HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED 2 - Released my inner child!
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HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED™ 2 - Turbocharged (Reviewed)
Released: October 19, 2023
Price: 40 USD
I never imagined that I'd be looking at a series of toys that I and many others of our generation played with every day, instead of gathering around TVs and computer screens, we acted away with extremely exaggerated hot-wheels and dinky racing.
HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED™ 2 - Turbocharged is a long-running and still popular series of automobile toys for youngsters and adults all throughout the world. I would never have guessed they had reached out to gaming communities if it hadn't been for the notifications here on TapTap. Don't have notifications enabled? I highly suggest it!
This game is quite simple, with no extraneous nonsense. It's pretty arcade-like and to the point. Load up, choose a car, and race. There are no lengthy cutscenes, useless conversations, or even in-game purchases, just pure racing adrenaline!
Story
Comics!? I'm quite surprised!
HotWheels managed to incorporate amazing anime / comic adaptations to some of their track elements, such as enormous monsters terrorizing the city, which you must stop by jumping into a car and fighting them with events and time trails! It attempts to be more than just a boring racing game with plot & character.
Long story short is that this game's Career mode is centered on and around their real-life track set for things like T.Rex rampage and extended upon entirely to assist you in your comprehension on how these things came about and also how you are supposed to battle them as mere humans and while driving around in toy cars!
Presentation
It's really fun, that's what matters the most
This game does an amazing job of mimicking the impression of speed and drifting, as well as other racing components that make the game itself feel incredibly fun to play once you get into it. I really want to emphasize that while playing, I was always feeling nostalgic about former events. Have you ever played with a Hotwheels vehicle or a Dinky and hit them off ramps or cardboard, raising them into the sky as they did backflips, twirls, and spins? This sense is prevalent throughout the gameplay.
It's difficult to explain, but they really captured a Childs thoughts when it comes to playing with these toys as a kid. It's entertaining and enjoyable in multiple ways!
Feeling creative?
I enjoy how the devs considered this notion in both this game and the previous, for those of us who are creative, allowing us to construct vast and intricate track layouts for other players to race on, or simply have fun with stupid and simplistic ones.
While I am not particularly creative, I had a good time trying out some of the few tracks that were currently available, though quick-play and the career mode, both offer a lot of fun and difficulty with your choosing of Easy - Extreme AI players.
Gameplay
Great campaign!
The core gameplay comes from the Monster Ramage story. It's relatively difficult if you take the time to increase the difficulty and really place yourself in a position where you can't make any mistakes as you swerve and drift around bends for a perfect score and boost potential, throw in some elements of elimination and time trails and it really starts to become a challenge, especially with the jump mechanic.
While it has multiplayer I couldn't get it to work
The game itself has online PvP, allowing you to compete against others from all around the world. However, I was unable to locate a match. Perhaps because I only recently purchased the game when it was released, or because there aren't many online. It wasn't a big deal, because I'd rather race the AI than talented drivers.
Raise the difficulty
The AI does put up a good fight, especially with the new bumping power that sends your vehicle veering, potentially bumping others off the path or even completely around, which would be devastating if it was the last lap and they were in first place!
Features
Play the game to spin for prizes!
You've heard of the terms Pay to Win and Free to Play, but this game gives you the option to Play to Spin! There is no simple technique to obtain spins and they are not purchasable. The more you play, the more frequently you will have spins that can award you currency, automobiles, and other benefits to help you with your game!
Earn enough money buy new vehicles!
If you play the game long enough and earn enough money, you can buy any of the vehicles that appear in the randomized shop. You might locate one of the quickest cars in the game that costs a lot but gives you a large boost in potentially winning more races, though this isn't going to guarantee you win more! Hahah!
Supercharge!
Vehicle Management allows you to modify and supercharge your vehicles. Earning skill points for finishing story mode matches will improve your car's speed, handling, and resilience to getting knocked around / delayed.
Show it off!
You are not confined to the exact vehicle's style and color; you may change all of these in the livery section, allowing you to truly bring to life your perfect vehicle with the colors, styles, and details that you would prefer over their stocks. You may also share it with the rest of the world so that they can appreciate one of your works!
Conclusion
I wouldn't say I am a massive racing fan
But I enjoy seeing things move quickly, so that's good enough for me. The car handling is quite nice; it is neither too challenging nor too arcade-like. The noises and general gameplay can keep you entertained for hours.
I must admit, while the overall game is good. A stronger soundtrack would have been nice; a lot of the music just doesn't feel right. In fact, it appears to drown out the rest of the game while adding nothing meaningful to it besides annoyance. This will always vary from person to person. However, I believe that playing your own sound tracks that reflect your personality and present mood would be a better fit.
The game itself isn't attempting to be serious. Aside than racing other players or playing and racing through the campaign, there doesn't appear to be a leaderboard or anything overly competitive. It's great to just sit back and have some good old classic fun once in a while.
This concludes my views of this game; while my opinions may be met with criticism, that is what distinguishes gamers; you don't have to like the same things as others, nor do you have to agree with them. If you want to catch me on one of my streams or locate me on social media, you may do so at the following locations, I'm always playing something new.
- Pawkt
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