There are a few areas where it could possibly be better, where it has good ideas but doesn't take them far enough.

But that doesn't stop Hot Wheels unleashed from being a big plastic tub filled with die-cast joy. It doesn't get off to the best start, however. When you launch Hot Wheels: Unleashed, the first thing you see, before you've even pulled up at the main menu, is a loot box. These 'Blind Boxes' are a core part of the experience that, when acquired, reward you with random cars. The game is generous with these boxes, and they aren't the only way you can unlock cars in the game. Nonetheless, fronting the game with a loot box like this is both tasteless and misleading, making Hot Wheels: Unleashed appear more cynical than it actually is.Īfter this disconcerting intro, you're dropped into a quickfire tutorial race which should be the first thing you encounter, giving a proper demonstration of what Unleashed is about. Choosing one of three starting cars, you're dropping onto the recognisable orange-and-blue plastic of a Hot Wheels racetrack with 11 other vehicles, for three introductory laps around a vast, serpentine circuit built inside a Skate Park.īy the time you cross the finish line, you'll be fully acquainted with the basics. Unleashed's racing is instantly accessible and instantly enjoyable. Boost refills slowly over time, but the process can be sped up by drifting through corners.Įven the least aerodynamic of its 68 available cars is nippy and nimble, while the racing itself is less about precise handling, and more about maximising your Burnout-style boost, which propels you along the track like a zinc-alloy meteor. The longer you drift, the bigger your boost, giving you a better chance of overtaking rivals. The simple racing model is lent just enough complexity by the nuances of each car and track. All vehicles have different handling and boost capabilities.

Faster, more race-oriented cars tend to have small boosts, while the more novelty cars have larger boosts to compensate for their slower speed and looser handling. So if you're the type of racer that tends to pinball off the barriers anyway, jumping into a rocket-propelled dustbin lorry might be to your advantage. Meanwhile, tracks have various features that can both help and hinder your racing, ranging from on-track speed lanes and boost chargers to giant spiders that can entrap your vehicle in a sticky web. Gravity is often an important consideration. Most loops require boost to get through safely, while in some areas the barriers fall away, meaning a rogue drift can send you plummeting off the track.Īll of this is presented wonderfully, too. Your vehicles are to-scale, with races taking place within various environments such as inside a basement or an in-construction skyscraper.

Belinda peregrin before and after