I believe this is my first post for the "Need for Speed: Carbon" thread. I'll offer up my comments about this game that I've rented.
PROGRESS
I am currently at just past 50% completion. My two cars are a Renaul Clio V6 and a Porsche Cayman S. I have conquered Downtown and Kempton. I am on pace to capture Fortuna by winning a few more races and being challenged by the Fortuna Boss. I started with a Mazda RX-8. I later moved on to a 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse and a 2005-ish Ford Mustang GT. The most recent car I unlocked is a Lotus Elise (Exotic class). I have about 66 Free Race venues, though I've done a lot fewer Free Races.
EXTRA INFO
I try to paint my cars by my favorite paintscheme- dark blue, royal blue, and gold (gold like a yellow-orange color, NOT yellow). * Some of my favorite visuals are the usage of vinyl graphics. Some of the Body vinyls have worked very well for me. I sometimes wished I could find some better vinyls to really create the dream paint style I would like for the car in question. * My favorite type of Wingman/Wingwoman is a Blocker. Blockers add a unique touch to racing since it seems like a football game. Here is a football analogy. If you run the Option play or have a designed run in mind, you often need an offensive player to take out incoming defenders as you make your running play. The Blocker's duty is to take out the nearest opponent so that you have a chance to keep racing to the Finish line. So think of a Blocker as your Tight End or Offensive Tackle. * I'm tempted to find various visual enhancements to cars. I try to avoid bodykit styles that look too outlandish. I like one bodykit I got for my Cayman S. It has a wide rear to it and is sort of reminiscent of old-school Porsche GT cars back in the 1970s.
PERSONAL FEELINGS ABOUT THE GAME
The formula for Need for Speed has changed since moving from exotics to more affordable machines. Some people felt (not me since I haven't played "NFS: Most Wanted" yet) that Need for Speed: Most Wanted was sort of a disappointment as Carbon provided some sort of interface deal that's better than Most wanted. I will admit that I've been hooked to this game for customization. I'm opposed to stuff like bodykits in the Gran Turismo series, but this game has a lot of visual customization that is really better than what most people say about it. I found great joy in making these wonderful designs and schemes to my cars. Say what you will about Need for Speed since NFS:U. You have to agree that modifying the look of these cars can be quite enjoyable if you have the creative juices to make magic work. Having said that, this game can be quite enjoyable for the one who has an eye for design. The city looks wonderful. The dark city scape and bright lights help provide an environment which I think is very pleasing to the eye. I actually like the color combinations. Around 8:31 PM CST, I lost a whole bunch of races after I hired Nikki to try to help me take over the northern section of Palmino City. So I fired her and put in Colin. My winning percentage improved since making the switch.
My biggest Pro:
* a great number of cars to appeal to many different tastes. Everything is all sorted as Tuner, Muscle, and Exotic. The Tuner-type cars are usually the most-balanced machines with great handling and good speed. Great all-around cars. The Muscle class consist mostly of cars with impressive acceleration and good top speeds... all at the expense of weak handling. The Exotic class mostly consists of fast automobiles with good top speed and handling. My preference in the game has been towards Tuner, though I had a blast taking that Aston Martin DB9 from that one other Boss I battled.
OTHER PROS:
* Customization is insane
* Autosculpt increases possibilities for tuned cars
* Who doesn't love a maxed-out speed demon? ^_^
* I'll admit... it can be pretty interesting how the different races and such are laid out. Free Roam can be pretty interesting. I just wish that it wasn't some Grand Theft Auto deal in which you have to watch out for the 5-0/fuzz/police.
* I actually likethe graphics and how wonderful the city and its surroundings can be (unless you're talking about the Muscle Car area in Palmino City).
* Nicely-detailed cars, even for the PS2
My biggest Con:
* Couldn't find a control scheme I like. I wanted a scheme in which I feel comfortable working the basic functions of a car in addition to changing the view. There isn't even a Custom scheme. The viewpoint issue really got to be a hassle.
OTHER CONS:
* Final section of the Palmino City can be VERY tough
* Drift physics are spotty for Drift sections. Somewhat of a learning curve.
* (from experience) my maxed-out Aston Martin DB9 can't beat a Mitsubishi Lancer VIII in a Canyon Battle! >_<
* would have liked more race car-like body kits than overkilled aggression.
* wished I had more Autosculpt options. The ones the game provides can be horrible and makes a car look completely unrecognizable
NEUTRAL:
* I might have liked different times of day and maybe even weather effects
* A Porsche Boxster would have been a nice Tier 1 Exotic vehicle
* the Blocker is my favorite Wingman; the Drafter is my least favorite Wingman
* some may critize that you can have a FWD vehicle that all of a sudden has Drifting capabilities.
OVERALL:
It was a pretty cool game. I actually got into it. One of the best ways to know that you'll like a game is to basically get into it. Feel connected. This game did it for me. I still don't consider myself to be very big on the "NFS: Underground" thing, but it is a game worth a rental. Does that mean it's bad? No, not at all. I'll present this with a score of about (8.00 out of 10.00).