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The Verdict

It would have been extremely difficult to match or even surpass its predecessor but Carbon does enough to stand out for itself. The game is definitely fun to play and will captivate any seasoned arcade race gamer. The new aspects of the game gives it some variety and the wide choice of cars each handling differently and gives the game a little bit of reality. The variety of cars is good and I must say you get quite a thrill when racing in any of those muscle cars. Carbon also allows gamers to do more tweaking of their race machines.

The idea of having wingmen with different abilities is a good one and many races certainly facilitate it. The physics and AI are good and there are no real complaints about the racing world. However, I felt that way too many things were repeated from Most Wanted and there should have been more exciting tracks with a variety of scenery. In this light, the canyon races while frustrating, are a blessing in disguise.

Another great touch was the increase in pursuit breakers and the fact that they can be activated during normal game play with similar results. Unfortunately, the role of the police has been diminished too much and that takes away a large chunk of the fun. Despite this, the gameplay is good, the sounds inclusive of engine and conversations are great as are the graphics. Taking all of this into account I would recommend this game as fun to play. Gets 7 out of 10 in my book.
Jason Maitland