Need for Speed: High Stakes

Need for Speed: High Stakes continues the series’ action racing formula with a wide selection of exotic sports cars and many track types. The signature Hot Pursuit mode returns, with races set on roads filled with traffic and police that chase racers. Pursuit gameplay is expanded with two additional modes: Getaway and Time Trap. In Getaway, you must evade the police within a set time limit—or, playing as the police, stop a speeder before time runs out. In Time Trap, racers must finish before the clock expires—or, as the police, arrest all speeders in time. Platform differences affect features such as spike strips, roadblocks, and back-up, with some elements unique to the PlayStation version. Pursuit mode also supports multiplayer, letting players race together or take opposing sides. High Stakes is the first game in the series to introduce a Career mode built around a set of challenges. Completing them earns trophies that unlock content, along with money for new cars, repairs, and upgrades. On PlayStation, Career mode is split into Tournament (required races) and Special Event (optional races). The title’s “High Stakes” refers to races where players wager their cars. On PC, these appear in Career mode once the player owns more than two cars. On PlayStation, two players can use memory cards to race head-to-head, with the winner immediately receiving the opponent’s car and it being deleted from the loser’s memory card. The game also introduces a more detailed physics model, with vehicle damage affecting both appearance and performance for the first time in the series.

Need for Speed: High Stakes expands the Hot Pursuit formula of risky road racing with traffic and aggressive police chases, adding modes centered on escaping and enforcing the law. In Career play, you earn rewards to buy, repair, and upgrade cars, and in "High Stakes" races you can even wager your ride on the outcome.