Excellent
So I got this game for Christmas and started right away. I like to get right into the storyline or main part of games, and Carbon seems really good/easy to get into than previous Need For Speed's. You start of with a stock car which you have to win a few races to build up cash to either tune it or buy another car. The point of the game is to take over territory by beating each race and eventually beating the boss of that particular area. It's immersive to say the least, I like it. And you can tune your car to no end it seems, visually, engines, wheels, etc.
The game itself looks stunning, the cars, the city, the cutscenes, etc. I've heard its even better on other consoles, but the PS2 version still looks great. It also has some of the best sound effects I've ever heard in a game - the car engines, the skidding, the crash noises, etc. The sound/look when you use nitrous is also incredibly satisfying.
You can chose to either go with tuner cars, muscle cars, or exotics when you start the game. Chances are you'll want to play through the game again when you complete it, to see what differences are if you chose another type of car. Some say this game doesn't take long to beat, but there seems to be enough to keep you playing should you complete it soon. And it seems an easy enough game but thats fine as I've had it with really hard games these days, games should be fun, and Need For Speed Carbon is fun to play, and thats what it's all about.
I highly recommend it if your into cars/races games, it's definitly one of the best.