In 2021, Milestone and Mattel put out one of my favorite racing games of all time; Hot Wheels Unleashed. and two years later, they’re back with a direct follow-up, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged, to enhance the already fantastic formula to a near-perfect balancing act. The quality of life updates enhances gameplay, making it an even more exciting experience. And while these enhancements are welcome, some old complaints still ring true.
Gameplay
When it comes to gameplay in HWU2, there really isn’t a crazy difference in how the game plays. So, if you want a more broad gist, check out our review of the first one, because I’m really only going to talk about what’s new. Luckily, there are two big things that stick out for this sequel to the series which does make it feel as if there’s been some progression in gameplay, even though, for the most part, this game feels more like a director’s cut of the first one then a big sequel.
First, racers can now make their cars hop in the air! This makes races even more vertical than they were before. This is a great addition that I truly love, as it gives another element to the looping of races. The second big addition is the small skill trees that you can unlock for your cars. They give each car you upgrade specific buffs that come with a cost, making it fun to balance the risk with reward.
Audio and Visuals
As I said above, this game doesn’t seem to be too much of a crazy jump ahead, so for the most part, players can expect a pretty similar visual and audio experience to the first game. I will say that textures do look slightly more realistic, and each map brings its own unique character to the entire experience. Music and audio are fantastic, of course, and immerses wonderfully.
Feedback
One new aspect of HWU2 that I liked but was further developed was how the story was woven into the gameplay. There’s now an actual story to go along with the action, but not much of it ties into races, aside from boss fights here and there. Additionally, I wish the whole gameboard style of how the campaign is carried out was changed. It was my least favorite aspect of the last game, and the same complaint could be said for this one as well.
My only other main gripe would be that this game doesn’t always feel like a complete sequel. Though I loved my time with it, I would’ve liked to have seen something in this game that would’ve blown me away, as the first did. It really does just seem like an expansion from the first one in various ways.
Conclusion
If you’re a gamer who enjoyed the first Hot Wheels Unleashed game and want another experience to have alone or with your little ones, then you should most certainly check out HWU2. Though it doesn’t mess with the formula that the first one created too much, it’s still a fantastic racing game with fun cars and tracks to race with. You can’t go wrong with it, just expect a similar experience to what’s been done before.
