Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed

by Electronic Arts

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004DITL
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: March 24, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,674 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: PC | Edition: Standard

Amazon.com Review

Satisfying the fantasies of envious driving fans everywhere, the latest Need for Speed focuses exclusively on the popular exotic car, the Porsche. In Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed, players are immersed in over 50 years of Porsche history and cars.

Focusing on just one company limits vehicle-selection type, but the game offers variety by reaching into Porsche's past. With Porsches ranging from the 356 Coupe Ferdinand (1950) to the state-of-the-art 991 Porsche Turbo (2000), car aficionados will have plenty of luxury joy-ride choices. Diverse game modes and a crisp physics model complete yet another winning driving experience from Electronic Arts.

One of the most exciting new modes is called Evolution, where drivers purchase an early-model Porsche and compete in races to earn money so they can acquire upgrades, repair damage, and tweak performance. The contrast in both look and feel, from the antique models to present-day roadsters, is captured magnificently by the graphics engine and physics model. Each vehicle handles differently and offers a unique driving challenge.

Graphics are simply breathtaking, though not a significant enhancement over last year's impressive version. Realistic weather effects, rolling hills, and animated scenery all add to Porsche Unleashed's near visual perfection. Over a dozen tracks take you through grassland villages, autumn forests, and mountain roads. A wealth of Porsche historical information makes Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed a well-rounded package that should excite those looking to sample the open road in dozens of exotic sports cars. --Doug Radcliffe

Pros:

• Striking landscape graphics make each track a feast for the eyes
• Focus on Porsche delivers a large and quite interesting historical section
• Addictive Evolution mode spans the early years of Porsche to the present day
• Still the best arcade racing game on the market

Cons:

• Not a significant enhancement over its predecessor
• Omits some gameplay modes included in earlier versions of Need for Speed

Product Description

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The best in the series?, June 1, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Reading) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed (CD-ROM)

I've been playing the NFS titles since number 2 and we are now on the 5th. Its hard to play a game in a series without judging it against previous ones. When I first played NFS5 it had a very different feel to the previous ones. The graphics engines on 3 and 4 were almost identical. 4 had lots additions to 3, it was the introduction of the career mode, damage but it did sometimes feel like an add on pack as it had the same 'feel' - similar cars, same gameplay/graphics.

Still, after much debate I have found I enjoyed the 4th installment the most because of the introduction of the new career mode.

So what additions were there to #5. Does it feel like another add on pack? It plays like a different game entirely. Gone are the cops (sob!)and the range of cars and bring on the Porsches! There are TONS of them and everyone is different. It was a bit boring at first with the old cars (as they drive like a wheelbarrow!) but once you get going this is a hughly addictive game.

My favourite part is still career mode where you start of in the 60s with old cars and build your way up to modern day. Winning tournements means you get money to buy new cars and so on.

The graphic engine has been totally revamped. Cars movement is more realistic as is collisions. One bad hit will do your car a lot of damage unlike before. Steering will suffer (similar to Rally Championship) and you wont just get big knocks bumping up your damage the same as small knocks. The graphics are also the best of their kind. You need a good spec machine (nothing less than a PII400) and although there always seems to be a lack of tracks in NFS games they are a joy to ride. They have multiple routes for the first time and the cars AI has been improved. I didn;t find myself ALWAYS winning and you have the option to buy parts for you car which will substancially make it quicker. There are the usual modes of play aswell as a Factory Driver mode where you have to complete tasks like drive in and out of cones in a certain time etc. I didn't find myself playing this too much.

I miss the other cars, cops and wish there were more tracks (loses a star for this) but this doesn't detract from an excellant racing game. I still played NFS4 more when I first got it but this game is the bees knees. Much different to the other titles and holds the crown of the best racing graphics to date. You wont be dissopointed unless you want to be a cop! Go for a ride!

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ausgezeichnet! (Excellent), March 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed (CD-ROM)

I'm not a big computer gamer except where driving simulations are concerned. I have purchased every one of the Need For Speed series and while they are all very good, Porsche Unleashed takes the prize as my favorite to date.

The new physics model is evident the minute you start playing this game. The cars demonstrate characteristics of many of the orignal cars. For instance, one will get the idea why the early 911 series cars were sometimes referred to as "the widow makers" (Hint: After you get the game, drive an early Porsche 930 and try lifting off the throttle in mid-turn. Now try to keep the car from swapping ends! It is very entertaining to master the handling issues of each car. The game also includes a Porsche Test Driver program that will put you in more than a few challenging situations. I had this game the day after it's release and have been hooked ever since. If you appreciate games with a bit more attention to detail, PU has it. I love it!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best NFS yet, April 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed (CD-ROM)

Definitely one of the best racing games available, especially for the PC. The physics model is far better than the past ones, and the two main game modes, Evolution and Factory Driver, are challenging and fun. Since I got it, I haven't been able to stop playing. I sit down intending to only run a race or two, and I end up playing for hours. Aside from a few complaints about realism (the cops seem intent on causing as many accidents as possible, whether with evil speeders or innocent passerby (of course, it is an arcade game after all(I love nested comments, don't you?))) there is nothing wrong with the game. I miss the hot pursuit from earlier versions (namely NFS3), but the two main game types more than make up for it. If your computer has the horsepower to run it, you won't find a more graphically appealing or fun-to-drive game anywhere.

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