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 8,308 reviews

gameplay424 positive mentions

monetization150 negative mentions

gameplay
1,137 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 a focus on drifting to build boost. While many players find the core mechanics enjoyable and the graphics impressive, criticisms arise regarding the lack of depth, repetitive track design, and the frustrating implementation of loot box mechanics for unlocking cars. Overall, the game offers a fun experience for casual players, but may disappoint those seeking more complex racing mechanics or a richer gameplay variety.
- “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 fast, competitive, and frantic.”
- “The simple controls and exciting speed make it easy to pick up and play, but the lack of depth in terms of mechanics and customization may leave more hardcore racing fans wanting more.”
- “The gameplay feels repetitive, and the tracks all seem very similar.”
- “The core gameplay and track design are nothing special at all.”
graphics
793 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
37%
2%
The graphics in "Hot Wheels Unleashed" are widely praised for their vibrant colors, attention to detail, and the ability to evoke nostalgia through realistic representations of toy cars and imaginative track designs. Many players appreciate the game's smooth performance and customization options, noting that the visuals enhance the overall racing experience. However, some critiques mention that while the graphics are impressive, they do not elevate the gameplay enough to compensate for other shortcomings, such as limited content and repetitive mechanics.
- “The graphics are stunning, immersing you into the world of Hot Wheels.”
- “The visuals are outstanding and its a big nostalgia trip for anyone who used to love playing with Hot Wheels as a kid.”
- “The graphics in this game are amazing, the attention to detail on the cars is incredible and I'm really excited for the cars they add in the future.”
- “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
479 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
60%
14%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it generic, repetitive, and lacking in variety. While some appreciate the upbeat electronic and funk elements, others feel it fails to match the excitement of racing, often getting drowned out by sound effects. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a significant downside, with many players opting to mute it and play their own music instead.
- “The menu music is bass-heavy funk that serves as an excellent backdrop for looking through your collection of cars.”
- “On the other hand, races are accompanied by upbeat electronic music that sets the ideal tone for high speeds, jumps, and drifting.”
- “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 so bland that it actually stands out.”
- “The music just vanishes into the background like beige wallpaper.”
- “Overall, the game is boring and the music makes me want to turn the audio off.”
monetization
392 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
55%
38%
The monetization model of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it a "cash grab" due to aggressive DLC practices and the presence of loot boxes, despite claims that there are no microtransactions. While some players appreciate the ability to earn in-game currency and unlock cars through gameplay, others feel that the overall structure is designed to encourage spending, leading to frustration over the perceived predatory nature of its monetization. Overall, the game's pricing and monetization strategies have left many feeling disillusioned, particularly given its appeal to younger audiences.
- “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.”
- “This game is child friendly; besides the DLCs, there are no microtransactions, and all in-game currency must be earned.”
- “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.”
- “It's a cynical corporate cash grab featuring a beloved children's toy, and also a game about making your car go fast.”
story
360 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
73%
14%
The game's "story" mode is widely criticized for lacking a coherent narrative, with many players describing it as a series of disconnected races rather than a true campaign. While some appreciate the fun and challenging track designs, the overall consensus is that the mode feels tacked on and serves primarily as a vehicle for unlocking cars and content through gameplay rather than providing a meaningful story experience. Additionally, the integration of DLC and loot boxes detracts from the enjoyment, leading many to label the mode as a cash grab rather than a fulfilling gaming experience.
- “Highlight is a well-made story mode, beautiful visuals, and especially very well-designed twisty tracks full of jumps, traps, and various obstacles, making each race fun and challenging.”
- “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.”
- “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 4 sentences together and left it at that.”
grinding
294 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
6%
93%
The grinding aspect of the game has received significant criticism, with many players finding the progression system tedious and repetitive. The reliance on gacha mechanics for car acquisition, coupled with a limited in-game currency system, leads to excessive grinding, often requiring players to repeat the same races multiple times to unlock desired content. While some players find enjoyment in the gameplay despite the grind, the overall sentiment suggests that the grind can detract from the experience, making it feel more like a chore than a fun activity.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A lot of grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “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.”
- “The amount of grinding required is ridiculous.”
- “Honestly it's disappointing in a sense since the devs seemingly gave up on this game which is a shame because truly I've had a blast playing it, but the tedious nature of unlocking stuff and the lack of variety really hurt this game.”
optimization
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
61%
7%
The game's optimization receives mixed reviews; while many players appreciate its ability to run smoothly on various systems, including the Steam Deck at maximum settings, others report significant issues such as frame drops, audio imbalances, and texture loading problems. Some users highlight the impressive graphics and handling, but criticize the overall performance, particularly in multiplayer modes and certain track sections. Despite these concerns, the game is noted for its decent performance on low-end systems, though the user interface remains a point of contention.
- “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.”
- “Also, it's astonishingly well optimized for the PC.”
- “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 of PC for nothing. 29GB space on hard drive is for nothing too.”
- “Rushed development and over-monetization has hindered the game's performance.”
replayability
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
47%
20%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising the extensive customization options, including a robust track builder and numerous mission challenges, which provide significant replay value. However, some users criticize the lack of content and repetitive gameplay after completing the main campaign, leading to claims of low replayability for certain aspects. Overall, while there are elements that encourage repeated play, opinions vary widely on the game's long-term engagement potential.
- “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.”
- “This gives an almost infinite replayability as you can play around on tracks you've designed and other players have designed as well as learn the ones that are part of the base game, which are still quite numerous.”
- “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
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players enjoying the goofy vehicle designs, outrageous crashes, and cheeky stunts that lead to non-stop laughter. Many reviews highlight the fun of multiplayer sessions, where friends can share hilarious moments, and the community-created tracks often add to the comedic experience. Overall, the game is described as a lighthearted and entertaining racing experience that evokes nostalgia while delivering a good dose of humor.
- “From the cheeky stunts to the outrageous crashes, you'll be laughing non-stop.”
- “It's a funny and goofy game.”
- “The custom maps are hilarious and the handling is just pure arcade fun.”
stability
68 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 bugs, particularly with the track builder and multiplayer features. Some users noted occasional frame rate drops and the need to restart due to glitches, but overall, the game runs well on various systems. Despite its fun elements, the presence of bugs and technical issues detracts from the experience for some players.
- “Game runs great, didn't witness any crashes or bugs, which is quite impressive.”
- “The details are amazing and the game runs great.”
- “(+) runs great, looks great, sounds great.”
- “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.”
- “Doesn't work half the time - it glitches and you have to restart the game.”
emotional
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a mix of nostalgia and frustration with the emotional aspects of the game. While the nostalgic car designs and heartwarming moments, such as the return of beloved vehicles, evoke strong feelings, technical issues and gameplay frustrations can detract from the overall emotional experience. The game serves as a welcome break from more intense genres, but its design flaws can lead to moments of disappointment.
- “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
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The game's atmosphere is vibrant and immersive, featuring elements like crowds, dugouts, and floodlights that create a big-match feel. The track design, reminiscent of a mid-2000s Hot Wheels commercial, offers diverse environments across over 60 maps, maintaining freshness despite the limited number of rooms. Overall, the visuals and thematic elements evoke a playful yet competitive ambiance, drawing comparisons to games like Rocket League.
- “Overall, the game sets an immersive atmosphere from the visuals to the flavor text of certain game modes.”
- “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 graphics, 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.”

77%Critics’ scoreBased on 55 critic reviews

Buy Hot Wheels Unleashed

6h Median play time

18h Average play time

3-20h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 42 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

65%909reviews

LEGO® 2K Drive

2023

Racing

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