm No Good"
- Tiga - "Good As Gold"
- Tigarah - "Girl Fight (Mr. D Hyphy Mix)"
- Tomas Andersson - "Washing Up (Tiga Remix)"
- Valient Thorr - "Heatseeker"
- Vitalic - "My Friend Dario"
- Wolfmother - "Joker & the Thief"
- 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
- ^ ""Christmas charts take shape"". 2006-11-13. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
External links
- Need for Speed: Carbon Home Page Official Site
- Need For Speed Zone Collection of trainers and cheats.
- NFSCars Largest Collection of Fan modelled Cars for the Need for Speed Series
- NFS Tuning Information about the Need for Speed series
- NFSGarage Carbon info at NFSGarage
- ND4SPDWorld Fan site
- NFS-Planet Fan site
- NeedForSpeed.pl Fan site
- NFSUnlimited.net Fan site
- NFSUltimate All About Need For Speed series
- Need for Speed: Carbon review at 360Zine Free XBox 360 emagazine
- IGN: Need for Speed Carbon Preview An in-depth preview of the game with screenshots and details on the gameplay.
- BNW - Need for Speed: Carbon Details Site with media and details about NFS: Carbon.
- [1] Information, Previews, Reviews, Screenshots, and Videos
- Game demo download
- NFS: Carbon Mansized review
- [2]NFSCarbon Information and Specs