Need For Speed V: Porsche Unleashed

Need For Speed:Porsche Unleashed is different from the previous versions because it featured only Porsches and featured a wealth of information regarding them. The vehicle handling is considered the most realistic in any NFS game, and there is an in-depth catalogue of different Porsche parts that span throughout the years. The player had to win races in the Evolution career mode to unlock cars in chronological order from 1950 to 2000. Porsche Unleashed also featured a Factory Driver mode, where the player had to test Porsches with various stunts and move on with his career. The game is also the first in the series since the first NFS game to not feature a split screen mode. However, the game did contain a well constructed LAN multiplayer feature.In later years, it was released for the Game Boy Advance.



In terms of game construction, it is most often hailed as Need For Speed's best collaborated effort to bring forth one singular car brand and amplify and deepen the depth of knowledge both on history and motor functions. It features historical videos and many pictures of old photos of Porsche vehicles. The Evolution concept was a hit for many people, creating many new Porsche fans due to the game's high level of academia and depth of Porsche cars. The Factory Driver was also a different kind of unlocking, except to do with performing and excelling in certain slaloms, speed races, deliveries, etc. Many of the missions were considered to be really difficult. In addition, the graphics of the game were relatively impressive for the time the game was released.



Single Player
This is basically a carry-over from the previous mode found in all other NFS games. It's once race, with any options you care to choose. Options that include the amount of AI, which track, which car ? you know, the good stuff. Singleplayer is a good opportunity to mess around, and to see what your car is truly capable of. It's great fun to weave between traffic at 160mph. Also carried-over from last year is the knockout mode. If you're already a fan of the NFS series, you'll know what this means. If you're not, then I'm not going to spoil it for you, because it's a nice surprise.

Multiplayer
Multiplayer was first featured on a wide scale in the previous game of the series, and was a huge success. I've always said the quality of the multiplayer is what keeps a game alive months, even years, after its initial release. This is definitely what kept NFS4 alive, and it's the reason the game is still being played today. PU (that acronym is weird) offers a great multiplayer experience that can be played over a LAN or, better yet, over the internet through TCP/IP. Another possibility is to sign up for EA Racing, which is an online server that allows you to connect to and find other multiplayer games happening at the same time. EA Racing is in its beta stage, but it will hopefully be ready soon. You must sign up at their webpage and it is free of charge. I've played TCP/IP mode, and believe me, it's a lot of fun. You can show up in either the stock factory cars, or from one out your own garaged, tuned and painted to your liking. Rest assured that the modified cars kick the pants off the stock factory ones.




Factory Driver
This is one of the two more detailed modes, the other being Evolution. In Factory Driver the objective is to become the top Porsche test driver. In order to do this, the player (that's you) must complete a set of missions one after the other. Each mission gets harder, and the goal of each mission is always different, although there are recurring themes. Themes include test driving the new racing Porsche on the factory skidpad, or delivering a brand new 2000 Turbo to the awaiting hands of a customer. Each mission must be completed in a certain amount of time, and in some of them you must pass certain checkpoints (in the form of arrows) in order to successfully complete the mission. As you progress, your rank will elevate, and you will be eligible to receive new, factory modified cars into your garage. This is the only part of the game where the police make an appearance, and they're not very good. Don't expect any wild chases.Another problem with this mode is you can't go back to select a passed mission without starting a whole new game. This can get a little annoying if there's one mission that you particularly like.



Evolution
This is the feature mode in Unleashed, and it revolves around the main concept found in High Stakes, although it is much more comprehensive. In addition to completing several tournament-style races on a variety of tracks, an extra dimension is added: time. With it, time brings depreciation (or hopefully, appreciation) of the cost of your classic Porsche. Holding your old 1950s cars all the way into 1999 will enable you to sell them off at like 10 times their original price. You start off in 1950 with 10,000 credits (dollars). After your initial purchase of Porsche's' new 356, you can proceed to race for some money, and work your way through 50 years of Porsche evolution (get it?) all the way to the year 2000. In order to keep up with the faster AI, you must buy authentic Porsche parts and install them on your vehicle. You'd be surprised what a replacement ECU, big bore throttle body, and stage 3 turbo can do to boost up your power, increase your speed, and shorten your lap times. You can choose from about 25 different parts for each car, and modify it to your liking. That is, of course, providing you have the cash. On top of that, you can paint your car's exterior and interior whatever color you like, and add racing stripes and a number decal to truly personalize your machine. As you move on, you can decide to buy your auto new from the Porsche dealer, or buy it on the used-car market for less price, albeit the car will have damage to its body and internal components.