Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed
- April 14, 2000 00:00 AM PST
The Need for Speed franchise is a superb example of arcade racing smattered with just the right amount of realism. EA's latest offering, Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed improves on the already impressive Need for Speed: High Stakes while reaching back to the roots of the franchise.
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This time around, EA has joined forces with Porsche, allowing EA to not only pull from the Porsche's already impressive line of sports cars, but also from the substantial history behind the auto manufacturer. The result is as educational for the Porsche enthusiast as it is entertaining.
Porsche Unleashed features two main modes of play: Factory Driver and Evolution, the latter being a series of tournaments that takes you through Porsche's lineage. Much like High Stakes, drivers compete for prize money, which can be used to upgrade existing vehicles and purchase new ones. The only difference is that in Evolution there is no high stakes mode where the loser forfeits his/her car. Drivers will get to drive just about every car Porsche ever made.
While Evolution mode is nothing new, Factory Driver mode is a first for the series. In this mode, drivers get the chance to become a Porsche test driver. You will be asked to do everything from a controlled 360 degree spin to delivering cars, unscathed and cop-free, from the city to the docks.
Porsche Unleashed is by no means a revolutionary game, but then again, it doesn't have to be. It draws from its strong lineage and adds enough to distinguish itself from its predecessors. The graphics are a notch above the rest, but what really distinguishes this title from its brethren is its attention to detail and thirst for realism. Using a 4-point physics model, and a wealth of information from the Porsche brain trust, Porsche Unleashed is easily the most realistic Need for Speed title to date. It provides a higher level of realism without sacrificing the arcade-like qualities that comprise the cornerstones of the franchise. Handling is noticeably different from car to car. Engine noise is uncannily real, immersing the driver in gear shifting bliss. On the irritating side, recovering your car once you lose control is an art that does not come easily.
Perhaps the most impressive feature is not something new, but rather a hearkening back to the original title that started the series. While there are a few closed circuit tracks, the majority of the game's tracks are point A to point B affairs. This restores the feeling that the driver is actually going somewhere and provides an even higher sense of realism. Tracks are littered with alternate routes and shortcuts. There is plenty for even the most seasoned of drivers to master.
From top to bottom, Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed is an entertaining and delightfully refined racer that accentuates everything good that has become the Need for Speed franchise. Fans of the series and Porsche aficionados alike will rejoice in its quality. Sim freaks may still balk at its lack of total realism, but gamers more concerned with the adrenaline rush of weaving in and out of traffic at 100 mph than a car's weight distribution and gear ratios will revel in its goodness.
