Chase HQ is a fairly simple game. You begin by picking three of your officers to do battle on the open streets. Each cop has different abilities, ranging from higher speed to more bullets. Once you choose your character, you are told of a crime happening in the city. You must position your officers at different police stations across the city, shown on a very simple map screen, in hopes that they will be able to head off the perps. Once you have placed your officers, a blip appears to show the location of the suspects. You can then toggle between your cars, setting them in motion along the streets to catch the criminals.

When the criminal blip and your cop square meet each other, you leave the map screen and enter the "realistic" driving mode. The driving is very similar to Pole Position – a 2D view from behind your car and gently curved tracks. Occasionally you'll bump into a barrel or other obstacle in the road, but mainly your goal is to catch the suspects. When they are in sight, you can blast them with your gun, or you can ram them, Driver style, and try to inflict enough damage to make them pull over. You have a set number of nitro boosts, which can help, and a finite supply of ammo, so you must be a little careful in how you shoot.

If you manage to pull over the escape vehicle, you then witness the arrest and either clear the level or return to the map screen. You may need to catch multiple perpetrators to clear a level, and it may require the effort of each of your officers. Once you've rounded up the baddies and accomplices, you move on to the next level to do the same. Even with different scenerios, and the ever-increasing difficulty of disabling the crooks, Chase HQ ends up getting a little old. The streets you drive on change, but not very much, and there are only a few different templates. The story is not involving, existing more to stick together the bits of gameplay rather than engage the audience.