Title: Need for Speed: Carbon
Genre: Racing/Driving
Platform: Xbox 360
Developer: EA Black Box
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: November 2006

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Listening to EA announcements, those guys are always ready and rich enough to ride underground "solo voyage" races under fabulous American nights (oh, well, if the "nights" are from USA then, definitely, it will be better to call them "nites").
We can show them they are wrong... they are not alone!

Bad...and Black like Carbon!

Certainly, it is not a case if Need for Speed: Carbon is developed by a software house known as Black Box Games, which has been really fast in forgetting the reddish Need for Speed: Most Wanted atmospheres, where bad guys on incredible cars had to find the better way to escape from the police.

While the previous episode ("Most Wanted") was focused on "city streets", the experience we'll face in "Carbon" are really dangerous! Actually, instead of challenging other pilots escaping from the police, we will race during the nite (!!!) in, near Los Angeles, canyons.
Helped only by our headlights, we will have to win races avoiding to crash against a wall of rocks and, worst, to "fly" beyond the guard-rail.
However, there is always a city (Los Angeles) that represents the main "meeting point" for all the canyon pilots. The city, surrounded by the desert, is divided in areas ruled by different gangs. Every gang has its own "style" and abilities: after having defeated all henchmen, we will challenge the boss and, winning, we will be able to rule the area and acquire new "friends".

One's alone, three's a crowd

The Need for Speed: Carbon greatest innovation is the possibility to have some team mates, we can call in help during races.
Every team mate will have its own ability (yes, just one!) like being able to find a short-cut, or to brake in front of our opponent. Moreover, having "conquered" different areas, we will find some mechanics who will be able to give us more powerful or "only" finer spare parts.
All this stuff, and more, makes Carbon the most customizable game in the Need for Speed series: cars will be divided in hundreds of parts and every one is completely modifiable both in colour and shape.

However, cars won't suffer damages from crashes: even if this can be pretty annoying, it should be clear that damages do not pair with "real car models": thus, instead of damages, we will find lots of Lamborghini, Porches, Mustangs, etc. This stuff, probably, is worth the price paid.
What a side! What a rim!
From the graphics point of view, the fact that two episodes of the same franchise (Most Wanted and Carbon) are temporarily so close is not a good preamble. On the contrary, developers said they have worked specifically on this point in order to give to the Need for Speed series its first real next-gen game, also thanks to the new "black" atmosphere. In fact, since "Carbon" is set in American nites, and not during the day, the streets and the canyons will be as realistic as possible.

Undefined Life (or Live?)

Unfortunately, almost nothing has already been confirmed on the LIVE modes. Since it should be expected the possibility to challenge human pilots all along Los Angeles and its canyons, it is still unclear if the team mates feature will be available: maybe it will be possible to call in help a human team mate who will have to obstacle our opponents, maybe not.

Final Comment

This new episode of this lucky series should be release in Novembre and, like his predecessor, it will face competitors like Call of Duty 3, Pro Evolution Soccer 6 and Gear of War. Will Need for Speed: Carbon be able to win, again, the competition against those heavy opponents?
...ok, I can brake in front of Call of Duty 3, what about you?

Original article by Davide Ambrosiani, XboxWay Staff