Written by: Navin Prasad

EA showed off several next-gen games in development at their Studio Showcase 06, but perhaps the most emphasis was put on their upcoming multi-platform racer, Need For Speed : Carbon. The NFS series has been around for a while, the last entry being the solid Need For Speed: Most Wanted. Work was begun on Carbon more than a year ago and it looks like it's very far along already.

From our first impressions playing Carbon, it was obvious that this game has been designed with the next-generation systems in mind – NFS Most Wanted, available last year at the 360's launch, was mostly a cosmetic upgrade from the regular XBox version. This time the feature set has been built for the newer systems, with scaled-back versions being released for current systems. We spent most of our time with the Xbox 360 version, as the PS3 version is not as far along. The Xbox version was playable as well, and looked quite decent on the aging system. We’re also excited about the game for Wii, which EA confirmed to us on Thursday would take advantage of the motion-sensing controller.

Carbon's career mode comes with a pretty involved story set in the underground racing scene. The main character from Most Wanted returns to his home of Palmont City, only to find that rival street gangs have taken over the city. He's been framed for a race that went wrong, and his ex-girlfriend is dating the leader of a rival gang. The player guides him as he regains territory and his own good name, getting back to the top. The cut-scenes that appear in-between races are cinematic and not as cheesy as the last game, somewhat reminiscent of The Fast and The Furious movies. Recently, EA was hyping their signing of actress Emmanuelle Vaugier ("Two and a Half Men", Saw II) for work in the story mode. Vaugier will be playing the main character's ex-girlfriend.

Playing through the story will have you racing against rival street gangs to slowly build up the territory that you own. Helping you against the gangs will be your own crew, who you will recruit through various parts of the game. The struggles for territories culminate in Canyon Races, an interesting sort of boss battle that has you and a rival tailing each other along precarious canyon roads.

Canyon racing is definitely the most new and different thing about Carbon, and deserves some special attention. Taking place at night, these races are the final battles between you and the leaders of rival gangs. One side of the road is rock, and the other is a sheer cliff. Fall off, and the race is over. The Canyon Race has two parts: in the first, you are chasing your rival, earning more points when you stay close behind or overtake him. The second part has you being hunted in the same way, earning more points for staying ahead. Drivers instantly win if they can stay ahead of their opponent for 10 seconds. It's a dangerous and difficult part of the game, and provides a unique challenge among racers.



You MUST turn right!

Taking on the gangs in the regular races is a different story. Just one man couldn't take on a gang of racers, so that's why you'll need to recruit crew members of your own to watch your back and act as wingmen. It wasn't clear exactly how you'll bring them on in the first place, but once you have them, they can help you out in a race by blocking for you or taking out other cars. When they are nearby, the Y button (X360) summons them to your aid. Additionally, if a crew member wins the race, you (and your gang) are credited for the win. One interesting way that this changes the strategy is that you could instead play the wingman, taking out other cars so that your crew member comes in first. According to EA reps, the various crew members you acquire will also help you outside of the races, as you cruise the streets of Palmont City, challenging the other gangs and tricking out your car.