Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed is the fifth title in the Need for Speed series. In Europe, it is called Need for Speed: Porsche 2000, but in Germany and Latin America, it is simply called Need for Speed: Porsche.
This is also the first Need for Speed title in Japan to not use the name Over Drivin', which had been used since the initial release of The Need for Speed.
Porsche Unleashed was the last title in the series to feature cockpit views and damage affecting performance although damage returned in Need for Speed: ProStreet with cockpits returning in Need for Speed: Shift.
Game Modes
Players can race in four game modes namely Evolution, Factory Driver, casual Singleplayer and Multiplayer parties. A replay of the previously entered event by the player can be saved after completion.
Evolution
In Evolution mode, players purchase Porsche production vehicles as well as race cars in a series of tournaments and club meeting events. Each is divided in three eras; Classic Era, Golden Era and Modern Era.
Players start from the introduction of the first 356 1100 to the debut of the 996 Turbo. Most tournaments differ in difficulty level, entry fee and number of tracks and course types.
Factory Driver
Factory Driver puts players in the role of an official Porsche test driver. Players are given various simple tasks such as performing 360 degree spins before being able to sign with Porsche AG.
Players will need to deliver cars and take part in races after being signed to Porsche. They also need to beat challenges from other test drivers such as slaloms through parts of tracks or test cars from the team's mechanic.
The Factory Driver mode in the PC release greatly differs from the PlayStation 1 release of the title.
Singleplayer/Multiplayer
Players can create custom races, alter the difficulty level, change the number of opponents (up to seven), change the cars the opponents driving, alter traffic density and set a driving direction in a similar style as seen in Need for Speed: High Stakes.
- Quick Race - Players can drive in standard races at a location of their choice.
- Quick Knockout - The last racer to cross the finish line in a lap is eliminated after being. The event ends after a single driver is left in the event.
- Knockout - The Knockout mode in Porsche Unleashed is the same as seen in previous Need for Speed titles. The last finishing racer in an event is eliminated until a single driver is left.
Players can participate in Multiplayer modes across the Internet, LAN or peer to peer (modem or IP) games.
Car List
Tracks
Most of the tracks are rally style courses that follow a point to point configuration and are set within Western Europe. The city of Monte Carlo is the only urban location used for circuit race events.
- Alps - A course set in a mountain pass in the Alps that passes through a small village and a frozen lake. Snow is prominent only near the top.
- Autobahn - A course based on a section of the German Autobahn during rain fall. It passes through a few tunnels, several intersections and a tollbooth.
- Auvergne - A track passing through the countryside, some old ruins and a walled medieval town. There are several routes to choose once inside the town.
- Corsica - A course set in the old canyons with alternate routes to choose. The track passes through old cliffs, canyons, a small switchback, a few bridges and several tunnels.
- Côte d'Azur - An old countryside highway along the south coast of France at sunset that passes through a small fishing village facing the Mediterranean Sea.
- Monte Carlo - Five different circuit courses take place at night along the streets of Monte Carlo. The tracks feature a tight 180° turn, a small tunnel amidst the city, a long tunnel along the coast, a small dock and a hill climb to the starting line.
- Normandie - A road through rural areas of Normandy that passes through a forest, a small village, vast areas of farmlands and an old canyon.
- Pyrénées - An old back road starting near the Pyrénées and ending at the base of the mountains. It passes several vineyards, forest areas, a small village and an old château.
- Schwarzwald - A course set in the Black Forest in Germany. It passes through dense parts of the forest, a small village, a couple of waterfalls and several logging areas.
- Zone Industrielle - A course set in an industrial centre at night time. The course is mostly tarmac and splits into two different routes at the midpoint of the course but rejoin later on as the course passes a steel mill and a train station. The northern route is a narrow alley between buildings with the lower route passing through a large shipping yard.
- Weissach Skid Pad - A Skid Pad located at the centre of Porsche in Germany. Players can perform various driving techniques and stunts by using different Porsche vehicles. The Skid Pad is only accessible in Factory Mode.
The PlayStation release features point-to-point routes, and each route differs depending on the current era.
- Cactus Canyons - USA
- Harbour - Scotland
- Riviera - France
- Garden Village - Japan
- Snow Ridge - Germany
40 Jahre 911
The 40 Jahre 91 was released on November 13, 2003 with availability limited to Germany only. It was a special 40th year anniversary edition for the Porsche 911.
The CD box is packed in a unique metal box with the game itself patched to version 3.4. Also included is the official soundtrack to Need for Speed: Porsche although no additional game features are included.
Need for Speed: Top Speed
An additional online-only conversion of Porsche Unleashed, dubbed Need for Speed: Top Speed, was released in response to both the release of MacGillivray Freeman's 2002 IMAX film, Top Speed, and the Porsche Cayenne.
The game features three existing tracks from Porsche Unleashed (which names have been changed to refer to locations in Canada, as the sponsorship of Travel Alberta (Canada) concluded), and three Porsche vehicles: the 911 (996) Turbo, the 959 and the Cayenne Turbo.[1]