


In Single Challenge races, options include a choice of police presence or not, number of opponents, type of opponent vehicles, three difficulty settings, traffic, time limits (three, five, or seven minutes), and the number of races in a tournament (two to eight). Race types available in Single Challenge, Hot Pursuit and Championship modes include standard race-to-the-finish-line events, "Be the Cop" races (chase down and run into targeted speeders), Lap Knockout (elimination racing against up to seven computer-controlled drivers), Tournament (design your own multi-race event), and Free Run (no time limits or opponents).

Quick Race mode offers randomly generated single-player races with unlocked cars on available tracks. Hot Pursuit mode gives players 33 high-speed challenges ranging from fast getaways to chasing down speeders as a cop, while Championship mode consists of 33 events focusing more on skill than police evasion. In Single Challenge, players earn points based on performance to unlock new cars and tracks, while Hot Pursuit and Championship modes offer a series of races leading to "Ultimate Road Racer" and "World Champion" titles respectively. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 redefines the series for the PC with four play modes, five types of races, and online multiplayer action.
