This is a nice touch, but in a game that is so huge, I wonder how much space they could have saved by making this optional. It's not something you're going to use more than once or twice anyway and is mainly a showcase for EA's new 4-point physics model. If the tracks are eye candy, this is just junk food. The sound effects seem to be up to the quality of the rest of the game, which is to say they are just fine. Each car has its own engine sound and the effects are realistic but not really anything that strikes me as really outstanding.
Setup is easy and complete including options for joystick, keyboard and wheel.
I was able to setup and calibrate my wheel first time with no hassles, but if you create a new player, the procedure must be repeated. There are several modes of play, but in this Alpha version of the game, the only one stable enough to use was the single-player, single race version. The physics engine in Porsche Unleashed is completely new from the one used in High Stakes, and though work in modeling the cars' performance is not yet complete, it's already pretty darned good. I really liked the feel of the 928. It was quite a sight to watch the replay and see a Trabie leaping and broad sliding down the track.