Gameplay: 84%

The game is really consistent, taking in consideration also the canyon duel races and the new drift mode, you might say that everybody can find something funny in it. But the lack of damage system and simulation makes it not so valuable. The ability of tuning cars is still an important feature of NFS games, but it's not so detailed as in NFS Underground 2. Autosculpt should have made the difference, but is just a new commercial trick. If you decide to buy a force feedback wheel to play Carbon, believe me, is not a good idea. The pedals for acceleration and brake, cannot be set on different axes. This means that you cannot set the sensibility of the pedals. Pushing just a bit the acceleration will make the car burn the rubber. So the effect is exactly as playing with the keyboard.

Graphics: 82%

Oh God, I hate those blue tones.

Only the blur effect creates a sense of movement and a more realistic approach, but you need a high-end system to see this. The graphic engine is the same as in Most Wanted, but it looks not so nice anymore. Maybe because the game has now a night environment. All the other graphic effects creates a sense of deja-vu from other episodes of NFS, including also the design of the city.

Multiplayer: 74%

The multiplayer includes the complete list of racing modes, but the lack of hints makes the first five minutes somehow annoying. When I first started testing this game, I tried it on an online session. I was disappointed of the numerous lags on their servers. Anyway, the game is compatible online between XBOX 360, PC and PS2 versions. That means that a XBOX 360 user can play online with a PC user or PS2 user. Because of the many visualization changes that you can apply on any car in the game, there is an option that gives you the opportunity to take a photo of that car and send it online. Unfortunately this option is not available for the PS2 users. Online you can play also beside the law. You can be a policeman and catch the others. Or you can play in cooperative mode in different races. There are not so many hints regarding the new online racing modes, causing the gamer to be confused in the first five minutes of playing. Again the LAN support is out of question.

Sound: 92%

This is the only feature that is valuable in NFS. From the first Hot Pursuit to Carbon the sound got better and better. There is a huge concert of engines. While the Brera sounds like a bee, the Murcielago is roaring like a beast. The engine even chokes itself at high rpm's. Try making a drift with a Corvette Z06, and you will feel every explosion of the engine On the canyons, the sound is really dynamic and with some echo effect, to prove that you are in the mountains. If you have also a 5.1 sound card, you will get every sound effect at high quality.