Need For Speed: Carbon marks the latest entry in the popular, long running Need For Speed franchise. The game is a solid street racer that stays true to the NFS foundation while adding in a few new game play mechanics.

Carbon starts out in the middle of a high stakes race. It doesn’t leave too many gaps from where the series last left off. You’re tossed into frame-up and a double-cross, missing money, and a totaled car. Picking up from the end of the last game works great for the series’ followers, but the story can seem a bit nonsensical to newcomers to the series when random characters you share history with start popping up left and right in the opening scenes of the game.

Back to the Underground
The game starts off with a street race gone wrong. By the end, your car is totaled and you’re indebted to your old "friend" Darius, who pays off bounty hunter Cross. You quickly learn that you have a lot of old business from your past to settle; business that even predates the events from the last game. Darius quickly sets you up to begin working off your debt by climbing up the ranks and taking over territory from the street racing gangs in Palmont City.

The first thing that stands out about the story is the stylized use of live-action full motion video. The acting can be considered mixed level at best. Considering the movie equivalents of the street racing genre, fans of street racing will feel right at home. That said, the story can get confusing as you try to piece together flashbacks from your past.

The game gets you up to speed with the new wingman game play mechanics pretty quick. Basically, the game lets you bring an extra AI-controlled partner into each race, called your wingman. Your wingman has only one objective: to help you win each race. Wingmen come in three variations: Blockers, Drafters and Scouts. Each wingman has certain strengths and learning to use wingmen will definitely come in handy as you aim to take over rival territory. Scouts will help you with finding alternative routes and pathways to a races’ finish line. Drafters can be used to setup a slipstream draft, giving you a much needed speed burst. Blockers are like the offensive linemen of the game. They work best for aggressive racers, as they can be used to block or take out your opponents. While the AI for each is not the greatest, learning to use them effectively can and will win you more than a few races. However, in most races you will aim to win without using them, lest you worry if this one of those few times their AI gets in your way.