Technodynamic Need For Speed 5 Review

The Need for Speed Series made its debut on the 3DO system many years ago. Since that time, each new version that was released pushed the graphics to new limits. For the PC, this is the fifth game in the series, called "Need For Speed Porsche Unleashed (NFS:PU)." If you've played Need For Speed High Stakes (NFS:HS), you are probably wondering what EA could possibly improve. If you have not played NFS:HS, then you've missed one of last years best racing games.

Upon first look, I thought NFS:PU was a typical sequel. I noticed that there were new tracks and of course, the emphasis on the Porsche car line. It wasn't until I played the game for a little while that I appreciated what the game really had to offer. In previous games all you really did was select a track, chose the type of cars you wanted to race against, and go! You can do everything the previous games offered plus the big news... Test Driver mode and Evolution mode. Test Driver is my favorite because for the first time there is a sort of 'role playing' element to the game. You start off as a rookie trying to become a test driver at the Porsche factory. There are such a variety of ways to play in Test Driver mode that it is almost a game in itself. You'll take a large variety of Porsches to the "skip pad", a large concrete lot with pylons set up for you to race around. You even get to shoot a car commercial, while they use you to be the 'expert' and race the car around the track. You make friends and enemies as you climb the ladder until finally reach "Ace Test Driver" status. The challenge is about perfect. You win your first time through a new 'course' rarely, and usually have to go through an area a couple times before you learn the corners. Unlike many games, defeat in this game fuels you to want to continue playing and beat the level you are on. I can't emphasize this enough, it is so typical in games today to get fed-up with the game and want to cheat or give up. The difficulty is set perfectly and you really can beat all the levels with a few practice runs.

The other major component to the game is the Evolution mode. This mode is similar to the older games where you would race against other AI racers on various tracks. The difference is that you start of in the classic era with some of the first Porsches ever produced. As you progress through this mode you win money and can buy the newest cars as they come out. If you do a good job racing you can use your extra winnings to purchase upgrade parts for your cars, like better suspensions, tires, exhaust, and many others. While this mode may be a little complex for some people, it is worlds easier to figure out than many other simulation racing games. It is an easy decision to buy the "racing tires" over the "standard tires"... get my drift? This mode will present many tracks and many cars. One thing I should not forget to mention is the improvement in gameplay. You can still control your car fine with the keyboard. Unlike previous game, you will be using the brake a little bit more and you have a real suspension in the car, so you can do maneuvers like 360s and power slides. The control will quickly feel realistic and you will have perfect control of your car, doing maneuvers you never thought you could pull off. After a few minutes of practice, you will agree with me that this game has the best control of any Need For Speed game, perhaps any racing game.

How are the Graphics? I thought you'd never ask. They are slightly better than NFS:HS, which only came out about a year ago. This means that there isn't a great difference between last years game, but it is still the best looking racing game I have ever seen (last years game looked awesome too). I will say that the enhancements they did make, like more realistic terrains and sharper cars, does increase the hardware needed to play the game smoothly. Tested on a Pentium 3 500 MHz using a Voodoo 3 3500 I could only get 60 frames per second if I toned down some detail. I found if I limit the number of AI opponents and level down the terrain detail I could maintain lighting fast frame rates. In the Test Driver mode you can crank up the detail because most of the scenarios are you vs. the clock and navigating through obstacle courses. The attention to detail, especially during the replays is incredible. Using the default camera, you can occasionally see the driver of your car turning the wheel as you turned it. In addition, you can see him/her shift gears and if you look close, little details like speakers and gauges inside the car have been represented in an almost lifelike representation. Truly incredible.

Are there any faults in the game? The few complaints I have are trivial in comparison to the rest of the game. While you have the ability to tone down detail in the game, it does seem to want to require a top of the line system to run smooth at a high resolution. When you first install the game, there are only 4 tracks available and a handful of cars. As you progress through the different modes in the game more tracks become available for you to race on. There should be more tracks available at the beginning of the game. Lastly, would be the the rare missions in the Test Driver mode that would be very difficult. If it weren't for the fact that the game was so addictive I could see people braking things at home when they lose. Nothing makes you curse more than losing a 4 minute long race by less than a tenth of a second. It happened to me a couple times and I'm sure my neighbors knew I lost the race.

Overall this game is totally top notch! I've said this about games before, but in this case there is no exaggeration. This review was posted several days late because I had trouble pulling myself away from the game to write the review. I ended up winning the Test Driver mode and finally got the chance to get away from the game long enough to write my review. This is the kind of game I will be coming back to play more of. Being a game reviewer you usually play a game and move on, but every now and then you'll come across a gem you don't want to let go of, and Need For Speed Porsche Unleashed is definitely one of those games!

reviewed by Todd Alexander