Hey, I just thought I would post my first game review incase any of you missed it. Please give me your opinions on how I did, and what I need to do to improve. :) Thanks guys...I appreciate you all.
NEED FOR SPEED CARBON REVIEW:
Hey Guys,
Just like my blog, I figured I would try writing my first game review. I’m not much at knowing what I am doing...but I'll give it a try. :)
First, let me start off by saying I've been following the news and updates on this game for the last 4 or 5 month and was definitely excited about it the whole way. As the days counted down to the release and me finally being able to get my hands on the Collector Edition, I had lost plenty of sleep from anticipation. Yes, I know it’s pathetic...but what can I say, I get like this every November!
Anyway, as I finally got home with my newly acquired game I was excited from the moment when it loaded up all the way to the time that I finally beat it. There are many things I loved about this game a very few dislikes. I guess with the disappointment of Need For Speed: Most Wanted, I couldn't help but love this game.
CUSTOMIZATION:
I guess I should start with the customization and the newest feature to be incorporated into the NFS series and that is Autosculpt. I absolutely love this new addition to the game. Some of my favorite games that I have in my HUGE collection of PS2 games have a lot of customization in them. It makes a game feel more dynamic and personal to me, and I absolutely love that feeling.
I could spend hours just sitting there customizing my rides with this new feature and probably never have two of the same cars look alike. Its not even like there is just one body kit, hood, roof scoop, spoiler, set of rims, or exhaust pipes to autosculpt either...If I remember correctly there are about 8 for each car once you fully unlock all of them and each car class a few exclusive ones just to their classes.
I know some people are saying it isn't all its cracked up to be, but I say those people have no imagination, just raising all of the percentages to 100 isn’t going to make you have something new over and over again...the possibilities are almost endless. I can’t even explain how many different rims I have made (mix it up a little people), not to mention the rest of all of the things you can sculpt like hoods, body kits, ride height, etc. This is something that could change the face of NFS games forever if EA continues to use this in future titles...I love it! To add on to autosculpt we also have 4 stock wide body kits, tons of spoilers, hoods, rims, etc. like from the last 3 NFS titles.
EA has also gave us quite a bit of new Vinyl’s and brought back the option to layer them AND edit the placement, scale, rotation, skew the color of the fill, stroke, and inner shadow of them all! Once again EA MUST leave this in their future NFS titles. If you actually take your time and put some thought into it, the possibilities of the outcome is almost endless and people can actually come out with something truly unique.
Many fans should be happy to know that there are quite a bit of different paints now as well. Returning from Most wanted is the Gloss, Matte, Metallic, Chrome, and Pearlescent paints...but new to the series is the addition of Candy and Iridescent paint and no more few colors of each...we get a full color spectrum to choose from now. :)
VISUALS:
Let me say that, I’m not too much for the visuals for the current gen systems...but the Next gen just looks beautiful. To me it seems that I can’t really see any improvements form Most Wanted when it comes to graphics at all. If anything it kind of seems as if they may have went down a little for current gen. I don’t know if that’s the truth or if it’s just form me playing it on next gen systems.
I've got to say that I am really happy that EA brought back the nighttime racing of Underground...but I also miss the grungy look of the daytime racing as well! I’m not really too disappointed in the visuals of this game...I would just like to see a mix of both day and night.
I didn't quite understand why EA didn't bring back the neon light for the cars since its got that underground feel, or being able to put aftermarket companies vinyl’s on the front and rear windshields, but I didn’t miss them that much with all of the new stuff going on.
The Career Mode cut scenes are once again done beautifully and there are more of them. I would definitely say EA has stepped it up a notch with all of the new cut scenes and the story telling.
GAMEPLAY:
To be honest...I like the game play a lot. Each car class, even cars have a different feel to each on of them and the way that they drive.
The new addition of having a crew with you and being able to edit their cars as well as hire/fire them and use each of the three types if fun and I loved it. I was skeptical at first, but I found myself using them quite regularly and they were quite useful at times. I also liked being able to change how my engine part were tuned...although its not as good ad Need For Speed Underground 2...it was better than Most Wanted was.
I found myself playing this game for hours and not getting bored...I mean I can spend hours alone just customizing my cars...not to mention playing Career Mode. Career Mode actually made me feel as if I were in the game and taking over the city...as well as doing a good job telling me exactly why I’m doing this and what happened that one fateful night 5 years ago. :)
The addition to unlocking stuff for career mode in the Challenge Events and Reward Cards also had me constantly playing to fulfill the requirements of beating the game to 100% unlike I did in Most Wanted. I actually had a reason to complete them all. :) I like the addition of bringing back Drifting and the al new Canyon races...at times it was pretty intense and I found myself scared to go over the edge or to hit a wall. The sense of speed is just awesome when you racing down the canyons or going around a curve in a fast drift it makes you jittery.
SOUND:
What can I say? EA DEFINATELY did a great job on the sound in this game. Each car sound like their actual counterparts in real life. I have much appreciation for EA for doing this and not just making three sounds for each of the car classes and their levels of performance.
I wasn't too enthused with the soundtrack in this game...EA usually does a great job with soundtracks and hiving big names or groups about to hit superstardom...but I didn’t feel this way at all for Carbon. I must say, that EA need to step it up with the soundtrack next time, even though the Canyon Races music made me a lil nervous at times too, lol.
DISLIKES:
As I stated...I don’t have too many qualms with this game other than them taking out a few features in the customization mode...namely Vinyl’s on the windshield, No daytime racing, and the soundtrack.
My most major problem with Carbon is this: Career Mode could be a little longer, The ending was a major let down, and not being able to customize the CCX, BWM, Camarro Concept, and the Quattro is a major disappointment to me. I played the whole game waiting to unlock that Quattro hoping to get my hands on it and take it to the next level. I don know if this is EA's decision or the car manufacturers for all 4...but someone really need to fix that!
OVERALL:
Overall I would have to say that Carbon is a game that everyone should at least try out. Its definitely better than Most Wanted and well worth my $49.00! I'll be playing this game for sometime...here’s to hoping that the next NFS is even better and EA will add a lil more customization from NFS: U2 into it, keep NFS: Carbons new features, and maybe even let us customize the inside of the car next time! :)
Thanks EA, and thank you guys for reading this...I hope I did all right for my first game review. :)
-Mike-
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