Need for Speed: Porshe Unleashed
| Article Published: Tuesday, October 3,
2000 (Vol.6 No.191) |
| Game Review By Alex Dennis |
| E-mail: alex_bigballer@yahoo.com
|
| Publisher: Electronic Arts
|
| System Requirements: P200, 32MB RAM, Win 9x, 3d Video
Accelerator |
| Similar to: Need for Speed: High Stakes |
| Category: Car racing |
| ESRB rating: Everyone |
| |
The German Porsche is one of the most coveted
luxury cars on the planet. It’s a car usually made available
to only those persons with extensive bank accounts. A car that
you will never be able to drive, or so you think! Electronic
Arts has released another great game in its popular Need for
Speed series based solely on the Porsche. In Need for Speed:
Porsche Unleashed not only do you get to drive a Porsche but
you are able to race it, crash it, and even lend it to your
mom if you so desire. It’s yours and you call all the shots.
Your Porsche is nearly fully customizable. You choose its color.
You can check out the interior and even personalize the license
plates. It’s that simple and all with no “heart-attack inducing”
price tags. You don’t have access to just one Porsche, mind
you, but 50 years of Porsche History. 80 Porsche models are
included from the 1948 356 roadster to the 2000 911 Porsche
Turbo. Comparing that with Need for Speed: High Stakes, which
has only 13 licensed car brands, that’s a lot of cars! And for
those who want to dig deep into the Porsche’s rich history,
there is a comprehensive Porsche Chronicle included with this
title. It’s complete with photographs, printed advertisements
and also a video. Apart from these 80 vehicles, you can download
later models from the web. This includes the Porsche 911 GTS,
already available for download. There is a distinct difference
between each car, not only on the exterior, but in the interior
as well. The engines, braking system, car weight, among other
details vary from car to car. You’ll find that the older models
have no ABS and are heavy with weak engines. On the other hand
later models have the technology that we are accustomed to in
modern racecars, namely streamlined design and powerful engines.
These characteristics determine each cars maneuverability, acceleration
and also the sound of its engine. Unlike some games, this precise
difference also extends to the add-on cars available for download.
As I mentioned earlier, there are many enhancements
that you may make to your Porsche. There are over 680 parts
customizable for your car’s performance and looks. You are able
to tweak steering, down force, shock absorbers, brakes and tire
pressure. After you’ve assembled you dream Porsche, and are
completely satisfied, it’s time for the fun part. Racing it!
Taking on up to seven competitors, you speed along on highways,
through small towns, and picturesque landscapes. Each driver
showing off their driving skills and proving whose Porsche is
best. In addition to five closed tracks, there are nine open
road courses, running through France, Switzerland, Germany and
Italy. These are quite extensive and the view is breath taking.
Unfortunately, of the 14 total track environments only four
are made available from the outset in the Quick Race mode. Apart
from the usual game modes found in the Need for Speed series,
two new modes have been included. These are the Evolution and
Factory Driver modes. The evolution mode, similar to the career
mode introduced in Need for Speed: High Stakes, puts you back
in time. You begin with a 356-class Porsche and $11,000 in your
pocket. You then go through three eras (Classic, Golden and
Modern). As you progress you may buy, sell, upgrade and repair
you vehicles. Factors affecting your progress may include inflation
and depreciation. The problem with this game mode is that you
spend too much time driving old, primitive vehicles before you
have access to modern, speedier ones. The Factory Driver mode
makes you a Porsche test driver. You undertake about 30 short
missions, which may include cornering, accelerating, spinning
in a circle, avoiding orange pylons, and the ultimate test of
delivering a car undamaged to a customer without delay. This
challenges your driving skill, but in my opinion it’s not as
exciting as racing on the track. One disappoint is the absence
of a Hot Pursuit mode. There are however, police cars that may
chase you, push you off the road and even try to wreck your
car. But these do not give tickets or warnings. Also missing
from this title is a split-screen mode, where two gamers could
compete at the same computer. You may be pondering if this game
is worth your while. There are dozens, or should I say hundreds
of driving titles out there. But what puts Porsche Unleashed
on a shelf by itself is it’s graphical detail. From the striking
sunsets; to that little man sweeping dirt off his patio, everything
is a majestic creation. The cars themselves are sharp in detail,
with their curves drawn seemingly perfect. I will leave you
with just one tip. Watch out for animals! Those peaceful cattle
grazing by the roadside may just decide to cross the road.
Ratings (from a scale of one to five)
Graphics: (*****) Instead of enhancing
the graphics engine in Need for Speed: High Stakes, Electronic
Arts decided to make a whole new engine for Porsche Unleashed.
And the results are mind-blowing! You’ve got to see them for
yourself.
Interface: (****) Stylish and easy to
use menus, as is with other games by Electronic Arts. As was
expected it supported input for keyboard, joystick, game pad
and steering wheel. Also you can customize the driving screen,
adding or leaving out whatever components you wish.
Game-play: (****) Absolutely fun! But make
sure you have at least 200-250Mhz more than the system requirements
and in excess of 400Mb of free space or you may experience frequent
momentary pauses during play.
Sound Fx: (****) Engine sounds and tire
squeals are excellent. Also the environmental effects, such
as birds chirping and operating machinery, are commendable.
If you have 3D sound hardware it will definitely be to your
advantage in this category.
Musical Score: (***) Basically techno-rock.
The tracks are short and tend to repeat too often. But it’s
not that annoying once you get caught up in the action.
Intelligence & Difficulty: (****) There
are three levels of difficulty in the Quick Race mode: beginner,
advanced and expert. At the beginner level it’s pretty easy,
and you don’t have to use your brakes that often to win. But
more skill is required when you venture to the expert level.
At that level I found that short cuts are the only way to go.
Overall: (****) Of all the Need for Speed
titles this is my favorite. I think its worth your time and
money, so I advice you to go check it out. And if you don't
believe me here is what others had to say.
“It’s just like driving my Porsche!” – Daniel
Marr
“Nothing come closer to the real thing” – Shane
Dennis
“A really nice game” – Christina Robinson
