High Stakes builds upon the previous Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit. The standard races and police pursuits are enhanced by a new type of mode added named High Stakes and includes two new pursuit modes being Getaway and Time Trap. This game featured for the very first time in the series the now-standard career system, with scenarios and budget balancing. Vehicle physics are also improved, along with the introduction of a damage model that affects both the appearance and performance of a given vehicle.