Gameplay

Don't try this in your '86 Nova

The Need for Speed line of games isn't just known for swanky graphics; it's also known for a realistic driving experience. High Stakes is no letdown in this regard - quite the opposite. For the first time in a racing game, I finally felt like I was going 100 mph when my virtual car was traveling said speed. When I push my Z3 up past 90, I get that familiar "now I'm finally going fast" feeling, the same adrenaline rush that comes with the feeling that your car isn't going to handle quite as well anymore.

Fancy drivin'

Liscense & registration please

Realistic handling and realistic physics make driving fun in sims, since the idea is to drive like a maniac without the danger of becoming footage for Red Asphault 4. After a few laps to get a feel for the handling of your car, you too will be able to slam around a 90-degree corner at seventy-five, just like in real life (that is, slamming into the flower stand on the sidewalk half the time). The Need for Speed guys have been doing racing physics for years, and they've got it down pretty well. All the cars handle differently and realistically, so pick your favorite!

Middle of the road

Cop party

I like to play [ting!]

High Stakes is just good clean fun, and it gives you plenty of ways to do it. In arcade mode, you can play a quick race, play a knockout tournament, or join a good ol' fashioned cop chase in Hot Pursuit mode, as either the fleeing car or The Man. The same options are available against one to seven human opponents in multiplayer mode, and finally, you can play in the game's flagship career mode.

Convertible. Nice.

Ssssssmokin'

In career mode, you start with a certain amount of money. You need this money to purchase cars, purchase upgrades, enter competitions, and if you aren't careful during races, repair your car. This being the case, you have to take into account the cost of body work when deciding whether to slam that pesky Beemer into the side of the course. Busted up cars don't perform as well, and (unless you're rich), you've only got one. Also, it's quite helpful to make sure your headlights work before going into a night race.

Don't make loud noises

Roll

If one thing about High Stakes can be said to be unrealistic, it's the much-touted damage model, but there's good reasoning behind this. As far as the damage itself and its effect on the cars, these cars can take as much beating as a Sherman tank. If you consider the alternative, though, where races (and often entire characters you've built) could be lost in the split second between a car in front of you crashing and you hitting it, it's obvious why EA did the damage the way they did. It's fun to worry about damage, but only to a point. As far as the cars showing damage, well, it took 'till the fourth game for the car manufacturers to relent to this, so even though the cars don't look spectacularly damaged, be happy that they do at all.