Turbocharged review – Almost a typical kart racer

Growing up, many of us have found ourselves amassing an impressive collection of Hotwheels car models. Upon its release back in 2021, the first Hotwheels game ignited excitement among the enthusiasts of the iconic toy brand. However, back then the game received a lot of mixed reactions from the community. By taking a lot of lessons from the past, Milestone has released a new Hotwheels game called Hotwheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged. While maintaining a strong connection to the previous one, the game undeniably elevates the series with its innovative additions. So, without further ado, let’s rev our engines and dive into this in-depth review of Hotwheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged.

The same tracks with some upgrades

Milestone’s ability to showcase its creativity in track design and game environments has been evident to us through the previous edition and is no different in Hotwheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged as well. The new tracks and environments in the game are sure to leave Hotwheels fans like me thoroughly satisfied. While the tracks may bear a striking resemblance to those found in its predecessor, they have received a few notable enhancements.

Hotwheels Unleashed 2 has introduced a groundbreaking feature that adds a new layer of realism to the gameplay. By making the tracks reactive, they have incorporated a dynamic element that directly impacts the performance of the cars. Gone are the days of predictable races, as now the speed and maneuverability of your vehicle are tied to the specific type of track you find yourself on.

The game’s environments have undergone a significant improvement also. From the delightful Mini Golf Course to the bustling Gas Station, the developers have spared no effort in creating an immersive world for the players to set their foot on. Tracks like the Arcade and Dinosaur Museum further add to the game’s diversity, offering players a plethora of engaging environments to explore.

The game includes a variety of elements that enhance the overall experience. These include the speed-up zone, auto boost orb, boost recharge zone, boost recharge orb, and more which adds a unique dynamic to the races. The overall concept of traps remains largely unchanged, but the inclusion of new traps, such as flame and blockades, adds a fresh layer of challenge to the tracks.

Choose and upgrade your favorite Hotwheels cars

The game offers a few options for cars at the start, requiring players to gradually unlock or purchase additional vehicles by grinding through the game. Hotwheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged features more than 130 cars in the game, and more are expected to be added in the future. The inclusion of both original and well-known Hotwheels models, as well as a variety of licensed brand cars, adds a sense of familiarity to the game. Moreover, a new set of vehicles: ATVs and motorbikes has been added to the game through this release.

Three new categories of vehicles have been added to the game. Now, players can now upgrade each car to pass and upgrade through these categories while making their rides even stronger in races. A few modifications have also been made to the Car Display Store. Cars are now divided into different rarities and will make their appearance in the store depending on their rarities. This feature will help to add an extra level of exclusiveness to cars in the Online races.

Moreover, Hotwheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged introduces an intriguing addition to its car mechanics with the newly implemented skill upgrade system for cars. Players can now upgrade their cars by earning skill points by completing more races. Also, they can equip different perks depending on the category of their vehicles. These perks will work as performance tuning for the cars by upgrading their stats and performances.

Related: Assassin’s Creed: Mirage review – Out with the new, in with the old

Engage yourself in exhilarating new game modes

The absence of enough game modes in the previous iteration of Hotwheels Unleashed has been a subject of widespread criticism among players. Milestone addressed the concerns raised by players by introducing a commendable addition of five fresh game modes. Despite being an arcade racer game, Hotwheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged features seven different game modes including two being carried over from the previous game. This addition undoubtedly elevates the overall gameplay experience, offering players a diverse range of challenges to sink their teeth into.

Hotwheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged offers players a variety of game modes, each delivering a distinct and captivating racing experience. The game features an impressive array of tracks, meticulously crafted environments, and visually stunning graphics that truly immerse players into the virtual races. Each mode in the game offers a fresh and unique challenge, ensuring that players are constantly engaged and tested.

Additionally, the game offers a range of difficulty options, with lower levels providing a relatively easier experience. However, those seeking a true challenge like me, may find themselves struggling to complete races when opting for the ‘Extreme’ difficulty setting. In my opinion, to truly experience the exhilaration, it is highly recommended to opt for the higher-difficulty settings.

In the realm of racing games, the inclusion of an online multiplayer feature undoubtedly injects an additional stratum of euphoria. Engaging in high-octane races against AI opponents and real-life players is undoubtedly different than each other. The game’s finely tuned racing mechanics and the newly introduced interactive and reactive tracks make the adrenaline-fueled online races even more thrilling.

Additionally, the presence of game modes such as Boss Race and Challenges adds a specialized touch to the campaign mode, demanding players to complete objectives in order to successfully finish each race. The Boss Race is a challenging game mode that really put my skills to the test while completing the game. With the pressure of time ticking away, players must strategically hit boss targets to progress through the race and win it to finish the boss and complete each chapter.

A lengthy but wonderful campaign mode

Hotwheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged delivered a campaign mode that kept me on the edge of my seat in the beginning. The campaign mode revolves around two racers taking down four monsters who have been released from a professor’s lab. The mode aptly titled ‘Hot Wheels Creatures Rampage,’ makes an explosive start with a lot of visually pleasing comic-themed cutscenes. Regrettably, as it progresses, players would notice an excessive recurrence of the same race modes in different tracks and environments. The initial chapters of this enthralling campaign left me eager to delve deeper into the campaign mode. However, with the repetition of the same race modes, I unfortunately lost my enthusiasm for continuing with the campaign mode.

Hotwheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged’s campaign mode appears to suffer from an excessive length, which may leave players feeling unnecessarily stretched thin. It will take players around 15 hours to finish the entire campaign mode, which is divided into five distinct chapters, each offering a hard-to-beat boss fight as a conclusion.

With the progression of Hot Wheels Creatures Rampage chapters, the length of each one just keeps increasing. As the story unfolds, each chapter surpasses the previous one in terms of length. As a result, the final two chapters, Snowy Tundra and City Center stand out as the most lengthy in the entire narrative. The developer’s decision to include a high number of races in each chapter may inadvertently dampen the players’ enthusiasm as they progress through the chapters of the campaign.

Nevertheless, Milestone’s creditable efforts are visible in their creation of an immersive experience and a captivating storyline, specially designed for the younger audience. Despite a few minor drawbacks, the campaign mode truly excels in its portrayal of the epic tale of two racers battling against formidable monsters across a variety of races. While some may find a few of the races to be relatively easy, the true excitement lies in the heart-pounding boss races and challenges that truly test one’s skills.

Unleash your creativity through the Track Building feature

Hotwheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged, much like its predecessor, continues to offer players the highly anticipated Track Building Mode, allowing everyone to unleash their creative prowess and construct their very own race tracks. The level of detail in the mode is praiseworthy, allowing players to exercise their creative freedom by constructing tracks however they like. The ability to precisely position interactive objects, manipulate track bends, and even customize the appearance of side walls adds an extra layer of personalization.

Additionally, players are given the exciting opportunity to incorporate different types of traps into their racing experience. This level of customization adds a layer of creativity and strategic thinking to the overall gameplay. What makes this mode even more enjoyable is the ability to share the tracks with the community and also check out tracks made by others.

The Verdict

While the developers of Hotwheels Unleashed have always tried to bring something new to the table, their games have always been very close to the typical Kart racer games that we have seen in the past. Hotwheels Unleashed 2 fails to break free from the mold, as it adheres closely to the familiar traits of the kart racing genre. Unless you are a big fan of kart racing, or have a lot of patience for superfluous races to finish a game, Hotwheels Unleashed 2 might not resonate with you after playing the game for a few days or weeks.

It was all for our Hotwheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged review. Hotwheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged is now available on PC. Download the game from here.