I reviewed Need for Speed III more than a few months ago and loved the game. It had a few shortcomings, but they were minor and insignificant compared with the outstanding gameplay and graphics. When I first played Need for Speed III, I thought it was vastly superior to Need for Speed II. Now that I've played the next Need for Speed game, High Stakes, I have to ask myself: Does it surpass the third installment as easily as the third surpassed the second? Not exactly. That doesn't mean the game is bad or even worse than Need for Speed III. It just isn't a huge leap in terms of graphics and gameplay.

Those who buy this game should realize that it plays very much like Need for Speed III, but with some extra play modes and one big added feature.

In essence, Need for Speed: High Stakes is Need for Speed III with car damage, a new career mode, new cars, and new tracks. It plays like its predecessor but just has so many more extras. If you already own Need for Speed III, you have to decide whether those new features are worth the asking price. But if you don't have Need for Speed III, then this will be a rare treat among PC racing games. You'll enjoy the graphics, the fast gameplay, and the plethora of cars and tracks at your disposal.