Travel the world, passing from one era to the next over a period of fifty years, living the epic story of a legendary brand. That’s exactly what Need For Speed Porsche Unleashed was all about. Released on June 23, 2000 on Playstation 1 and on July 21 of the same year on PC in Europe, this game left a strong impression on all those who played it.
So, why am I talking about a game that’s over 23 years old? Well, because I have a very special attachment to it. It was my very first car game on the PS1, the very first game for which I begged my father to give me my very first steering wheel. And it was this game that instilled in my childhood brain both a love of racing games and a love for the Porsche brand that has never wavered since. Well done to the marketing team behind this project… I’m convinced that tons of kids like me are now Porsche-loving adults “because” of this game!
Well, we’re not here to talk about me! So let’s get straight down to business: Need For Speed Porsche Unleashed. And to be precise (but you read the title…) we’ll be talking about the Playstation version of the game. Don’t worry, we’ll cover the differences with the PC version in the article, of course 😉
First steps on Need For Speed Porsche Unleashed
When you start the game for the first time, you’re greeted by a cinematic that’s downright cool for its time, and immediately sets the tone. Electronic Arts doesn’t pull any punches: you’ll be eating up Porsche from all eras and at all types of events.
And that’s one of the great things about this NFS: the wealth of gameplay experiences. Modes include split-screen multiplayer (up to 4 players). Single-player modes with time trials, fast races , flag capture, police chases on open roads… But also, and above all, 2 particularly successful game modes: Evolution mode (career) and Factory Driver mode.
What does Need For Speed Porsche Unleashed look like technically?
It would be hard to judge a game released 23 years ago by today’s standards. Yes, it has aged a bit. But for its time, this NFS was not bad at all. Graphically, it’s clean and colorful. The music stays in your head for decades (literally). And there’s even the pleasure of blowing up garbage cans or road signs, all with visible damage to the vehicle.
The locations in which you’ll be racing evolve with the eras your racing career passes through, as do the soundscapes. All this creates a very special atmosphere that belongs uniquely to this game and has never been recreated since.
Diving into Factory Driver mode
In Factory Driver mode, you’re a young test driver making your Porsche debut. You’ll have to deliver vehicles, perform demos for customers, and meet the challenges set by the brand’s other factory drivers. But don’t expect your colleagues to welcome you with open arms! You’ll have to earn their respect as you go along. And speaking of colleagues, for the record, the characters you’ll meet at the factory are real members of the Porsche team!
Although this is a highly scripted mode that doesn’t leave the player with any real choices, there’s still a real notion of progression that makes you want to keep going. The more tests you take part in, the more modern vehicles you have access to, and the higher you climb the test team ladder. What’s more, each time you move up to a new rank, you unlock a car that can be used in fast races.
Evolution mode – half a century to go!
This is the sublime. In this mode, you’ll experience the evolution of the German marque from 1948 to 2000. Literally immersing yourself in every era it has lived through. The vehicles available, the circuits, the music, the events… Every aspect of the game evolves as you move from one era to the next.
The very first thing to visit when you arrive in an era is the Porsche Center. This is where you can buy new or used Porsches. Used cars are cheaper, but sometimes worn or damaged, so you’ll need to take into account the repair budget, or accept to drive a slightly banged-up vehicle. And if you’re not a collector, or simply need cash, this is also the place to resell your vehicles.
How do you choose your first Porsche?
You’ve just launched Evolution mode and have 12,000 credits in your pocket. Your first instinct is to look at new cars, but you’ll soon be disappointed. The best bargains to get your career off to a good start are to be found on the used car market.
With each change of era, the new cars on offer in the showroom will change. Most of the used cars on offer are from the current era, but you’ll also find a few models from previous eras.
So if, like me, you want to create a complete garage with all the models in the game, I advise you not to move on to the next period until you’ve bought all the vehicles from the current era. You may find it very difficult to complete your collection later on. In all, I counted 74 unique vehicles!
In the purchasing center, vehicles are divided into performance groups ranging from Group 3 (low performance) to Group 1 (best performance), to which we must add the Racing class for track vehicles. To really encourage you to explore the game’s different vehicles, the races and championships you’ll have to complete are each reserved for specific classes.
Some eventsare monotypes , and don’t take vehicle class into account. So it’s up to you, from the very first minutes of the game, to take stock of the upcoming events and choose a vehicle with which you can do the most races… Before you have to buy a new one!
Take care of your beloved Porsche
After every race or freewheel drive, your vehicle will have suffered some wear and tear or damage. You’ll be able to take care of it from your Garage in the “Central” tab. The good news is that this damage is correlated to your driving style. For example, if you’re careful not to jump over the vibrators at every turn, you’ll experience less suspension wear. The same goes for brakes, which wear much less quickly if you use engine braking intelligently. In short, the more carefully you drive, the more precious credits you’ll save!
With the first vehicles, repairs are pretty cheap. But as soon as you start repairing a Porsche 917K, the price skyrockets. I can assure you that it’s very quiet behind the wheel or the controller ^^.
Engine, bodywork, suspension, brakes – the damage is represented by notches. Each notch costs a certain amount. All in all, it costs an awful lot of money!
It’s also via the Garage that you can repaint your car and take it for atest drive on the open road!
In test drive mode, you can drive on an open road with traffic, but watch out for the police! Their cars won’t hesitate to give chase if you’re speeding right under their noses.
If you’re a reckless driver, you can try to get away from the police. Or pull over to the side of the road. You’ll just have to pay a fine.
Fine-tune your car!
Racing is all about setup. And in this NFS Porsche, you can fine-tune your vehicle. This involves adjusting the gearbox ratio, suspension stiffness, braking power and braking distribution.
However, there’s one point to bear in mind: when you change the setting, it will remain the same for other vehicles in subsequent races. So either find a setting that suits you once and for all, or remember to take a look at the tab when you change vehicles.
Three eras to drive through
The Origins era plunges you into the 50s to 70s (or, more precisely, 1948 to 1973). Vehicles range from the Porsche 356 N°1 Roadster to the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Coupé and the 914.
On the track, the Porsche 550 A Spyder and 550 Spyder Panamericana take center stage.
The racing destinations are France, Germany and the U.S.A., with settings and music that really capture the atmosphere of those years. Personally, this is my favorite era in the game.
I’m sorry I haven’t taken any photos of the other eras, as I’m in the process of rebuilding my complete collection of vehicles… and that’s taking forever ^^
The Golden Age lets you discover models from the 70s to the 90s. With the appearance of the PMA (Porsche Front Engine) 924, 944, 928 and 968. It’s also in this era of the game that you can get your hands on the 959 and the famous 917K. Circuits evolved and modernized, and Scotland was discovered as a new playground.
And finally, the Modern era features vehicles from the 90s through to the 911 Turbo released in 2000. On the track, we find the GT3, GT2 and GT1. The circuits are updated and Japan makes its appearance in the racing destinations. And for those who want to “platinum” the game, complete the Evolution mode of Need For Speed Porsche Unleashed and you’ll be credited with 10,000,000 credits. Enough to complete your collection faster than expected!
The different versions of NFS Porsche Unleashed
In all, there have been 4 versions of the game. And if I’ve only mentioned the PlayStation 1 version in this article, it’s because the other versions are very different! It may seem surprising, but the versions were not developed by the same studios.
The PlayStation version comes from Eden Studio (which became Eden Games in 2002). On the PC, EA Canada (now EA Vancouver) was in charge of development. And for Game Boy Advance , Pocketeers got their hands dirty, taking over EA Canada’s work and scaling it down to fit handheld consoles.
The Playstation and PC versions are totally different. Driving, circuits, music, career progression… The PC version even offers a system for upgrading vehicles and a mode in which you can discover the entire history of Porsche through exclusive photos and videos. Twenty-three years later, it’s time I finally discovered this version of the game ^^
On November 13, 2003, a limited edition of the game Need For Speed: Porsche 40 Jahre 911 was released on PC in Germany only.
This version celebrates the 40th anniversary of the 911 model with a metal case and a completely revamped soundtrack. David Bowie, Queen, Jamiroquai… All on track or in your CD player, as the soundtrack is included in the box.
75 years of Porsche on Need For Speed Unbound
The good relationship between Porsche and EA has never ceased. Even if the publisher no longer has exclusive rights to the German brand’s virtual models, they can still be found on their titles.
Need For Speed Unbound is no exception. And while I was writing these lines, I was pleasantly surprised to receive an e-mail with this information:
For Porsche’s 75th anniversary, an update for the game is coming with new events, playlists, cosmetic upgrades and the chance to win the 1997 Porsche Taycan Turbo S and 911 Carrera S… Virtual, of course! It’s a far cry from the simus usually found on the site, but I liked the coincidence, so I’ll tell you about it 🙂
NFS Porsche Unleashed: A great video game that deserves a reboot!
You now know a little more about the game that marked the childhood of many gamers, myself included. And even if it’s totally utopian, given the sheer number of vehicles and the licensing budget involved… I can’t help dreaming that one day we’ll be treated to a reboot of the game.
Obviously, EA won’t be the one to do it, but who knows… With the incredible work that modders are doing on Assetto Corsa, I’m sure we’d be able to recreate the game from A to Z. And you can be sure that I’d be the first to pay to see it!
As always, we’ll meet in the comments to talk about it 🙂 By the way, I’ve got a question for you: which racing game has had the biggest impact on your career as a gamer and simracer? See you in a few minutes!
