Metacritic Games

Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit (Playstation)

The classic driving game is back, and better than ever, so hit the streets in one of eleven immaculate supercars. All-new licensed cars for this installment include the Aston Martin DB7, Ferrari 550 Maranello, and the Lamborghini Diablo SV. [Electronic Arts]

Electronic Arts
Racing, Driving
Players: 2
E (Everyone)
Developer: Electronic Arts
Released March 25, 1998

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

88 / 100

Critic Reviews

100	Games Domain As unbelievable as it may sound, NFS III is every bit as good as "Gran Turismo"! The racing is just as good, even without the excellent "Gran Turismo" mode. I would even give NFS III the edge on graphics
91	Gaming Age While it isn't an equal to GT in terms of depth, it still provides enough diversity and play modes to keep just about every person with a yen for high-speed auto racing satisfied.
91	Game Revolution Best if all, its just fun to play! Need For Speed 3: Hot Pursuit is certainly among the best racing games to hit the market yet.
90	Cheat Code Central Platinum The two things that really impressed me about NFSIII are the sheer size of the tracks. They are HUGE. You won’t have time to get bored with the scenery in this game. It changes FAST. The other detail I was impressed with was the feeling of Speed.
90	Absolute Playstation You get a stable of incredible cars, wonderfully designed tracks and immersive gameplay thanks to some of the best sound effects ever to grace a console racer.
90	Cincinnati Enquirer By far the most fun racing game on the market right now, and the learning curve is non-existent. Best of all, my wife cranks up the speakers and tries to beat my best time, and my daughter always wants a turn.
90	All Game Guide The most noticable change from the previous two titles are the graphics. Vastly improved with tons of roadside details including shadows, light sources, numerous and detailed texture maps.
90	GamePro A killer Hot Pursuit mode challenges you to evade marauding cops, and while the two-player split-screen mode suffers from a little slowdown, it's definitely playable.
88	PSX Nation One thing that really impressed me is that when racing against the computer the cars will actually change places.
87	Gamezilla! The game engine has been redone and handles like a dream. It actually reminded me of "Moto Racer" except in cars instead of on motor bikes.
87	TotalGames.net And they're the meanest bunch of cops you'll find outside of America's deep south.
83	GameSpot The gameplay is extremely tight and manageable, making the game incredibly fun to play. Although, quite honestly, the real reason that NFS III is so much fun to play is the hot pursuit mode.
80	IGN Features a slightly disappointing number of tracks (eight, plus one bonus track), [but it's] a brilliant game, and is a clear winner in the racing department.