Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged takes the thrilling formula of its predecessor and cranks up the excitement to a whole new level. The highly anticipated sequel to the 2021 hit Hot Wheels Unleashed; this sequel features a brand new campaign called Creature Rampage that shines a light on the distinct Hot Wheels creatures that have appeared throughout the brand’s long history, including sharks, dinosaurs, spiders, and sea creatures.
Each race needs you to win to save the city from one of these creatures who inject the track with an obstacle to make it harder for you. There are several new locations to explore, including a Mini Golf Course, An old school American Diner, a Dinosaur museum, and an Arcade. It wouldn’t be a Hot Wheels game if the races weren’t intense and chaotic, and this sequel delivers that in spades. Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged is a worthy sequel that improves on the first.
Looking Good
The visual upgrade in Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 is immediately noticeable. The tracks are more detailed, the cars look sharper, and the environments are filled with vibrant colours and immersive details. The attention to detail in replicating the iconic Hot Wheels cars and plastic click-clack tracks is astounding. The dynamic lighting and particle effects further enhance the visuals with a special mode that bumps the game up to 60FPS with some truly impressive images.
The heart of Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged is its adrenaline-pumping gameplay. The controls are tight and responsive, allowing for precise maneuvering, which is crucial in navigating the tracks’ intricate designs. The track designs themselves are a work of art, with a perfect balance of challenge and fun.
You can jump (as crazy as that sounds) to race over obstacles and access different areas of the levels. Each level gives you a different class of vehicle that it recommends to be able to get through the level. These are Balanced, Swift, Drifter, Heavy Duty, Off-Road and Rocket. You start the game with a vehicle from each class and you can obtain more as you progress through the game.
The AI on the races has been significantly improved, making it feel a lot more challenging than the previous game. I played on all of the different difficulty levels and found each one had its own challenges. The inclusion of more diverse race modes and a fantastic online multiplayer component adds an infinite replay value, regardless of whether you are a Hot Wheels fan or not.
The track builder mode is also fantastic, allowing you to create and play tracks and upload and share them. It adds a whole create, play, share concept to the experience that will draw you in long after you finish the solo campaign.
Bring on the Cars
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged offers a wide variety of content. With a roster of over 100 cars from the Hot Wheels universe, there’s a vehicle for every type of class and track. One disappointing update is the lack of unlockable vehicles in the Free Spin area. This has diminished significantly from the previous game, and I expect more content to be available under paid DLC instead. The single-player campaign is engaging though, packed with plenty of challenges, while the online multiplayer is still where the game truly shines.
The sound design in Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 is solid, with the roar of the engines and screeching tyres making you feel like you’re right in the middle of the action. The soundtrack is just as energetic and fits the game’s theme well, although a little more variety in terms of track selection could have been gone further.
There is a story in the campaign made up of animated cut scenes that also look spectacular. The actual content in the story is far from groundbreaking and serves little apart from “these animals are destroying the city and you need to race and stop them” kind of fare. I’m not sure who is going into a Hot Wheels game expecting a story; perhaps next time, they should just not worry about it, as the racing is so much fun.
Final Thoughts
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged is a fantastic sequel that builds upon the original game’s strengths. It’s a celebration of the long-running iconic Hot Wheels toy franchise, offering thrilling racing action and a plethora of content to keep players engaged for hours.
The improved graphics, refined gameplay, and robust multiplayer options make this a must-play for fans of arcade racing games and anyone with a passion for nostalgia-inducing gravity-defying racing. Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged is one action racer you won’t want to miss.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Beautiful graphical upgrade from the previous game, Engaging world, and intuitive controls.
Lowlights: Acquiring cars is a slog, Story is not necessary in a racing game.
Developer: Milestone
Publisher: Milestone
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch & Windows PC
Available: 19th of October
Review conducted on Xbox Series X with a code provided by the publisher.
