Racing games have been something I hadn’t pick up in a couple of years. Apart from Mario Kart 8 the last racing game I remember playing was Need for Speed: Most Wanted which came out in 2005 so it’s been a good while. Which was why when I heard about the release of the new Hot Wheels Unleashed I was instantly curious. After a little bit of research I was sure I wanted to pick up this game.
It’s not a particularly long game with the average playtime running around 7 hours, but there have already been a few DLCs released which include more themed tracks and races. We have a batman themed, a looney toons themed, and a monster truck themed which can be downloaded for additional content. The original game has around 50 tracks which are progressively unlocked as you beat challenges and meet certain requirements. There’s an in-game currency that you earn depending on where you place at the end of the race. This currency can be used to buy cars through one of two ways. There are blind boxes where its all luck and you can either strike gold and get an iconic car, or end up with repeats of cars already in your collection. The other is through regular sales that refresh every few hours of in-game play time.
There are plenty of cars that are available in the game, and even more being added that can be bought in the online store. These cars bring back a sense of nostalgia which seemed to be the main selling point of the game.
The racing is immensely fun and very easy to pick up but dont be fooled, the tracks make the races challenging and so much fun. The difficulty setting makes it easy to find something that’ll work for everyone. There is also the possibility of making your own tracks and sharing them so others can also try them out. The same can be done with cars as modification for beloved cars (liveries) can be found online which can elevate a decent looking car to something more pop-culture themed or to anything your heart desires for that matter.
The cars you collect can also be upgraded to improve their stats for use in the game. I’m around 9 hours in and still in search of the elusive DeLorean. I’ve had a lot of fun racing around in the batmobile, the KITT, and even a trash compactor.
Defintiely check this game out. Its a lot of fun and the graphics make the whole experience all the more amazing. The cars look fantastic, the controls very responsive, and the racing challenging but not too bad that it forces one to drop it and leave. It’ll have you coming back for more. Until next time!
Rating: 4/5
Links:
Liminal Ramblings 