Before Hot Wheels Unleashed landed in 2021, there were red flags galore. Aside from one Forza Horizon 3 DLC, Hot Wheels games were bang average at best; what’s more, Milestone–which specialized in motorbike franchises like MotoGP, Ride, Monster Energy Supercross, and MXGP–was making the newest installment.
Still, the Italian developer had the last laugh–Hot Wheels Unleashed was excellent. Now, it’s in an arguably more difficult position: two years on from delivering the best surprise in recent arcade racing gaming, follow-up Hot Wheels Unleashed 2–Turbocharged needs to meet high expectations when it drops in October.
Thanks to today’s freshly released gameplay trailer, it doesn’t just promise to be more than glorified DLC–it’s shaping up to be the well-deserved follow-up to a much-needed jumpstart to Mattel’s iconic franchise, which even Forza Horizon 5 mishandled with its lackluster Hot Wheels expansion.
Everything you need to know about Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 Turbocharged
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 will bring new gameplay mechanics, terrains, vehicle types, upgrades, car designs, and in-race abilities; here’s what you need to know.
New moves
A fast car is nice but not necessary for success in Hot Wheels 2. Using boost, players can jump and double jump, offering a new way to overtake rivals, navigate tight spaces, and crucially discover new shortcuts or access unreachable sections of the track. Taking a leaf from the book of fellow Plaion title Saints Row, HW2 also introduces lateral dash, which lets players quickly shift to the left or right, allowing them to collide with opponents.
New environments–and terrain
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2–Turbocharged introduces five completely new areas to explore. There’s an arcade reminiscent of the marvelous Arcade Paradise; a backyard that harks back to Sid’s stomping ground in Toy Story; a delightfully contrived, Wild West-themed mini-golf; a museum with dinosaurs and fossils; and a gas station with a burger bar.
What’s more, each environment offers a range of surfaces that “significantly impact” vehicle handling, meaning players need to adapt their skills and choose the best ride for each race. Speaking of which…
New vehicle classes and specializations
Building on a surprisingly good range of cars from the first outing, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 promises a much bigger range of die-cast cars–and more. A whopping 130 vehicles from the Hot Wheels universe join the fray, including all-new ATVs and bikes, and each one has its own category:
- Rocket vehicles offer “unmatched speed on straightaways”;
- The Balanced category is “a perfect blend of speed and maneuverability”;
- Swift rides are “lighter and fiercely competitive”;
- Drifters speak for themselves;
- Heavy-Duty vehicles are insufferable big bullies; and
- Off-Roaders are your hey to success on “the most challenging off-track terrain.”
Skill trees
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2–Turbocharged introduces a new skill system to let players customize their vehicles’ driving abilities through a skill tree. Each one has three branches, focusing on boost, handling, and navigating obstacles–giving drivers the option to finesse cars to their playing style. It’s a bold gambit, but one you’d hope pays off, especially as it’s simplified.
A long-awaited livery editor
Well, it wouldn’t be a Milestone game if you didn’t get the chance to meticulously design your vehicle. Hot Wheels 2 offers a deluxe livery editor that assures you can create unique designs, paired nicely with a new sticker editor that enables players to design and share their own creations with the world.
When is Hot Wheels 2 Unleashed released?
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged is, er, unleashed on October 19, 2023, and it’s coming to PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC through Steam and Epic. Expect a follow-up review when it finally arrives.
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