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NFS Carbon demo on Live News

Xbox 360 News by Tom Bramwell

4 October, 2006

Need For Speed Carbon has joined the list of downloadable game demos on Xbox Live Marketplace, although it's 1GB so you'll probably want to put the tea on before you start downloading it.

Should be useful for gauging whether you can be bothered with this year's update to EA's increasingly successful racing game series, due out on 360, Xbox, PS2, Cube, PSP, DS and GBA on 3rd November.

As you'll know if you've been following it, NFS Carbon sees you racing around a city trying to take over neighbourhoods one at a time, with the action eventually heading to Carbon Canyon where there's, you know, more racing.

Look for our review of NFS Carbon later on this month.

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Comments: 1-44 of 44 in total

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Darkedge
04/10/06 @ 12:02
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NFS should've stopped a long time ago. Like Cilla Blacks career
Salubrious_K
04/10/06 @ 12:03
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That's an insult to Cilla!
Mr_Whacker
04/10/06 @ 12:07
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But long may Cilla's carer continue.
kangarootoo
04/10/06 @ 12:07
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I just started playing NFS Most Wanted again recently. Great game, way better than Burnout these days.
coojam
04/10/06 @ 12:11
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I loved Most Wanted until I realised it was the same thing over and over and over and over an....you get the point. This demo is taking AGES to download too. Been going since 10.30am and its only on 19%
peterfll
04/10/06 @ 12:11
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Argh, NFS better than Burnout - blasphemy!
foxy2006
04/10/06 @ 12:15
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This series cannot continue.

The most blatant cash cow in the industry
reality_cheque
04/10/06 @ 12:16
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It's not better than burnout, nor is burnout better than NFS. Both different games that happen to have an arcade driving style.

Personally, I'd start it downloading BEFORE putting my tea on. Then it's downloading while I'm preheating the oven :)
Wrestlevania
04/10/06 @ 12:17
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They've churned this one out bloody quickly, too, which doesn't bode well for it being particularly innovative over Most Wanted. Hopefully they've fixed the police chase mechanics and made free-roaming more fun.
reality_cheque
04/10/06 @ 12:18
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I'd say FIFA or one of the sports games (Tiger Woods) was the biggest cash cow.

There are bigger differences between NFS:U and NFS:MW than there are between Tiger Woods 06 and TW07.
kangarootoo
04/10/06 @ 12:19
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@coojam

I am only about 3 blacklist members in, so maybe my enthusiasm will wane after a while.

On the Buronout front, OK they are different games. BO2 was the pinnacle for me, BO3 was still really good, then it all went downhill a bit for my tastes. I honestly find NFS:MW more entertaining than any of the recent BO games I've played.
Edited 1 times, most recently on 04/10/06 @ 13:19
Stormflood
04/10/06 @ 12:23
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They really need to sort out download speeds. This is what I'd expect from a free service.

1%


/does some jobs


1%
reality_cheque
04/10/06 @ 12:24
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It's probably because everyone is downloading the same file at the same time. I downloaded ALL of the X06 videos in about 30 minutes, they were downloading faster than I could add them to my list...
peterfll
04/10/06 @ 12:24
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Each to their own of course. I *love* the Burnout games. All of 'em. 1 through to Revenge.

Gimme gimme gimme.

NFS I've tried. I had the demo from the marketplace for quite a while, but it just didn't gel for me. I didn't think it was bad, I just couldn't see it keeping my interest going.

I will be downloading the new demo of course. And I do think it's one of EA's better yearly franchises......

ps Just realised I have actually owned an NFS game on the original Xbox. I must be going mad....
numptyboymatt
04/10/06 @ 12:29
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You mean you have downloaded as much as a whole 1%? OH how I, and my pitiful 0% envy you :O(

Well, W@nk my dog!!! - Im up to 4% after only a few minutes!
Edited 1 times, most recently on 04/10/06 @ 13:32
tiddles
04/10/06 @ 12:45
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Really liked what I played of NFS:MW on the 360, but one thing ruined the experience for me - the utterly shonky frame-rate. It's never been great on previous NFS games, but on Most Wanted it was so bad (with really intrusive stuttering) it kind of spoilt the whole game. Here's hoping they've made some progress in this area for Carbon...
OnlyMe
04/10/06 @ 12:45
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I miss the Need for Speed of old. The ones where you raced with and against exotic cars, instead of some blimped up whoremobile. Need For Speed was great up and until Hot Pursuit 2 (although that doesn't quite hold up to 3 and 4). Underground ruined the series, Most Wanted was Underground in daylight, and Carbon looks like it's going back to the Underground style again - that is, before I've tried the demo. Downloading now, but I've very very low expecations.
lazygamer
04/10/06 @ 12:47
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well, that was a waste of time.

I loved NFSMW (until the last couple on the blacklist, then it became a chore), and this is nothing like it.

The car modding thing is good, but that's about it.

@tiddles: the frame rate seems even worse in carbon, which is a shame considering the game looks no better.
Edited 2 times, most recently on 04/10/06 @ 13:50
Zuiyo
04/10/06 @ 12:48
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OMG. I just tried it. It's awful.
brooza664
04/10/06 @ 12:49
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I liked Need For Speed 2: Hot Pursuit. I wasn't too keen on Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2...
Edited 1 times, most recently on 04/10/06 @ 13:49
OnlyMe
04/10/06 @ 13:04
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You meant Need For Speed III - Hot Pursuit, I assume. So you pun doesn't work ;).
Stormflood
04/10/06 @ 13:07
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OMG. I just tried it. It's awful.

Hmm. Well I'm at 37%, I'm not stopping now!
OnlyMe
04/10/06 @ 13:17
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Damn, I forgot about Porche Unleashed!

They NEED to do another one of those, be it with Ferrarris instead, or just a plain remake! Porsche Unleashed was the best semi-sim ever!*

*I'm talking about the PC version here, the console versions were rather horrible.
whoslotte
04/10/06 @ 13:47
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For this game, I don't even have a byte spare...
jamesbee
04/10/06 @ 14:07
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Dear me it's horrible! Oh so horrible! It's as horrible as it was on the xbox. What is with the frame rate? I can't remember the last NFS that had anything approaching a decent sensation of speed or smooth frame rates. You don't so much move forward as judder around the track, it doesn't even look that nice!
asphaltcowboy
04/10/06 @ 14:11
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Well, im still interested in playing it - loads of demos to download once I get the net sorted in my house!
OnlyMe
04/10/06 @ 14:26
#27
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What the hell? This must be the worst yet! What have the done to the controls? The car is all over the place, and the graphics were worse than the first Underground game, not to mention controls.

I can't find any reason why people would like this game. This game should not sell well, under any circumstances. But unfortunately, it will.
Kuma
04/10/06 @ 14:55
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This looks worse than NFSU2 on the Xbox! Nice car modding though if you like that sort of thing.
Wicks
04/10/06 @ 14:57
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Bring back Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit again

Those spike strips bring back memories
Stormflood
04/10/06 @ 15:25
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Christ that was horrible.

Should be called NFS:Boats. Nasty handling and Xbox graphics.

/deletes
Mr_Whacker
04/10/06 @ 15:45
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That sounds so bad I'll have to see it now!
el bandito
04/10/06 @ 15:46
#32
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OnlyMe: NFS: Porsche was done by TDU developers Eden I think

As for the demo... poor... the framerate is possibly the worst I've seen on a console racing game... dreadful.
jonsaan
04/10/06 @ 16:07
#33
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Need for Speed: Cilla Black Edition. Don't give them ideas.
kangarootoo
04/10/06 @ 16:27
#34
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Bear in mind its just a demo. Stuff like framerate can be sorted before release if its recognised as a big issue (not saying it will be, just that it can be).
OnlyMe
04/10/06 @ 16:36
#35
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Unfortunately, framerate is the least of the issues I have with this game.

el bandido: I certainly see similarities between TDU and Porsche Unleashed. I prefer Porsche Unleashed though, it's just something special.
stephen
04/10/06 @ 18:51
#36
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Any sign of a PC demo of this?
jack_klugman
04/10/06 @ 20:28
#37
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What proportion of that 1GB is taken up with the 720p EA logo and intro. movie?
bloodflowers
04/10/06 @ 21:39
#38
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Hm. Garbage. NFSMW was the first time for many years that any NFS game was good, and this is a step back towards NFSU, both of which sucked pretty damn hard. Still, it's another 40 quid to not spend.
AFX
05/10/06 @ 06:50
#39
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Hmm, well the race wasn't too bad but the drift level is just plain rubbish. Like PGR without any of the style.
Edited 2 times, most recently on 05/10/06 @ 07:51
Talha
05/10/06 @ 08:39
#40
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@OnlyME: I wholeheartedly agree with you on Porsche Unleashed. The PC version IS the best semi-sim ever, considering it was six years ago.

@Kanga: Hate to spoil your fun - wait till you have to nudge 22 police cars to get through. That is where I gave up! (Despite the glowing review I wrote....) The one big trouble with NFS games is that they are fun to start and a chore to finish.


@Everyone else: Let up on it. NFS is not in the same vein as a FIFA or TW. They try to do something different every year.

That said, this game looks diabolical - the new worst in the series (taking the crown away from the Underground games).

T
The Bodybuilder
05/10/06 @ 09:52
#41
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downloaded and played this morning prior to leaving for uni (i'm making this post on my pda in my lecture as i speak).

crap. looks worse than pgr 2. framerates bad, but least of its troubles. feels like driving vaseline on ice.

/will delete when i get back.
Darren
05/10/06 @ 11:04
#42
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Oh dear... I've always been a big fan of the NFS games ever since playing NFS 3 on the PlayStation and PC and I admit that I rather enjoyed last year's Most Wanted on the 360/PC. It had a stodgy framerate and some minor v-sync tearing (on the 360 anyway) but it played well enough and was quite good fun really.

NFS Carbon has a superb car modification feature and that's about it, it feels like NFS: Underground 3 with garish graphics (which aren't anywhere near as good as Most Wanted). It's nice to see they've fixed the v-sync tearing but, unfortunately, it's come at the cost of the framerate which is even shonkier than last year. The Drift race is particularly bad yet the scenery is basic and there's only your car on the track so why the feck does it have slowdown. Elsewhere, on the Canyon and Circuit tracks the framerate is better but it still has a tendency to go a bit "treacly" more often than it should considering this is nothing more than a last-gen port.

I must say I'm very disappointed by both it's lack of speed and total lack of ambition. One thing's for sure though, this game really does have a Need For Speed...
JonFE
05/10/06 @ 11:14
#43
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What's the point of releasing a demo in such poor shape (apart from doing potential customers a service, by helping them avoid it :) ?
reality_cheque
05/10/06 @ 15:12
#44
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If I was responsible for sales of a certain game and my game was shit, there wouldn't be a demo released until the day after it hit the shops. And if the game was good I'd make sure the demo did it justice.

I'm looking at you, Blazing Angels, NFS:Carbon, Chromehounds and TDU.

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