Need for Speed: High Stakes

"This truly is a high stakes game."

This is the 4th installment to one of the better racing game series out there, the Need For Speed franchise. EA has done quite a good job with this series by obtaining licenses to use real life cars, which in turn happens to be a wonderful thing. It enables you to drive some of the nicest cars in the world in this game, ranging from the BMW Z3 Roadster to the awesome Mercedes Benz CLK-GTR race car.

GRAPHICS: 10/10

Simply gorgeous 3D graphics, which show that the Playstation is quite capable of doing good things. Most of the tracks are set in ''country'' type settings, and it is an absolutely wonderful thing that EA did. Everything is so colorful and pretty it is simply astounding. EA really did a great job with the lighting effects in this game. During the day you will see the sun glare which is a great effect to have. Even when you are racing in the night, it still is just as good. During night races, the headlight effects are great. Whether you are using high or low beams, you can easily see the difference. EA definitely does not disappoint with the graphics this time around.

SOUND: 9/10

I really have no problems with the soundtrack for this game. It has an upbeat rythm to it and I personally enjoy it. I like the fact that the music matches the pace of the game; fast paced. Nothing is better than speeding down the road in your BMW Z3 Roadster having rock music playing while you are attempting to thwart the competition. Only problem I have with the music is that it sometimes becomes slightly repetitive for me.

CONTROL: 7/10

My biggest complaint about this game is the controls. It seems at times it is such a chore to turn the car even when you are braking. The handbrake seems to be better than using the brake when you need to make quick turns. The cars seem to be slightly sluggish at times...it makes it feel almost as if you are trying to lug around a car that is bigger than the one that you are driving. One thing that aggravated me tremendously was the spinouts when driving!! Why do the cars spin out so easy when you get the supposedly better cars such as the Corvette or Porsche??? It left me with some moments of anger where I was ready to go postal on anything in my way. I dislike when games leave me feeling that way. Because of those spinouts, there were a good amount of races in which I had been leading in first place only to wind up finishing out of 1st place due to the spinouts. Control could have been better, but it is forgivable for the most part.

GAMEPLAY: 8/10

This is a great racing game to play provided you do not mind a challenge. This game is definitely not for beginners. If you are new to racing games it might be a bit overwhelming to you. I at times find the challenge to be extremely tough due to the somewhat questionable control. If you are able to put up with the challenge, the game will keep you around for a bit. Racing in the tournaments and special events to get new cars takes a good amount of time to complete. You need to buy upgrades for the car if you are even seriously considering winning the tournaments or special events. So it takes a good amount of time since you need to earn lots of money. One of the things that makes this game so great is the fact that it has cars Gran Turismo is lacking...specifically some of the European sports cars such as Ferrari or Porchse. The ''Hot Pursuit'' mode is a welcome addition since you get the luxury of driving as the cops. This is a tremendously fun mode for the most part. You are able to call for road spikes if you are having trouble stopping the car you are chasing after. I love having the ability to be in such control like that.

REPLAY VALUE: 7/10

It seems to fade on and off for me. When I first got it, I played the game like crazy for a few weeks, then didn't touch it for awhile. Then about a month later I popped it in and started playing again for a week. Then I stopped. It's one of those games where you are on and off about it. It never seems to lose its fun factor at all which is great.

OVERALL: 8/10

I would suggest renting this game before purchasing unless you have already played previous Need For Speed games. If you haven't rent before you buy so you can get an idea on how the game is. This is a wonderful addition to the Need For Speed series, and if you are a fan of it, chances are you will enjoy this addition.

-DANGEROUS K

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/17/00, Updated 05/17/00