Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed

The Good
Make no mistake, this game is a masterpiece. The graphics and sounds are simply stunning. The sceneary and the cars look perfect, as real as you're going to get on a PC these days. The handling of the cars is excellent, and each car is subtley different form the next. The controls are stunning, and with a decent wheel (force-feedback preferably) this game drives better than anything else out there. For the first time in a driving game, you really feel that you're behind the wheel of a fast car.

The game has two modes. The test driver mode gives you a chance to test drive a variety of Porche's on your way to becoming chief test driver, and there are some brilliant missions to undertake, like "deliver this car to the docks in 3 minutes, and don't damage it!", or the truly excellent "take this guy out for a drive and scare the crap out of him!"

The main game is very well thought, racing Porches through the ages. You start in 1950 (the classic era) with a few bucks in your pocket. Buy yourself an old 356, and enter the first race. Do well in that race and you'll earn money which you can use to repair and upgrade your car. As you progress you can buy other cars to drive in the later races. At the end of an age, you get the chance to win a special edition Porsche. For example, at the end of the classic era, you get several laps of Monaco in a 550 Spyder - win the race and you win the car.

The Bad
There's not much wrong with this game. It does need a pretty beefy PC to play. On my 500MHz system if I use the wheel, I have to turn off the rear-view mirror or it just gets way too jerky. Racing with the keyboard is OK, but the wheel is just so damn good.

The Bottom Line
Personally, I don't like Porsches. When I first heard of this game I grumbled and complained about it as only a Yorkshireman can. But I put aside my prejudices, and have not looked back. If you don't have this game, get it. If you don't have a wheel, get one. Put to two together, and you have perfection. Trust me.

This is without doubt, the finest arcade racer there is, bar none. It's not a simulation, so I don't have to compare it with Geoff Crammond's games, and I'm glad about that. I'd be afraid it might win.

The Good
The vehicle amount is quite big, 80 cars without downloadable cars, but there are more when you got to the official website at the time of release. I enjoyed the track layout and missions add to the replay value. The music was very usual for EA, mix of funky songs in between but then it drops from good to absolutely terrible, that I got stretched like wire when I hear a bad song here. Thankfully you can manage the playlist in the option menu The tracks are based around Europe, France and Germany. There are also five circuits around Monte Carlo (though all five circuits are in night). Each track has its own time of day too, but it is static. There are details here and there which range from rain to animated people. For example in Normandie you can see a old woman sitting on a chair, and a man cleanning the junk on the floor. Engines sound well, horns sound like they should, background noises like rain, animals etc. There are extras like slides, videos and showcases for each car.

The Bad
Tracks are very limited, lack of custom tournaments, driver models are limited, and have about four models each. Some Factory Driver missions are nearly hard to beat. The AI seems to have catchup but it annoys me alot. Sometimes the vehicles spin out of control, so you lose the pack very often and you will keep an eye for the damage meter.

The Bottom Line
It is the best of the series, it is simulation like but looks arcadey. Get it in any way you can and enjoy it. Trust me.

The Good
In terms of racing games, this one has it all. Don't be put off by the fact that the only cars featured in this game are Porsches. There are 80 cars in this game and each one is realistically modelled and has it's own distinctive feel. I've never driven a real Porsche so I don't know exactly how accurate the controls are, but this isn't meant to be a perfect simulation, it's meant to be fun and it delivers beautifully. Power slides, controlled skids, and 360's are made easy. It is also easy to completely lose control of your car if you're not careful making for some very exciting racing action. I don't remember the last time I got such a rush playing a computer game.

This game also delivers with depth of play. There are 3 race modes: Evolution, Factory Driver, and Quick Race. The Evolution mode takes you through the entire history of Porsche cars starting you in the year 1950 of the Classic Era. By winning tournaments and collecting prize money you are given the opportunity to buy new cars to race in the next event. You can also buy special parts for your cars to enhance their performance. The Factory Driver mode lets you play the role of one of the elite Porsche test-drivers. You will be presented with a series of challenges from running a simple obstacle course on the skid pad to getting your boss to the train station on time while weaving in and out of traffic. Quick Race is a good mode if all you want to do is burn some rubber and test the limits of these speed machines. The game also includes the Porsche Chronicles, an encyclopedia on the history of the various models, and 9 European road courses along with 5 closed track courses.

The thing that struck me the most the moment I started the game was the graphics. They are stunning. As you race through the valleys of Normandy you will be able to see the sun creeping out from behind the hills, and the hill's shadows cast down across the track. Mist rises from cascading waterfalls as you zoom by. You will see farmers sweeping the porches of their sleeping village homes and dock works carrying crates through the industrial zone. You have to see it to believe it. Replays are excellent.

Did I get it all? No, I forgot to mention the spectacular physics modelling and the incredible 3D models of the cars (even the interior of the car is modelled!). I could go on and on, but I think it's better if you see for yourself.

The Bad
About the only real complaint I have about this game is that not all the tracks are available to you right away. You have to unlock them by completing the eras in Evolution mode. This is a typical feature in a race game but I find it very annoying.

I also found the road courses to be rather short. In one of the faster modern cars they can usually be completed in 2-3 minutes. It would have been nice if they had included some kind endurance track.

If you are adamantly, militantly anti-Porsche and hate everything so much as related to the company you might not like this game.

The Bottom Line
Most of us will never have the money to afford a real Porsche; this is the next best thing.