• Publisher: Electronic Arts
• Developer: Electronic Arts
• Format: Playstation (PC version Summer '99)
• Genre: Racing
• Players: 2
• Peripherals: Memory Card, Dual Shock Analog and Force Feedback Support

• Graphics: 8/10
• Sound: 9/10
• Control: 7/10
• Gameplay: 7/10
• Overall: 7/10
• Reviewer: Kambei
• Reviewed On: 4.12.99

• NeedForSpeed.com
• EA.com

Taken directly from EA's web site (yes I am that lazy): "Welcome to Need For Speed: High Stakes, the game that lets you earn & customize the world's hottest cars. But with ownership comes pride and with pride, competition. Take a car from your prized collection and put it all on the line against your friends in a head to head race. If you lose the race, you lose your car! With six unique game modes to choose from,you'll find all the racing action you can possibly handle."

In all actuality, I was not expecting much from this game. Each new addition to the Need For Speed series seems to offer only minor improvements to the standard NFS formula, and after experiencing the pure racing goodness of Gran Tourismo, Need For Speed: High Stakes was not exactly high on my most wanted list. To be honest with you, I am not that big of a fan of the "realistic" racing games. Gran Tourismo was absolutely magnificent, but in my mind, it could never compete with the likes of Super Mario Kart or Diddy Kong Racing. But that's just my opinion. Anyways, in EA's(yes them) newest incarnation of their racing franchise, it is clear that Gran Tourismo had a major impact on the development of this game. So I popped High Stakes into my Playstation and hoped that it would somehow satiate my Steve McQueen-esque urges until Driver is released.

Ah, the eye-candy. The Need For Speed series has never disappointed in this department. The graphics and replays are very similar to Gran Tourismo, but each game has its own advantages. High Stakes provides richly detailed backdrops that surpass those of even the mighty Gran Tourismo, but GT has much more intricately detailed car models. It is clear where each of the developers made trade-offs, but it all comes down to a matter of preference really. Also, High Stakes includes the now standard night driving and weather effects that make the game that much more realistic. Nothing beats the feeling of flying down the road in almost complete darkness with only your headlights to guide you. The races move at a constant, speedy frame rate as well. All in all, I'd say both games are about equal in the graphics department.

This is one area that High Stakes has improved upon immensely. All the realistic engine noises, tire screeches, and racing sound effects are here, but High Stakes goes above and beyond the call of duty by including roaring sirens, vehicle descriptions, and many other audio tidbits. The entire game is presented in Dolby Digital Surround Sound, and much of the music reminds me of the soundtrack to the Matrix(and that can never be bad). In Hot Pursuit mode, the continuous radio chatter from the chasing police officers can become annoying, but it is a welcome addition to the game. The chatter is actually informative and does affect your driving style at that particular time. Listening to the radio could mean the difference between running into a roadblock of cop cars or speeding away to your freedom. It truly helps to immerse you in the game.

The control in High Stakes is taken almost directly from Gran Tourismo. The dual shock analog and rumble function are supported, and the buttons are configurable in nearly every way possible. The only quibbles that I had were when turning on your turn signals(turn signals? who needs them in a racing game?) and high beams, the control scheme was quite a bit tougher to handle. Everything else is standard Gran Tourismo with triangle switching views, square and circle breaking, and the X button serving as the accelerator. I enjoyed Tourismo's control scheme, so i figured if it ain't broke, don't fix it. This is the best control you can get on any console racer until Namco releases Ridge Racer Type 4 along with its specially designed JogCon controller.

Although very similar to Gran Tourismo, High Stakes manages to stand on its own with the addition of some very fun play modes and more options than ever before. Of course, EA expects the big draw to be the high stakes mode in which you and a friend wager your customized cars with the winner of the race keeping both vehicles. All car data is immediately erased from the loser's memory card after the race. Also, High Stakes allows you to configure and upgrade your car(not in near as much detail as Gran Tourismo does) to advance in the tournament modes and high stakes races, and it retains the "Hot Pursuit" mode as well where you can be a cop car giving chase or the getaway driver running from the law. Both roles have their advantages, but being a chasing cop car severely limits your choice of vehicle. Speaking of a limited choice, High Stakes absolutely pales in comparison to Gran Tourismo when it comes to vehicle selection. While GT offers more than a hundred cars to choose from and customize, High Stakes only offers around twenty vehicles consisting of mostly exotic super cars. Overall, the gameplay in High Stakes is as solid as it gets for a PSX racing game, but some might be turned away by its similarites to Gran Tourismo. One notable addition to High Stakes is a running timer that stays on your screen the entire race telling you how far you are behind or in front of your opponnent instead of appearing only at certain checkpoints like in other racers. It really is a helpful tool in telling how much you are trailing your opponent by and how fast you are catching up as well. This only enhances an already very good two player mode even more. High Stakes has all the components to keep you coming back at least for a little while.

So is this game worth your hard earned cash? Well, it depends on what type of gamer you are. If you are a hard core fan of console racers that has played Gran Tourismo to death and absolutely needs something new to play before R4, GT2, and Driver, then by all means, at least give this game a look. If you are a casual fan of racing games that only takes notice of the "marquee" titles, I'd suggest at least a rental. You may be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.