Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit II is a racing game. There are basically two modes: Hot Pursuit and World Racing. In Hot Pursuit, you race against computer-controlled opponents and try to avoid getting caught by the police. In World Racing mode, you try to drive to a specific location in the allotted time. A race might make you drive a Mercedes-Benz to the finish line in 5 minutes. If you win, you advance to the next race and unlock different cars and racetracks. It's available for PlayStation2, Xbox, GameCube and the PC.
The races take place in locations such as cities and deserts. That means that you have to avoid other traffic on the road, as well as the cops. Often you can find various short cuts, and you can improve your time.
I especially liked that you get to choose real cars, and when you smash them up, they look damaged. The graphics are good; you can see details like sunlight reflected on the hood of the car. I liked the car that you get after the last race -- the McLaren F1. It's a wicked good car.
In Hot Pursuit mode, there is an option to be the police and catch the speeding racers. The cop cars are cool because they have boosters and can go faster. The object is to give all the racers on the track a ticket. You can stop the other cars by running them off the road and smashing into them. You can also request roadblocks, spike strips and helicopters to aid you.
As many good things as there are, all games have their flaws. When you first start playing the game, the menus can be confusing. Also, there isn't an easy mode to choose, so inexperienced players will get frustrated. The times to beat are very challenging, so you have to be a good racer.
