Hot Wheels Unleashed

About

Hot Wheels Unleashed is a Kids Arcade game that offers various game modes, including local multi-player for up to 2 players, multi-player, and single-player. The game features a collection of iconic Hot Wheels vehicles, allowing players to build and race on spectacular tracks. With its split-screen feature, players can dive into breathtaking races and make their vehicles race at full speed.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
PvP Player versus Player - Fight against other players in real-time, often in arena-style combat
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,125 reviews

gameplay211 positive mentions

monetization75 negative mentions

gameplay
565 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
55%
8%
The gameplay of *Hot Wheels Unleashed* is characterized by fast-paced, arcade-style racing that is easy to pick up, featuring simple controls and enjoyable drift mechanics. However, many players find the overall experience shallow due to repetitive track designs, basic mechanics, and a heavy reliance on loot box systems for unlocking cars, which detracts from the fun. While the game offers vibrant visuals and a nostalgic feel, the lack of depth and variety in gameplay may leave some players feeling disappointed.
- “Hot Wheels Unleashed brings the thrill of toy car racing to life with fast-paced, arcade-style gameplay and vibrant, action-packed tracks.”
- “The gameplay loop revolves around drifting to build boost, then using it when appropriate.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly fun and challenging; I personally only care for the real licensed cars they have.”
- “The gameplay feels repetitive, and the tracks all seem very similar.”
- “The actual race mechanics are not deep and will not scratch the true racing or simulation type of experience, but what it lacks in that regard it makes up for in fun.”
- “The core gameplay and track design are nothing special at all.”
graphics
391 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
37%
2%
The graphics in "Hot Wheels Unleashed" are widely praised for their vibrant colors, detailed car models, and imaginative track designs, creating a nostalgic and visually appealing experience reminiscent of childhood toy racing. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to balance a cartoonish aesthetic with realistic lighting and textures, making it one of the best-looking titles in the Hot Wheels franchise. However, some players note that while the graphics are impressive, the overall gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, which may detract from the visual enjoyment over time.
- “The graphics are stunning, immersing you into the world of Hot Wheels.”
- “The visuals are outstanding, showing off the littlest of details like plastic seams and fingerprints.”
- “The graphics are fantastic, the cars look great, you can create your own liveries and there's a lot of these cars to collect.”
- “Graphics look like plastic, wacky sense of scale and stupid looking car designs.”
- “The graphics are the worst I have ever seen on a game that uses this engine.”
- “I've seriously seen cheap/free mobile games with better graphics, sounds and controls.”
music
238 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
60%
13%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players finding it either bland or repetitive, often describing it as generic electronic or dubstep tracks that fail to enhance the racing experience. While some appreciate the upbeat and funky elements, others express disappointment over the lack of variety and memorable tunes, suggesting that the soundtrack does not live up to the legacy of previous titles in the series. Overall, the sound design is noted as decent, but the music often gets drowned out by in-game sound effects, leading to a less immersive experience.
- “The music was a surprise; usually racing games have terrible music, but there's a lot of catchy funky grooves, and the engine and exhaust sounds were shockingly well done for a non-sim.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing, although admittedly being a game I like to relax on, I mostly put on a podcast or a random YouTube video.”
- “The visuals are extremely well-polished, the sound design and soundtrack are fun and fitting, and even the car roster has pretty strong roots.”
- “The soundtrack is so bland that it actually stands out.”
- “The music just vanishes into the background like beige wallpaper.”
- “The only downside for me was the soundtrack; it is incredibly generic sounding.”
monetization
196 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
55%
38%
The monetization aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players labeling it a "cash grab" due to aggressive DLC practices, loot boxes, and a perceived lack of value for the initial purchase price. While some reviews note the absence of traditional microtransactions, concerns persist about the game's design being heavily influenced by monetization strategies, leading to frustration over grinding for in-game currency and the constant push for additional purchases. Overall, players feel that the monetization undermines the game's potential and enjoyment, making it difficult to recommend at full price.
- “In addition to being fun, with car models and very creative tracks, the game has no microtransactions.”
- “Just to be clear, there aren't microtransactions, in that you don't buy blind boxes or in-game currency with real money.”
- “There are also no microtransactions at the time I am typing this, all items are unlocked through gameplay.”
- “Took me a week to beat the base map, I am sorry but a week of gameplay is not worth $70. This game is a cash grab filled with microtransactions.”
- “A typical example of how modern monetization is ruining basically good products.”
- “The game is a cash grab: paid game, racing season, DLC, and they even put achievements based on DLC, so you will never complete the game if they continue to release expansions.”
story
179 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
73%
14%
The game's "story" mode is widely criticized for lacking a coherent narrative, with many reviewers describing it as a series of disconnected races rather than a true story-driven experience. While the visuals and track designs are praised, the mode is often seen as a mere vehicle for unlocking cars and completing challenges, with most players noting that it feels like a cash grab due to its reliance on DLC and loot boxes. Overall, the absence of a meaningful storyline detracts from the experience, leaving players disappointed with the shallow campaign structure.
- “Between the story missions, the cars you can unlock (mixed with the background of the levels and the story mode) all combine for a great experience.”
- “The single player 'story' mode is solid as well, especially with the DLCs.”
- “This game is just pure fun, either playing solo for the story mode which the AI is honestly forgiving for beginners and casual players to have fun and enjoy themselves to play the game.”
- “The game's 'story' mode (I'll loosely call it that, because it's not a story mode at all), has a Super Meat Boy-style overhead map, with points on it, and picking a point selects that level, but two-thirds of the map is literally DLC-locked.”
- “There are no championships, no tournaments, no story; you have a list of single races and time trials that you can complete one after the other, while new cars are unlocked randomly.”
- “The story is basically non-existent and it's clear that they didn't have anyone to write it so they slapped like four sentences together and left it at that.”
grinding
146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
5%
93%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and repetitive, primarily due to the reliance on a loot box system and the need to repeatedly race for in-game currency. Players report that unlocking cars and progressing through the game often feels like a chore, with many expressing frustration over the time required to collect duplicates and the limited single-player content. While some find enjoyment in the gameplay itself, the overall consensus is that the grind detracts significantly from the experience, making it hard to recommend for those averse to such mechanics.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A lot of grinding.”
- “No grinding to unlock additional cars.”
- “The in-game way to purchase cars refreshes every 90 minutes, but only counts time spent in-game and does not change in real time, making car collecting very tedious and results in people having to idle the game.”
- “Bare-bones gameplay, no story, dumb AI, incredibly hard time trials that don't even reward anything, grinding is abysmal and on top of it you need to open blind boxes in order to get cars.”
- “The amount of grinding required is ridiculous.”
optimization
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
7%
The game's optimization receives mixed reviews; while many players praise its ability to run smoothly on various systems, including the Steam Deck, others report significant frame drops, audio issues, and texture loading problems. Some users highlight impressive graphics and performance on high settings, but others criticize the overall optimization, particularly for multiplayer and custom tracks. Overall, the game shows potential in performance but suffers from inconsistencies that detract from the experience.
- “On top of that, it's optimized well enough to run with maximum settings on a Steam Deck.”
- “As far as optimization goes, I am very impressed at how smoothly this game runs while also looking downright photo-realistic.”
- “You can tell this dev team put a lot of care into the visuals and performance.”
- “But what grinds my gears further is the optimization issues. I get serious frame drops in very specific parts of tracks, audio balancing is off, certain textures do not load sometimes, it doesn't seem they bothered to do any QA.”
- “Looks like crap graphics on Unreal Engine, and not really optimized, so it takes too much resources on PC for nothing. 29GB space on hard drive is for nothing too.”
- “Rushed development and over-monetization has hindered the game's performance.”
replayability
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
48%
20%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising the extensive customization options, track builder, and multiplayer features that offer significant replay value. However, some users criticize the lack of content and repetitive gameplay after completing the main campaign, leading to a perception of limited long-term engagement. Overall, while there are elements that encourage replayability, opinions vary widely on its sustainability.
- “Lots of replayability with 50+ mission mode challenges, a customizable personal basement, and a gazillion cars and basement decors to unlock.”
- “The robust customization options, including the ability to create custom tracks using the intuitive track editor, offer endless creativity and replay value.”
- “Races are fun, drifting feels extremely satisfying, the custom tracks are very creative, and overall the replay value of this game is just outstanding.”
- “It's also not particularly complex, and if I actually wanted to continue playing despite the cash-grabbing nature of it, it doesn't seem like it would have much replay value.”
- “I beat the whole game in 20 hours and it has zero replay value.”
- “This game has no replayability value beyond mindlessly doing multiplayer races and from what I've seen the content being promised in these season passes will not be enough to keep this game enjoyable beyond the initial nostalgia factor.”
humor
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players enjoying the funny vehicle designs, outrageous crashes, and cheeky stunts that lead to non-stop laughter. Many reviews highlight the joy of multiplayer sessions, where the combination of wacky cars and community-created tracks adds to the hilarity. Despite some criticisms regarding DLC pricing and multiplayer issues, the overall experience is described as fun and goofy, making it a great choice for lighthearted gaming with friends.
- “From the cheeky stunts to the outrageous crashes, you'll be laughing non-stop.”
- “It's really funny to see all the wacky cars in the game and it always brings me back to the days where I built tracks and watched the little cars race.”
- “Everything feels great, looks great, and the game has you laughing and gasping just by some of the things that'll happen on the tracks.”
stability
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
71%
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and enjoyable gameplay, others experience frequent glitches, crashes, and occasional frame rate drops. The livery creator and track builder are particularly noted for being buggy, leading to frustration despite the overall fun factor. Overall, while some users find the game runs well on various systems, the presence of bugs and technical issues detracts from the experience for others.
- “Runs great on my aging PC, looks great and is fun as hell.”
- “Game runs great, didn't witness any crashes or bugs, which is quite impressive.”
- “The details are amazing and the game runs great.”
- “Doesn't work half the time - it glitches and you have to restart the game.”
- “Unfortunately, it's a buggy game full of scummy sales tactics and lootboxes that I can't recommend and probably won't be playing more of.”
- “Its buggy, needs more updates, and feels unfinished.”
emotional
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a mix of nostalgia and frustration with the emotional aspects of the game. While some find heartwarming connections to past experiences and enjoy the entertaining elements, others feel let down by gameplay mechanics that lead to repeated failures, detracting from the overall emotional experience. The presence of nostalgic content, like classic car designs, evokes strong feelings, but technical issues can overshadow these moments.
- “Seeing several of the car designs made me feel a bit nostalgic.”
- “The last time I played a Hot Wheels game was on the Xbox; it's emotional, entertaining, and the expansions are very good.”
- “The downloadable Acceleracers content, for example, almost made me cry by showing me the old Deora II from Highway 35 World Race.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by immersive elements like a lively crowd, realistic dugouts, and dynamic lighting, creating a vibrant big-match feel. The track design and varied environments evoke a nostalgic mid-2000s Hot Wheels vibe, while the overall ambiance draws comparisons to Rocket League, despite the limited number of rooms. With over 60 maps across six rooms, the game maintains a fresh experience within its consistent atmosphere.
- “It had all the accessories required for that big-match atmosphere: the crowd, the dugout, and the floodlights, too.”
- “Overall the track design is very fun with different environments creating fun atmospheres that feel like a mid-2000s Hot Wheels commercial for the big track pieces.”
- “While there are only six rooms that the tracks take place on, there are over 60 maps in those rooms, which keeps everything fresh despite the same atmosphere.”
- “For the graphic, it looks like a real-life toy for the cars; the same goes for the track and the scenery of the bedroom atmosphere.”
- “While there are only six rooms that the tracks take place in, there are over 60 maps in those rooms, which keeps everything fresh despite the same atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere for some odd reason reminds me of Rocket League.”