Mr Deap
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Need For Speed Carbon Xbox 360 Preview - Hands On
The Need For Speed series of video games has been a huge success among arcade style racing fans for several years and Electronic Arts upcoming Need For Speed Carbon promises to keep racing fans happy with a slew of new features which will not disappoint. Xbox Solution recently visited EA Black Box in Vancouver for the Need For Speed Carbon Community Day Event and had a chance to talk with the developers and play the game. At the end of the day, we walked away impressed with what EA is doing with the Need For Speed series. Read on for our in depth look at Need For Speed Carbon
One thing the developers were clear to point out is that NFS: Carbon is not Need For Speed Underground 3, nor is it Need For Speed Most Wanted 2, but rather an evolution in the Need For Speed series. After playing the game I would agree with that statement, but you will see similarities from the previous games in the lineage as well. With that said, the Need For Speed Carbon name choice wasnt just picked out of a hat. In fact, it is based on Carbon Canyon, California, where allot of Canyon Racing takes place.
Not familiar with Canyon Racing? Dont worry, I wasnt too familiar with the sport either. Basically, Canyon Racing is where two cars race through a canyon street. If you can imagine a canyon the roads are generally very narrow and have lots of curves, and the chance to go off the edge to your demise. During the first wave of the race the car in front tries to get as far away from the trailing car, and during the second wave of the race the roles are reversed. If the trailing car can stay neck and neck with the lead car (or pass it), he is considered the winner; if the lead cars leaves the trailing car in the dust then he is declared the winner.
If you are interested to know, Canyon Racing did not just pop up on its own, but evolved into itself based on Japans Togue Racing, which is very similar in nature. Canyon Racing and Togue Racing are considered to be the most dangerous race types by real street racers, and require very skillful maneuvers on the road. These racers have figured out that rather than taking a hard racing line around corners, they can gain more speed by drifting around them, and since that discovery Canyon and Togue racers have been tuning and tweaking their cars to do just that.
The reason this addition to the game is so important is because of the re-introduction of Drift Racing into the series, and the new Canyon races are where you will spend your time beating the the top racers in the game, but well get more into the game play in a bit. Lets first take a look at whats new in Need For Speed Carbon.
Aside from the Canyon Racing game play modes, which are incorporated into the main single player campaign and included in challenge modes, there are a slew of new and/or improved features that Carbon features.
New Storyline
As you would expect NFS: Carbon features an all-new storyline to keep gamers entertained. Im not going to go into specifics about the story itself, but from the time I spent with the game it appears to keep itself inline with the series, if not a bit more in depth than what we saw in Most Wanted. Speaking of Most Wanted, the main character returns once again, only this time your taking it to the streets to unravel a dramatic mystery. Another key character from Most Wanted also returns, but Im not sure how big of an impact he has on the main story.
Non-Linear Game Play
Need For Speed Carbon features a free-form game play style. While this may sound a bit irrelevant to a racing game, its actually quite important. As the story unfolds youll be playing through the game, choosing whatever races youd like to play first, and taking control of various sections of the city as you do so. In this respect, it is not as linear as we saw in Most Wanted because you have more of an active role in determining where the game takes you. Its not just race 1, race 2, race 3.
Car Class Affiliation
When NFS: Carbon begins, after a short introductory sequence you will be asked to choose a car class; Tuner, American Muscle, or Exotics. Choosing any of these classes will not lock you into the class for the remainder of the game, so if you dont care for that class you can drive cars from other classes. The selection does impact the general direction of the game however and will affect the types of racers and rival gangs youll encounter. I had a chance to play with two different car classes while I was at EA; Muscle (of course) and Tuners, and Im happy to say that EA Black Box has done a good job with the physics of both of these classes.
Geography Based Heat Levels
We have seen heat levels in Need For Speed games before, but the introduction of geography based heat levels makes the whole concept of running from the cops a bit more believable. In previous versions of the game your heat level increased based on the car you were driving, in Carbon the heat levels will be based upon the geographic area of the game you are playing in. Similar to real life, cops in one part of town will know you are a bad-ass and be out to get you based upon your actions, while cops in other areas may not even notice you are there.
Autosculpt Car Customization
This form of customization is completely new to racing games. The developers have plotted out hundreds of body kit templates (so to speak) which can be modified via sliders to create a car thats as unique as youd like it to be. With this option in the game there are literally millions of choices to affect the look of your car. It is an interesting concept and it works really well in the game. The beauty of it is the wide range of various looks completed under such a simple interface. While were on the topic of customization let me just mention that they have also introduced vector vinyls. Unlike texture based vinyls these vector vinyls can be applied to a car, on one side or both, and moved, stretched, zoomed, etc. without any loss in detail or jagged edges.
RPG-Lite - Crew Based Racing
Carbon will also feature a newly implemented crew system which will have very limited RPG elements. When I say limited, I really mean limited. Basically there are two types of crew members you can have:In Race Tactics Crew Members
- Blockers, Scouters, Drafters
Out of Race Strategy Crew Members
- Fabricators, Mechanics, FixersEach of these crew members add different elements to the game. For example, a Blocker when activated will attempt to block the other racers in the game so you can finish in first easier. There are three levels to these crew members which will advance during certain times in the game. A level 1 blocker may be able to slow down some of the racers early on in the game, but he wont be as effective as a level 3 blocker in the later stages. Here a basic summary of what each of these crew members will do for you.
- Blockers - As stated above blockers will interrupt the flow of traffic during your races.
- Scouters - Scouters will drive in front of you and give you visual and audio clues as to the whereabouts of shortcut on the track.
- Drafters - Drafters will drive at accelerated speeds in front of you and let you gain a speed advantage by drafting their car.
- Fabricators - Fabricators will unlock varying levels of customization for your car.
- Mechanics - Mechanics will unlock varying levels of performance parts for your car.
- Fixers - Fixers basically interact with the police, depending on their level they can affect your heat level in various areas.
One thing youll notice right off the bat with Need For Speed Carbon is that all of the game play is done while its dark, there is no daytime, no sunset, no sunrise in fact, there is no sun! Dont be scared off too easily now OK. This may remind people allot of Need For Speed Underground 2, but rest assured there is a reason for it and while you play the game you will be reminded of both Underground 2 and Most Wanted. Based on what the dev team told us, the decision to make the game at night exclusively was made for two reasons.
First off, the games designer was looking for a gritty, graphic novel style presentation for the main story line. A night-time driving experience with a high contrast look and localized lighting fits this theme more than the orange-ish sunset type of atmosphere we saw in Most Wanted. I tend to agree, and dont worry too much about not being able to see too well at high speeds, the lighting levels in the game are vibrant enough to get you through just fine.
The second reason a night only game was selected has more to do with technology, or more accurately, having to keep the game within the limits of the legacy code needed for older consoles, such as the PS2 or Xbox. This is the same reason Carbon looks only slightly better than Most Wanted did. Until EA makes the decision to have a next-gen only dev team, and a legacy dev team, well continue to see these limitations. Fortunately, it has been speculated that the next installment of Need For Speed will feature a next-gen specific dev team that can focus on utilizing more of what the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 can provide via their raw power.
For now at least, the next-gen versions will feature different geometry, angles, and morphing technology than the legacy consoles will, however some of the textures will still be shared among all of the consoles. There is another saving grace to the whole next-gen versus legacy issue the game still looks fantastic on the Xbox 360.
Need For Speed Carbons visual look is an adaptation of various cities and areas, specifically San Diego, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, and Santa Fe. As such, youll see many contrasting looks in the architecture and the eras certain building and landmarks are based on, so while racing games tend to lose emphasis on the environments, the Carbon art team has made it a focus. Not that youll be centering in on the buildings and landscapes, but it is nice to know that different areas of the game do have different environments and surroundings.
Ive always felt that the Need For Speed games came with a decent soundtrack and adequate ambient and engine noises. It wasnt until I heard the sound teams presentation on what they have done with the engine sounds in game that I really appreciated the time the team takes to make the audio sound as good as possible. In Carbon, the engine and exhaust noises are sampled separately, so youll hear different engine noises based on the camera angle in PS3 and 360 versions. Older consoles will feature this effect simulated only (this goes back to the legacy code limitations for older consoles). All in all, there are samples from over 75 cars in the Need For Speed library, so each car will sound as true to life as the dev team can manage.
The audio soundtrack and ambient noises are also dependent, at least initially in the game, upon the car class you decide to choose. Youll hear different tracks for the Tuners, Muscles, and Exotics. The audio is also interactive and supports the emotional experience found within the game. To see what I mean try muting the TV while you play, its just not the same.
At the event we had a few hours of hands on time with the game, during which I spent about half of this time playing with a Tuner and the other half playing with a Muscle car. The differences in handling between the car classes really makes a difference in how you play the game, how you approach curves and corners, and how you strategize for a particular race. Let me touch briefly on the cars within the game, which comprises more than 50 fully licensed vehicles. Each of the vehicles looks terrific, and with the addition of the Muscle series youll see a bunch of cars you always wished were in the game. Here is a short list highlighting some of the cars we can mention from the game at this point:
From Most Wanted
From Most Wanted with New Specs
- 1995 Mazda RX-7
- 2006 Daimler Chrysler Dodge Viper SRT-10
- 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS
- 2005 Aston Martin DB9
- 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo
- 2004 Porsche Carrera GT
- 2004 Mazda RX-8
New to Carbon
- 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR
- 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
At first, youll get the feel that you are playing a jazzed up version of and Underground 2 / Most Wanted mix. In short order youll see that Carbon is a new game play experience in and of itself.
- 2008 Daimler Chrysler Dodge Challenger Concept
- 2006 Daimler Chrysler Dodge Charger SRT-8
- 2007 Ford Shelby GT500
- 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3
You have all of your standard race modes such as sprint, circuit, point-to-point, etc., but the tracks that really make the game unique are the Canyon Drift and Canyon Duel levels. These races truly are a fresh new race mode to the racing video game scene, and something I think most racers will enjoy because they require a certain amount of skill to complete successfully. They also implement a certain amount of risk to the game, since you can go over the edge of the mountain pretty easily if you arent careful.
The game is set-up similar to more recent NFS games where you view the world map and can select races to compete in. The difference here is that when you compete and win you will be gaining territories within the game. If you were to imagine the world of Carbon as the United States it is divided up into sections, each section is ruled by a rival gang. As you defeat the majority of racers in these areas you will be challenged by the gangs local leader to a Canyon Duel. When you accept the challenge you will race on the streets to prove yourself, then head to the Canyon to battle it out in the two tiered Canyon Duel race.
If you win the Canyon Duel with the gang leader your gang, your crew will take over that particular territory, and the graphic which represents your team will be plastered on the map. As you drive around the streets of Carbon youll also notice little textual indicators of what location you are in, and who rules it. So once youve taken over an area youll see your name as the prominent figure in that area. Similar to Most Wanted, after winning a main race youll select two markers, which can unlock various things within the game, including the pink slip to the racers car.
An important note on the game play is the Adaptive AI (artificial intelligence). With Adaptive AI the game monitors your skill level, based on your performance the games difficulty level will increase or decrease, a way of keeping the game seamlessly competitive for racers of all skill levels. And, to keep the game audience as varied as possible the game will feature a catch-up feature in the single player campaign, so after one bad crash you may still have a chance at winning, except of course on the Canyon tracks where you can dive off the edge.
The new drift modes are fun, and utilize the new Drift 2.0 engine, so the mechanics of drifting are not very similar to other NFS drift modes. In Carbon drift modes, speed is everything. Gone are the days of fishtailing to rack up major points, youll need to be haulin down the track at extreme speeds to rake in the real points. Honestly, the first drift mode I played in Carbon my initial thought was that I absolutely did not like it, it didnt seem like there was enough control to the car in these modes. Turns out, as I said above, the key is speed crank it up and the fun, and the points will increase dramatically.
The new Crew aspects of the game add an entirely new dimension to the game as well. Im not certain how many crew members you can have at any one given point in the game, but you can choose to hire new ones as they become available, and fire any crew members on your team whom you feel might not be living up to the hype they gave you when they came onboard. It will be interesting to see just how effective they are later in the game, but the races I played using Blockers, Drafters, and Scouters made a huge difference.
While the team at EA Black Box would not go into details that we can publicly state (until they release more details, expected later in September) I can comment a bit on what EA missed in the last version of the game. When we reviewed Need For Speed Most Wanted (review) there was one glaring aspect of the game that just didnt seem to fit, a portion of the game that seemed unfinished, and unpolished. I expect much more from Need For Speed Carbon in the Xbox Live on-line arena, and I have a feeling that what they deliver will be at least in part what many NFS gamers have been wanting since Xbox Live was launched.
While Im not here to comment officially on the handheld versions of the game, we did see the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS versions of the game also. The PSP version looks and plays extremely well, and the DS version is about the fastest I have seen a portable version run, currently running at about 60 frames per second. Another thing to keep in mind if you are a potential handheld gamer is that the handheld versions of Need For Speed Carbon are going to be a completely different game, with different characters, different storylines, and different game play modes. In fact, the name of the game is different, on handhelds the game will be Need For Speed Carbon: Own the City.
After seeing and playing Need For Speed Carbon Im left really looking forward to the games release, which word on the street will be November 2006. Id like to thank the EA representatives listed below, especially Jon Long, and the rest of the web sites that were there which made the event informative and enjoyable.Marketing:
Mike Lee
Darin Perfonic
Scott Penner
Jon Long
Development Team:
Larry LaPierre - Sr. Producer
Scott Nielsen - Line Producer
Yoni Rabinowitz - Game Designer
Scott Murray - Assoc. Producer
Kristian Von Fersen - Assistant Producer
PSP Development Team:
Matt Tomporowski - Associate Producer
Art Direction:
Neil Eskuri
Audio:
Jesse Lyon
Written by Jason Rybka, Xbox Solution Editor in Chief
- Electronic Arts
- Official Need For Speed Carbon Web Site
- Need For Speed Carbon Xbox 360 Screen shots
- Need For Speed Carbon Desktop Wallpapers
- Need For Speed Cheats - All versions and platforms at Video Game Strategies
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TDU is the only game that has given me the same backroad/city racing euphoria as NFS:HP2. However with TDU your friends get to join the fun online in a huge island free roam!
