The atmosphere of Crabon is my absolute favourite. The canyons are such a vibe to race across and the ever present danger of falling to your death I love it.
Finally a justification for this game. I prefer this game over Most Wanted any day. The vibe, the ambiance, the music, gosh especially the menu and canyon music! Thank you for giving this game a chance! I’m sick of seeing Most Wanted on the pedestal all the time.
Agreed! Most Wanted was a great game but it's way too overrated for what it actually plays like, especially for the NPCs rubberbanding. Carbon was just better in every way.
@@TotallyNotASpy1 I feel the opposite to be honest. Most Wanted was something completely different from UG2, they went from no cops to a dynamic cop system which still can be considered top tier today. I think the blacklist as way of progression was one of the best progression approaches in the series. Although I freaking love Carbon (autosculpt, car types and the team territories concepts were incredible), it kinda leans from the success of Most Wanted, while the story is significantly shorter. The map of Palmont isn't much smaller than Rockport (it may be even bigger), but the limited amount of roads between each district in Palmont made the map feel more repetitive to me. Nevertheless, the fact that there are huge groups of people prefering Carbon over MW and vice versa, shows both games were amazing and had a lot of character. I personally don't think one of both is overrated, they are both still insanely fun for their unique quirks.
FYI, you don't need justification for having a preference. Both games are good in their own merits. Seeking validation from people online shouldn't take away from something you love.
I just wanna mention something on driving physics: Each 3 Car Classes have their own physics model: Tuners - Have the handling of a Formula One car, but are a bit gutless on the straights (my personal favorite) Exotics - Highest Top Speeds among the 3 Car Classes, though they suffer with a bit of understeer and worse turning circle (they're the middle ground) Muscle Cars - Have as much grip as a bar of soap, but have as much acceleration as an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
The most wanted comparasion to this game is fair. What I think what happened is that this game was very ambitious and the yearly release meant that the game got cut short. This game is still fun but it does feel short, even without playing most wanted before. I recommend a mod called Carbon Battle Royale, it expands the game with new cars, events and a much longer playtime. If someone wants to play this game again then I absolutely recommend this mod.
Read this comment and thought, thanks for mentioning a mod that can enhance the exoerience, played both MW and Carbon when they came out and have downloaded them both several times and played through them over the years
My favourite NFS and one of my favourite videogames. Carbon's OST by Trevor Morris and Ekstrak is one of my favourite OSTs in any game. 8:48 This would've been a nice screenshot if the game was played at max settings. 15:03 NFS Carbon's cops do not deploy the chopper in pursuits. Also, if the game forced you to maintain a certain heat level before starting races, then the cops would've been more useful. NFSMW felt more like a car combat game than a proper racing game to me. 23:20 Same. 24:02 It has enough content, but they are not repetitive unlike MW where you can find the same race in reverse with extra lap while getting the same reward. Carbon would've been better if BB added more unique races. Most of the races were confined in the territory they took place in, I would've preferred some races that took place across multiple boss territories. Amazing video UltraViolet!
Carbon cops remove the chopper but they spawn more often and have higher rubber band compared to most wanted The crew territory in carbon is really bad and making the game short. I preferred if it was rating system for each crew, like doing drift or canyon race will increase rating for challenging Kenji, speedbreaker for Angie, checkpoint for wolf. So you can have more different type races (like drag) or probably use the highway more often in race and make the game little bit longer
I remember spending a whole afternoon with a good friend of mine beating this game on his living room with a ps2 controller in my hand, trying to even beat darius with a lotus elise and it as nothing short of dumb fun, and that's exactly what this game can provide to everyone, very short bursts of downright shit eating grins. Even despite the well documented compromises black box made at the time, carbon still manages to do well enough on it's own, and it's a shame that developers aren't trying to imitate it's ideas with their own spin, specially in regards to the canyon duels, of which they were the main dish of this game.
I have to add a second comment, because I really forgot how much I loved Carbon until I saw this video, and all my lost memories came back, the cars I built, the races I did, the special vehicles… sadly my copy broke, so I never got to re-experience it like I did U1, U2, MW, and PS. That game and that Audi LeMans Quattro (definitely not an R8 with concept headlights) are how I first saw the R8, I hadn’t been able to label a specific dream car until I saw it. I forgot just how much this game influenced me. I’m really glad I watched this video.
Great video, definitely brings me back. You're right about it being a one playthrough and done kind of game, I beat it pretty quickly on 360 around launch and probably never fired it up again but I am currently replaying Underground 1 and I'm about to go in order- got NFSU2, MW, and Carbon all ready to go on PC (originally played all but Carbon on Gamecube so the graphical improvements are so nice!) There really is something about the racing games from back then. I do enjoy the newer stuff but I will never NOT find myself going back to older games and consoles
been binging these videos like hell lately, you & serp both bring an analytical edge to racing game discussion i rarely see on this platform-- and i always wait a little bit to see your perspectives before i buy a new racer or maybe even discover an unplayed classic, just because i enjoy hearing you two's insight. there are very few channels that ill drop everything to watch a new upload for, but youre almost always one of them. edit: HOLY SHIT thank you for addressing the community whining about brake to drift not being "realistic" enough in a franchise where the SECOND GAME had its final track be a demented movie studio with dinosaurs, spaceships, and jumps that could turn your spine into spaghetti before you even got the chance to land. if "realism" is the problem, then need for speed isn't the franchise for you, end of story. nobody show r/needforspeed ridge racer they'll throw a fit
Absolutely phenomenal video mate! You are absolutely correct about it being so intensely reminiscent of its era, and that is honestly the part I am enjoying the most about playing through it now. Can’t wait to see what the next one is mate!
For some reason I've never played Most Wanted, I didn't even know Carbon was a sequel when I was a kid, so I didn't have any frame of comparison I loved this game and it's to this day my favorite NFS and it wasn't until recently I've found out a lot of people dislike this game because they prefer MW
6:13 They weren't in the original game. Koenigsegg CCX was added in the Collector's Edition (PC, PS2 and Xbox 360) and the Pagani Zonda F was added in the EA Downloader Edition (PC only)
6:33 the reason autosculpt is gone could also be because the manufacturers don't like it nowadays. We all know how shitty car manufacturers can be these days
I'd agree, but considering what Unbound gets away with due to its horrendous long tails and obnoxious kits from EA themselves not sure thats entirely the reason
Carbon was my first "new" racing game growing up and my 4th racing game ever, and the 2nd game that got me into cars (besides underground 2) and was the one that made sure I'd always love them. My first was crusin USA, then NFS hot pursuit 2, and then need for speed underground 2. Carbon was my favorite game for a long time until The Crew was released. (Rip) Now, nothing comes close.
Need for speed carbon is my favorite need for speed game full stop. I've played them my entire life and love 99% of them but Carbon is my favorite that ever was and probably ever will be
One of the things that makes Carbon so great to me is the music. From classics like Are Friends Electric to modern bangers like Fighting in Built Up Areas, it's the most packed, high quality, and diverse ost in the series imho, and contributes brilliantly to the tone and vehicle you use.
The Canyons and the Music Themes pretty much carried this game and are easily the best parts as well. I've never played this game before. But I can confidently say that this game definitely had an impact on video games and the community as a whole. When it comes to gaming, I used to play on this one modded server from GTA 5 FiveM way before Rockstar removed all the irl cars and what not. Back when the server was popping there was these custom maps that everyone would play on. One of them was literally the Canyon Routes from Carbon. There would be tons of players on it everyday either just drifting, racing, or chilling, it was so fun. And whenever I would look up other custom modded maps in racing games on TH-cam. Modded Canyon Routes would usually show up in a couple of videos across multiple games. That's how much of an impact the Canyons had from Carbon. I do find it interesting how both Most Wanted and Carbon have their own different storylines, progression, and gameplay. Most Wanted is basically just you vs everybody. Racers or cops you didn't care, you wanted to take everybody down and you wanted all the smoke. Carbon is all about building a crew, taking over territories, car culture, and exploring the city/night life. I was always interested in seeing someone combine two different atmospheres into one game. Since Most Wanted and Carbon have two different settings. I'm curious to see if someone could combine both the You vs Everybody and Building a Crew type of stories/gameplays into one game. It might not work well, but I feel like if its done right it could possibly become one of the best racing games out there at least in my opinion. And man I miss Autosculpt. I knew it was in Prosteet but I didn't know Carbon had it too. It was probably one of the best things that the classic NFS games had to offer. Really gave customization a whole new look and different meaning just like you said. Don't know why they removed that. They removed a lot of old features honestly. I wish they brought it back because that was one of my favorite things from back in the day. Anyways Great Video Man!
Such a beautyful review for Carbon here, from you. All you sayed is so true. And seeing the review I can't help but wonder if we ever see a game like carbon that captures the canyon duel atmosphere as great as carbon did. Heck I even rember that I, when younger went deep into the mysterie of the location of the city, considering where most wanted was and the skyboxes with other citys in sight. Truely love the atmosphere that was there to this day.
Most Wanted Redux and Carbon Redux have brought me back to both of these games from my childhood. And being able to tweak cop limits and force max heat level to 10....its insane. The modding community is always hard at work making these games so much better than the vanilla versions.
I'm the dude who suggested the Carbon review on the nfs 2015 video and you can't imagine how happy I am you liked it! There's not enough words for me to express how much fun I've had and how much memories I've made with this game, it'll always have a special place in my heart. Great video UltraViolet!
Need for speed was great for its time, even tho i wasnt too crazy about how each games mechanics/physics were always a pretty different feeling from the last. Most wanted was by far the best. Once i got an xbox 360 and Forza Horizon came out, it was really hard for a racing game to top that i feel. CarX is kinda fun if you like drifting, but i have yet to find a game comparable with forza for casual and free roam fun
Ultraviolet, your journey into Need For Speed Carbon is a nostalgic blast from the past! 🌟 It's incredible how this game still manages to capture our hearts years later. Your fresh take on its gameplay, graphics, and overall feel is exactly what we need to see. Carbon's legacy lives on, and your review brings it roaring back into the spotlight. Thanks for reminding us why we fell in love with this classic racer in the first place! 🚗💨
20:43 as an aside, you can do each zone in any order. you can even do them all at the same time although that also means a lot of driving between zones.
I actually tired to remake canyon runs in my early racing game tinkering. turns out those are pretty hard to do well. if the tracks are too hard they are just frustrating (my first thought might have been to ditch all walls). too easy and it feels like the threat isn't there. as for speed trap races, those work best when the player has a certain degree of freedom to strategize. although again, it's a nail it or not good binary to getting it right.
23:20 THANK YOU!! Finally someone said it. We might be in the minority, but I love the final stages of Carbon. The stakes are high and especially in the Canyon races, the margin for mistakes is really low.
I have just finished playing Carbon for the first time since I had it on PS2 & then the 360. Gotta say I thought it held up great, made sure to 100% it & had a great time coming back all these years later, didn’t seem as hard as it did when I was younger but enjoyed it very much.
It's so fucking stupid that people literally said that Carbon was the last good NFS game lmao. It started back in the days where Black Box used to dominate racing games back then such as the Underground series and the OG Most Wanted. Now look, Carbon has it's flaws, but it's not the last great NFS game. So fucking dumb that they literally said that. Prostreet was underrated because many people we're mad about the results that EA and Black Box made because they went on to make Undercover but didn't even polish the game yet until it's final release, making the franchise going to it's downfall, especially Shift. Hot Pursuit 2010 literally saved the franchise from falling apart because it was a love letter to the old Hot Pursuit games back in the 90's.
Carbon is supposed to be underground 3 but they mixed in with most wanted, and the map similiar to underground 2 (kenji turf is first area, long highway, wolf turf is second area, darius turf is third area mixed with casino, and angie turf is the last two area).
Love carbon. But the final boss race. I grabbed the GT500. Passed Darius on the first run, sat there for 10 seconds and knocked him out without having to do the second run.
I have played car games since the first Gran Turismo and Need For Speed Underground and have stuck to more sim style releases for the last 20 years. I pulled out my old PS 2 and picked up a cheap local copy of Carbon and I haven't been able to put it down! The whole game has sick nighttime vibes, is incredibly fun and definitely underrated. The sensation of speed is awesome and SO many elements of the game are ahead of their time I wish they would re-release it with a lot of the same gameplay and menu concepts
What is interesting about the story is how they tie in Carbon as a prequel to MW chronologically and then, a sequel. Still one of my favourites because it was my first NFS game that I owned.
Quick minor correction about the music: Muscle cars use rock music, _tuners_ use electronic/EDM music, and exotics have a focus on R&B/Rap music. The licensed music reflects these main 3 categories, as well as a distinct set of original composition that follows this formula too.
Great video! I feel the same way about a lot of games from this era now; they’re almost *more* fun in 2024 because they’d never get made in 2024. They were a little off-beat and cringe-worthy then, but now it’s just a vibe.
Carbon is probably my favourite from aesthetic alone, nothing replicates the dark vibe also 8:50 finally someone recognises this to me theres no crime with brake to drift (i like hot pursuit, mw 2012 and rivals handling) but ghost handling is so bad it makes everyone blame the system
I have such a soft spot for Carbon. First game I played in the series after renting it from a Blockbuster back then, and beating the game on multiple occasions. Even if the thing is rushed and quarter baked, I love it for its vibe and ideas. The crews based around car classes and the territories, the different tiers/classes and how they all handle. It feels shorter on the surface versus MW but I come back to this one more than MW.
I, 9 times out of 10, used blockers for a majority of my races on carbon, mainly Neville. Sucks that he has past. RIP Neville, you were the best wingman and, in my opinion, the best thing in this game besides the cars and races.
There is only one thing that I criticize about this game. The car rewarding system. Some cars are a pain to unlock and if you're a console player there are cars that cannot be obtained,like the Lexus which can only be used in a challenge series. Reward cards are disappointing because let's be honest we all wanted to drive those cars in career mode,and we could only use those in quick races. When you beat Darius he doesn't even hand you over his Audi even though the cutscene makes you think otherwise😅. Besides that,I think it's a pretty valid game,too much cut content though. Unless you mod it,it's not a better game than most wanted at least in my opinion. Most wanted was also more charming in the way that it wasn't always night,and had a better career mode overall
I adored that there were heat levels per zone and it made child me petrified when i had to go into a heat 5 area. Of course it doesnt do that much but i like the idea
I love to see more racing game youtubers having race max pro as a sponsor. For a mobile game, its great. Im glad the devs are getting recognized for it.
In many ways I prefer carbon over most wanted its like the unwanted middle child of the nfs franchise between most wanted and prostreet and its a damn shame its really underrated and I appreciate the love twards carbon
I might not be the norm but I personally love Carbon compare to all the other blackbox era games. I already played the game 4 times from start to finish including the challenge sesries. I love the vibe, and the fun factor. yeah is not long but everything you do have a purpose. Zero grind needed and its satisfying. I think for me is better then Most Wanted.
Carbon has one problem: You don't earn the same amount when you replay a race. In Most wanted you could fill your garage with top tuned cars if you grinded old races after Razor was taken down. Here you earn 500 cr per replayed race. If you did one bad buy and wanted to buy another expensive car on that save: Tough luck. I really enjoyed playing Carbon and making cars. but the restrictions just made me annoyed.
@@Vin80_ Outside of graphics, the only diffenrances are the number of A.I. racers per event is 3 instead of 7, and there are also no Race Wars event in the PS2 version
Need for speed undercover for the Wii is what got me into the series, and it seems almost all customization and police mechanics were ripped from carbon or vice versa, as even the police car models are identical
Btw for some reason when you start the game it always defaults it to medium graphics (at least on the one i downloaded and apparently yours too). So it's a pain in the ass but i suggest changing them to max anytime you open the game and turn on v-sync
I like and appreciate your positive analysis, you highlight and put into words what I really like about the game, even some things I didn’t realize myself, that being said I still agree more with the more critical analysis the likes of Raycevik. As a kid when MW came out in 2005 I didn't have it for myself, only loosely got to play it, but I did have Carbon and I really liked it. But now years later after actively playing through the series, there’s no denying that Carbon as an overall package is less cohesive than the previous titles. Carbons color filter lets through even less color than MW, the repetitive gameplay structure is made worse by the obviously cut back story and unrefined mechanics, the graphic style and audio of the game is ironically what stands out the most to me and doesn’t feel dated. It’s unfortunate because I know if Blackbox had a little more time, Carbon would feel like a proper successor and evolution over Most Wanted same way Underground 2 was to 1, the Battle Royale mod proves that, as does Undercover which seemed to share its development with Carbon. I personally don't like MW as much as others do, after the first 2 Undergrounds it feels more like a car combat game than a racing game, made worse nowadays with the realization of how stupid and overpowered the cops are, but the execution of the new style and gameplay mechanics was tightly knit. Carbon tries to combine what made both great, add some new features on top of that and ultimately fails to make any of them shine. Just like Raycevik put it, it's a very enjoyable but also very frustrating title because of the acknowledgment of how much potential it has and what it could have been.
One of my biggest issue with Carbon, has always been the fact that you're not hunted down despite Cross putting a nationwide APB out on the player character in Most Wanted. It's bugged me for years, and years how the player character is one of the most wanted in their respective countries, yet, in it's game's direct sequel, nothing really ever becomes of it? Don't get me wrong. I adore Carbon. I've played through it so many times on many different platforms. I simply have never understood why the narrative from Most Wanted didn't really carry over as much as it should have.
I love both games but something about carbon has always made me like it better. 1. My type of taste. 2. Car culture. 3. Rich suburban cities/Map. 4. Canyon. 5. Soundtrack. 6. Night time cycle.
I love carbon it was the first video game I ever played. Love the video, I was 10 and all of the canyon races were so hard i would avoid. Now I just want to find a physical copy for pc and download the super cool mods that have come out for it.
This was my first ever nfs game, man was i spoiled, also you forgot one point in the in game content, and that is the challenges, you could use the cars unlocked there in single race mode or split screen mode in consoles.... you could play with a fire truck with NOS and an SUV. Also the split screen is some of the must fun i've had in any multiplayer game.
After playing Carbon recently, it’s my 2nd favorite in the series. Especially with the Redux mod, but the mod Isn’t perfect it’s still new. Like Bugs, Game Crash, and Somehow Darius Final Race is more difficult than the base game.
Honestly i liked using Sal he came in handy having shortcuts marked on the map during a circuit race and he won races that would've been a loss otherwise
I more then once yelled at my screen while playing this game when one of my so called helpers ruined my race again..😂 In the PS3 era I overlooked one game for years. Ridge Racer Unbounded is a very good game not to be missed.👍🏻
Actually I'd rather play modded Carbon and Most Wanted than the new Forza's or Crew, I hate when we just started the game and they bombarded us with events, race, gigs, clothes, houses, I mean JESUS, talk about shoving things down our throat. I JUST WANT TO RACE.
if I’m the chairman or CEO or whatsoever in EA high position, I would definitely make NFS Carbon 2 with all of its canon from Shift, Most Wanted, Undercover and more
It's go time! Download Race Max Pro now app.adjust.com/1bxk57p2 and put the pedal to the metal.
Ok 👍
how did you race darius with a CXX hmmmm?
@@wydua he probably used a mod
@@wydua modded
honestly better than i expected
The atmosphere of Crabon is my absolute favourite. The canyons are such a vibe to race across and the ever present danger of falling to your death I love it.
Crabon XD
Cabron 👍
I love crabon
nfs cabron
Especially with all the San Juan mysteries
Finally a justification for this game. I prefer this game over Most Wanted any day. The vibe, the ambiance, the music, gosh especially the menu and canyon music! Thank you for giving this game a chance! I’m sick of seeing Most Wanted on the pedestal all the time.
Agreed! Most Wanted was a great game but it's way too overrated for what it actually plays like, especially for the NPCs rubberbanding. Carbon was just better in every way.
@@TotallyNotASpy1 I feel the opposite to be honest. Most Wanted was something completely different from UG2, they went from no cops to a dynamic cop system which still can be considered top tier today. I think the blacklist as way of progression was one of the best progression approaches in the series. Although I freaking love Carbon (autosculpt, car types and the team territories concepts were incredible), it kinda leans from the success of Most Wanted, while the story is significantly shorter. The map of Palmont isn't much smaller than Rockport (it may be even bigger), but the limited amount of roads between each district in Palmont made the map feel more repetitive to me.
Nevertheless, the fact that there are huge groups of people prefering Carbon over MW and vice versa, shows both games were amazing and had a lot of character. I personally don't think one of both is overrated, they are both still insanely fun for their unique quirks.
Ironically I play Carbon for the pursuits despite MW having more pursuit soundtrack and a more wide open map
@@xoiDROCKioxits that music carbon had. Could never beat it
FYI, you don't need justification for having a preference. Both games are good in their own merits. Seeking validation from people online shouldn't take away from something you love.
RIP Neville (AKA Chris Gauthier). You were the best wingman any street racer could have
No way 😢😢
I just wanna mention something on driving physics:
Each 3 Car Classes have their own physics model:
Tuners - Have the handling of a Formula One car, but are a bit gutless on the straights (my personal favorite)
Exotics - Highest Top Speeds among the 3 Car Classes, though they suffer with a bit of understeer and worse turning circle (they're the middle ground)
Muscle Cars - Have as much grip as a bar of soap, but have as much acceleration as an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
The Z06 Corvette is one of my favorite game vehicles of all Time.
if you know how to drift muscle cars can be pretty fun
Muscle all the way baby
@@Misterfreezeablethat zo6 was my absolute perfect build
Favorite part about the game and don't know why they don't bring it back
The most wanted comparasion to this game is fair. What I think what happened is that this game was very ambitious and the yearly release meant that the game got cut short. This game is still fun but it does feel short, even without playing most wanted before.
I recommend a mod called Carbon Battle Royale, it expands the game with new cars, events and a much longer playtime. If someone wants to play this game again then I absolutely recommend this mod.
Read this comment and thought, thanks for mentioning a mod that can enhance the exoerience, played both MW and Carbon when they came out and have downloaded them both several times and played through them over the years
Carbon: Battle Royale was the best thing that happened to Carbon; such a shame the original gane want like that.
If it had more team it would’ve been a mfs underground 3 homage
RIP to the actor that played Neville
Who is Neville's VA? I am very curious about this.
@@AlanFormula12022
Chris Gauthier. He unfortunately passed away earlier this year
It’s very underground coded
game is short, but its fine, it doesn't out stay its welcome, it tells us what it wants to tell us, and then its over
I actually prefer Carbon over MW.
Same
same
Same
Same
I think it’s a preference of what you grew up with. I personally love MW 2005 too much to say carbon is better, but I do appreciate the game a lot
RIP CHRIS GAUTHIER
RIP legend 🫡
My favourite NFS and one of my favourite videogames.
Carbon's OST by Trevor Morris and Ekstrak is one of my favourite OSTs in any game.
8:48 This would've been a nice screenshot if the game was played at max settings.
15:03 NFS Carbon's cops do not deploy the chopper in pursuits. Also, if the game forced you to maintain a certain heat level before starting races, then the cops would've been more useful.
NFSMW felt more like a car combat game than a proper racing game to me.
23:20 Same.
24:02 It has enough content, but they are not repetitive unlike MW where you can find the same race in reverse with extra lap while getting the same reward.
Carbon would've been better if BB added more unique races. Most of the races were confined in the territory they took place in, I would've preferred some races that took place across multiple boss territories.
Amazing video UltraViolet!
Thanks man
Carbon cops remove the chopper but they spawn more often and have higher rubber band compared to most wanted
The crew territory in carbon is really bad and making the game short. I preferred if it was rating system for each crew, like doing drift or canyon race will increase rating for challenging Kenji, speedbreaker for Angie, checkpoint for wolf. So you can have more different type races (like drag) or probably use the highway more often in race and make the game little bit longer
I remember spending a whole afternoon with a good friend of mine beating this game on his living room with a ps2 controller in my hand, trying to even beat darius with a lotus elise and it as nothing short of dumb fun, and that's exactly what this game can provide to everyone, very short bursts of downright shit eating grins.
Even despite the well documented compromises black box made at the time, carbon still manages to do well enough on it's own, and it's a shame that developers aren't trying to imitate it's ideas with their own spin, specially in regards to the canyon duels, of which they were the main dish of this game.
13:39 I'm devastated, heartbroken, scarred, repulsed, weeping, chro-
this is just vengeance for my comment on the last vid isn't it?
*smirks*
He made the right choice
@@Froot3680 froot
you
are
a dingus
@@UltraViolet_MosesNGL the RX-8 is the superior starter car choice
@@taquito1561 you just get it man
I have to add a second comment, because I really forgot how much I loved Carbon until I saw this video, and all my lost memories came back, the cars I built, the races I did, the special vehicles… sadly my copy broke, so I never got to re-experience it like I did U1, U2, MW, and PS. That game and that Audi LeMans Quattro (definitely not an R8 with concept headlights) are how I first saw the R8, I hadn’t been able to label a specific dream car until I saw it. I forgot just how much this game influenced me. I’m really glad I watched this video.
Great video, definitely brings me back. You're right about it being a one playthrough and done kind of game, I beat it pretty quickly on 360 around launch and probably never fired it up again but I am currently replaying Underground 1 and I'm about to go in order- got NFSU2, MW, and Carbon all ready to go on PC (originally played all but Carbon on Gamecube so the graphical improvements are so nice!)
There really is something about the racing games from back then. I do enjoy the newer stuff but I will never NOT find myself going back to older games and consoles
Carbon was my 2nd NFS game! I did three playthroughs of it, 2 Tuner, 1 Exotic.
Only downside is the very short career.
Either short and perfect( the best) or long boring repetitive.
i literally grew up with this game
it will forever be in my heart
been binging these videos like hell lately, you & serp both bring an analytical edge to racing game discussion i rarely see on this platform-- and i always wait a little bit to see your perspectives before i buy a new racer or maybe even discover an unplayed classic, just because i enjoy hearing you two's insight. there are very few channels that ill drop everything to watch a new upload for, but youre almost always one of them.
edit: HOLY SHIT thank you for addressing the community whining about brake to drift not being "realistic" enough in a franchise where the SECOND GAME had its final track be a demented movie studio with dinosaurs, spaceships, and jumps that could turn your spine into spaghetti before you even got the chance to land. if "realism" is the problem, then need for speed isn't the franchise for you, end of story. nobody show r/needforspeed ridge racer they'll throw a fit
Hey thanks a lot man, love to hear that we can help
Absolutely phenomenal video mate! You are absolutely correct about it being so intensely reminiscent of its era, and that is honestly the part I am enjoying the most about playing through it now. Can’t wait to see what the next one is mate!
Cheers my man! Got another really special one for the next video
I absolute love the Need For Speed Review Series UltraViolet
Thanks man, glad to hear
@@UltraViolet_Moses you welcome
For some reason I've never played Most Wanted, I didn't even know Carbon was a sequel when I was a kid, so I didn't have any frame of comparison
I loved this game and it's to this day my favorite NFS and it wasn't until recently I've found out a lot of people dislike this game because they prefer MW
6:13 They weren't in the original game. Koenigsegg CCX was added in the Collector's Edition (PC, PS2 and Xbox 360) and the Pagani Zonda F was added in the EA Downloader Edition (PC only)
carbon’s out of map glitch makes it the best game in the franchise
CANYON FREE ROAMMMMM
Wait what
@@bmw_fantopdrives5501 bossman
th-cam.com/video/s-ByuHctKnk/w-d-xo.html
@@bmw_fantopdrives5501 yeah, what? I never knew that.
Adore these videos ❤, the way you commentate keeps me coming back for more
Ah thank you, glad to hear!
6:33
the reason autosculpt is gone could also be because the manufacturers don't like it nowadays. We all know how shitty car manufacturers can be these days
I'd agree, but considering what Unbound gets away with due to its horrendous long tails and obnoxious kits from EA themselves not sure thats entirely the reason
@@UltraViolet_Moses eh, fair enough, i was just guessing but yeah
Carbon was my first "new" racing game growing up and my 4th racing game ever, and the 2nd game that got me into cars (besides underground 2) and was the one that made sure I'd always love them. My first was crusin USA, then NFS hot pursuit 2, and then need for speed underground 2. Carbon was my favorite game for a long time until The Crew was released. (Rip) Now, nothing comes close.
Need for speed carbon is my favorite need for speed game full stop. I've played them my entire life and love 99% of them but Carbon is my favorite that ever was and probably ever will be
One of the things that makes Carbon so great to me is the music. From classics like Are Friends Electric to modern bangers like Fighting in Built Up Areas, it's the most packed, high quality, and diverse ost in the series imho, and contributes brilliantly to the tone and vehicle you use.
The Canyons and the Music Themes pretty much carried this game and are easily the best parts as well. I've never played this game before. But I can confidently say that this game definitely had an impact on video games and the community as a whole. When it comes to gaming, I used to play on this one modded server from GTA 5 FiveM way before Rockstar removed all the irl cars and what not. Back when the server was popping there was these custom maps that everyone would play on. One of them was literally the Canyon Routes from Carbon. There would be tons of players on it everyday either just drifting, racing, or chilling, it was so fun. And whenever I would look up other custom modded maps in racing games on TH-cam. Modded Canyon Routes would usually show up in a couple of videos across multiple games. That's how much of an impact the Canyons had from Carbon.
I do find it interesting how both Most Wanted and Carbon have their own different storylines, progression, and gameplay. Most Wanted is basically just you vs everybody. Racers or cops you didn't care, you wanted to take everybody down and you wanted all the smoke. Carbon is all about building a crew, taking over territories, car culture, and exploring the city/night life. I was always interested in seeing someone combine two different atmospheres into one game. Since Most Wanted and Carbon have two different settings. I'm curious to see if someone could combine both the You vs Everybody and Building a Crew type of stories/gameplays into one game. It might not work well, but I feel like if its done right it could possibly become one of the best racing games out there at least in my opinion.
And man I miss Autosculpt. I knew it was in Prosteet but I didn't know Carbon had it too. It was probably one of the best things that the classic NFS games had to offer. Really gave customization a whole new look and different meaning just like you said. Don't know why they removed that. They removed a lot of old features honestly. I wish they brought it back because that was one of my favorite things from back in the day.
Anyways Great Video Man!
Such a beautyful review for Carbon here, from you. All you sayed is so true. And seeing the review I can't help but wonder if we ever see a game like carbon that captures the canyon duel atmosphere as great as carbon did.
Heck I even rember that I, when younger went deep into the mysterie of the location of the city, considering where most wanted was and the skyboxes with other citys in sight.
Truely love the atmosphere that was there to this day.
Most Wanted Redux and Carbon Redux have brought me back to both of these games from my childhood. And being able to tweak cop limits and force max heat level to 10....its insane. The modding community is always hard at work making these games so much better than the vanilla versions.
Same here!
Ive replayed it about 50 times.
Now I want to replay it again.
I'm the dude who suggested the Carbon review on the nfs 2015 video and you can't imagine how happy I am you liked it! There's not enough words for me to express how much fun I've had and how much memories I've made with this game, it'll always have a special place in my heart.
Great video UltraViolet!
Eyyy thanks man!
Need for speed was great for its time, even tho i wasnt too crazy about how each games mechanics/physics were always a pretty different feeling from the last. Most wanted was by far the best. Once i got an xbox 360 and Forza Horizon came out, it was really hard for a racing game to top that i feel. CarX is kinda fun if you like drifting, but i have yet to find a game comparable with forza for casual and free roam fun
Ultraviolet, your journey into Need For Speed Carbon is a nostalgic blast from the past! 🌟 It's incredible how this game still manages to capture our hearts years later. Your fresh take on its gameplay, graphics, and overall feel is exactly what we need to see. Carbon's legacy lives on, and your review brings it roaring back into the spotlight. Thanks for reminding us why we fell in love with this classic racer in the first place! 🚗💨
It really is!
Damn, AI has already hit TH-cam comments
@@thecostarules631 nah I'm real
20:43 as an aside, you can do each zone in any order. you can even do them all at the same time although that also means a lot of driving between zones.
I actually tired to remake canyon runs in my early racing game tinkering. turns out those are pretty hard to do well.
if the tracks are too hard they are just frustrating (my first thought might have been to ditch all walls). too easy and it feels like the threat isn't there.
as for speed trap races, those work best when the player has a certain degree of freedom to strategize. although again, it's a nail it or not good binary to getting it right.
23:20 THANK YOU!! Finally someone said it. We might be in the minority, but I love the final stages of Carbon. The stakes are high and especially in the Canyon races, the margin for mistakes is really low.
I have just finished playing Carbon for the first time since I had it on PS2 & then the 360. Gotta say I thought it held up great, made sure to 100% it & had a great time coming back all these years later, didn’t seem as hard as it did when I was younger but enjoyed it very much.
Darling, arise from your slumber for Moses B has blessed the TH-cam landscape with another moving picture.
Man that R8 battle will forever be in my brain... one of the hardest final bosses i ever experience.
It's so fucking stupid that people literally said that Carbon was the last good NFS game lmao. It started back in the days where Black Box used to dominate racing games back then such as the Underground series and the OG Most Wanted. Now look, Carbon has it's flaws, but it's not the last great NFS game. So fucking dumb that they literally said that.
Prostreet was underrated because many people we're mad about the results that EA and Black Box made because they went on to make Undercover but didn't even polish the game yet until it's final release, making the franchise going to it's downfall, especially Shift. Hot Pursuit 2010 literally saved the franchise from falling apart because it was a love letter to the old Hot Pursuit games back in the 90's.
Carbon is supposed to be underground 3 but they mixed in with most wanted, and the map similiar to underground 2 (kenji turf is first area, long highway, wolf turf is second area, darius turf is third area mixed with casino, and angie turf is the last two area).
Having re-played Carbon recently, I found it funny how everybody's in-game 3D models were always squinting... despite being nighttime.
I like how you can play through the story in whatever order you please, determined by your choice of starter car. And it still makes sense.
Quality over quantity with carbon
Love carbon. But the final boss race. I grabbed the GT500. Passed Darius on the first run, sat there for 10 seconds and knocked him out without having to do the second run.
My most prominent memory of this game is that the game crashed when selecting Samson as a wingman :D it happened with original copy of the PC version
I have played car games since the first Gran Turismo and Need For Speed Underground and have stuck to more sim style releases for the last 20 years. I pulled out my old PS 2 and picked up a cheap local copy of Carbon and I haven't been able to put it down! The whole game has sick nighttime vibes, is incredibly fun and definitely underrated. The sensation of speed is awesome and SO many elements of the game are ahead of their time I wish they would re-release it with a lot of the same gameplay and menu concepts
What is interesting about the story is how they tie in Carbon as a prequel to MW chronologically and then, a sequel. Still one of my favourites because it was my first NFS game that I owned.
i know its very silly but carbon battle royale mod made me fall in love with carbon >~
Quick minor correction about the music: Muscle cars use rock music, _tuners_ use electronic/EDM music, and exotics have a focus on R&B/Rap music. The licensed music reflects these main 3 categories, as well as a distinct set of original composition that follows this formula too.
Something about manually shifting a R34 GT-R somewhat looking like Paul Walker's while getting chased by the cops keeps me coming back to this game
Elias Toufexis in 2006: UwU
Elias Toufexis in 2011: I never asked for this.
Even for gba this game was a banger
Great video! I feel the same way about a lot of games from this era now; they’re almost *more* fun in 2024 because they’d never get made in 2024. They were a little off-beat and cringe-worthy then, but now it’s just a vibe.
Carbon is probably my favourite from aesthetic alone, nothing replicates the dark vibe
also 8:50 finally someone recognises this
to me theres no crime with brake to drift (i like hot pursuit, mw 2012 and rivals handling) but ghost handling is so bad it makes everyone blame the system
I have such a soft spot for Carbon. First game I played in the series after renting it from a Blockbuster back then, and beating the game on multiple occasions. Even if the thing is rushed and quarter baked, I love it for its vibe and ideas. The crews based around car classes and the territories, the different tiers/classes and how they all handle. It feels shorter on the surface versus MW but I come back to this one more than MW.
idea: make a hardcore gamemode where if you fly off the cliff, you literally die and have to restart (or just lose that car entirely)
I actually went to go drink at my homie’s place and we started playing NFS Carbon and Tony Hawk 2 on his PS2. Almost felt like a kid again
I, 9 times out of 10, used blockers for a majority of my races on carbon, mainly Neville. Sucks that he has past.
RIP Neville, you were the best wingman and, in my opinion, the best thing in this game besides the cars and races.
I’ve been saying how amazing carbon is and why I prefer it to most wanted! It’s a cheap pickup totally worth it
There is only one thing that I criticize about this game. The car rewarding system. Some cars are a pain to unlock and if you're a console player there are cars that cannot be obtained,like the Lexus which can only be used in a challenge series. Reward cards are disappointing because let's be honest we all wanted to drive those cars in career mode,and we could only use those in quick races. When you beat Darius he doesn't even hand you over his Audi even though the cutscene makes you think otherwise😅. Besides that,I think it's a pretty valid game,too much cut content though. Unless you mod it,it's not a better game than most wanted at least in my opinion. Most wanted was also more charming in the way that it wasn't always night,and had a better career mode overall
18:15 I would not be surprised if they were inspired by the Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift races
I adored that there were heat levels per zone and it made child me petrified when i had to go into a heat 5 area. Of course it doesnt do that much but i like the idea
i think zone heat levels affects cop spawnrate
I LOVE CARBON! Still having trouble finding it on PS3 or 360.
Can't wait for Carbon online mod, it will be amazing !
I KNEW you were gonna drool at the canyon boss races! We know you too well Moses!
I love to see more racing game youtubers having race max pro as a sponsor. For a mobile game, its great. Im glad the devs are getting recognized for it.
Carbon, MW 2005 and Prostreet are 3 games that I play for hours everyday and still never get bored
*Carbon needed its own sequel after Pro street dropped but we got undercover instead 😢 such a shame, carbon is a solid 8/10 Racing game for me*
In many ways I prefer carbon over most wanted its like the unwanted middle child of the nfs franchise between most wanted and prostreet and its a damn shame its really underrated and I appreciate the love twards carbon
Dodge Viper with acceleration upgrades was the greatest canyon duel weapon!
I might not be the norm but I personally love Carbon compare to all the other blackbox era games. I already played the game 4 times from start to finish including the challenge sesries. I love the vibe, and the fun factor. yeah is not long but everything you do have a purpose. Zero grind needed and its satisfying. I think for me is better then Most Wanted.
4am upload go crazy. but great video!
😴
Carbon has one problem: You don't earn the same amount when you replay a race. In Most wanted you could fill your garage with top tuned cars if you grinded old races after Razor was taken down. Here you earn 500 cr per replayed race. If you did one bad buy and wanted to buy another expensive car on that save: Tough luck. I really enjoyed playing Carbon and making cars. but the restrictions just made me annoyed.
I love that you don't compare nfs to other games thats why you earned my like
The starter tuner on PS3/PC is an RX8? That’s a hell of a contrast to the Mazdaspeed 3.
Also PS2 did not get the face cams.
Starter cars are the same on every home console version
@ found that out later, I swear I started out in a Mazdaspeed 3 once and it was my car too.
@@Vin80_ Outside of graphics, the only diffenrances are the number of A.I. racers per event is 3 instead of 7, and there are also no Race Wars event in the PS2 version
Need for speed undercover for the Wii is what got me into the series, and it seems almost all customization and police mechanics were ripped from carbon or vice versa, as even the police car models are identical
Just found you from your Nier video so imagine my surprise hearing the sponsor music. You got a sub outta me.
Btw for some reason when you start the game it always defaults it to medium graphics (at least on the one i downloaded and apparently yours too). So it's a pain in the ass but i suggest changing them to max anytime you open the game and turn on v-sync
Did anyone else think there was something on their monitor (top left)? Nope it's just this video, whatda?
I like and appreciate your positive analysis, you highlight and put into words what I really like about the game, even some things I didn’t realize myself, that being said I still agree more with the more critical analysis the likes of Raycevik. As a kid when MW came out in 2005 I didn't have it for myself, only loosely got to play it, but I did have Carbon and I really liked it. But now years later after actively playing through the series, there’s no denying that Carbon as an overall package is less cohesive than the previous titles. Carbons color filter lets through even less color than MW, the repetitive gameplay structure is made worse by the obviously cut back story and unrefined mechanics, the graphic style and audio of the game is ironically what stands out the most to me and doesn’t feel dated. It’s unfortunate because I know if Blackbox had a little more time, Carbon would feel like a proper successor and evolution over Most Wanted same way Underground 2 was to 1, the Battle Royale mod proves that, as does Undercover which seemed to share its development with Carbon. I personally don't like MW as much as others do, after the first 2 Undergrounds it feels more like a car combat game than a racing game, made worse nowadays with the realization of how stupid and overpowered the cops are, but the execution of the new style and gameplay mechanics was tightly knit. Carbon tries to combine what made both great, add some new features on top of that and ultimately fails to make any of them shine. Just like Raycevik put it, it's a very enjoyable but also very frustrating title because of the acknowledgment of how much potential it has and what it could have been.
I agree with that, it's certainly still a game I love, but not quite as much as I do Most Wanted
One of my biggest issue with Carbon, has always been the fact that you're not hunted down despite Cross putting a nationwide APB out on the player character in Most Wanted.
It's bugged me for years, and years how the player character is one of the most wanted in their respective countries, yet, in it's game's direct sequel, nothing really ever becomes of it?
Don't get me wrong. I adore Carbon. I've played through it so many times on many different platforms. I simply have never understood why the narrative from Most Wanted didn't really carry over as much as it should have.
Darius pays off your bounty at the start of the game, so that’s your issue solved and sorted
I love both games but something about carbon has always made me like it better.
1. My type of taste.
2. Car culture.
3. Rich suburban cities/Map.
4. Canyon.
5. Soundtrack.
6. Night time cycle.
I love carbon it was the first video game I ever played. Love the video, I was 10 and all of the canyon races were so hard i would avoid. Now I just want to find a physical copy for pc and download the super cool mods that have come out for it.
now do a review of the psp port of Carbon "Own The City"
*psp
This was my first ever nfs game, man was i spoiled, also you forgot one point in the in game content, and that is the challenges, you could use the cars unlocked there in single race mode or split screen mode in consoles.... you could play with a fire truck with NOS and an SUV. Also the split screen is some of the must fun i've had in any multiplayer game.
After playing Carbon recently, it’s my 2nd favorite in the series. Especially with the Redux mod, but the mod Isn’t perfect it’s still new. Like Bugs, Game Crash, and Somehow Darius Final Race is more difficult than the base game.
Honestly i liked using Sal he came in handy having shortcuts marked on the map during a circuit race and he won races that would've been a loss otherwise
I have the collectors edition on ps2 playing it right now watching this lol
The viper in this game is ridiculously OP
Yes. Same case for the Chevy Corvette C6 Z06.
I more then once yelled at my screen while playing this game when one of my so called helpers ruined my race again..😂
In the PS3 era I overlooked one game for years. Ridge Racer Unbounded is a very good game not to be missed.👍🏻
Actually I'd rather play modded Carbon and Most Wanted than the new Forza's or Crew, I hate when we just started the game and they bombarded us with events, race, gigs, clothes, houses, I mean JESUS, talk about shoving things down our throat. I JUST WANT TO RACE.
It a shame racing games gone the direction their going today what a shame this proves why the 2000s was normal.
Hey I'm from Jamaica 🇯🇲 could do a review on blur the racing game
deserves a sub for that r/needforspeed joke alone
Hoping for ProStreet review next!
The game gets hilariously easy if you activate the drifting mechanics in all the other races, so the Black Box driving system is great for the game.
if I’m the chairman or CEO or whatsoever in EA high position, I would definitely make NFS Carbon 2 with all of its canon from Shift, Most Wanted, Undercover and more
Great 👍 just like most wanted 👏👏
Thank you so much 😀