Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged

Turbocharged is one of the most complete, fun, and well-built arcade driving games on the market. They are for the youngest members of the family as well as for the elderly. Its only drawback? It's like it's an expansion of the content of the first Unleashed.

An impeccably detailed and blisteringly fast racer with incredible graphics and rock-solid arcade underpinnings, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 picks up where the surprisingly excellent 2021 original left off. That is, it’s not just the best thing on the breakfast bench since Micro Machines – it’s one of the strongest and most imaginative arcade racers available today. It’s definitely guilty of forgetting to suitably cater to its wide audience at times, it’s stingy on older cars, and it would’ve been a much bigger and better package if it didn’t completely shed its previous track locations, but the last time Mattel had wheels this worthy of a whirl they were welded beneath Ryan Gosling’s rollerblades.

Better than the predecessor in terms of gameplay, lots of content and - finally - without loot boxes. Only the story and boss fights don't really inspire.

I can’t knock Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged for too much; it’s an enjoyable, arcade-like racer that feels like something you might find in the arcade. It captures what it’s like to be a kid imagining race courses for your toys and offers an almost overwhelming customizable playbox. The quick races and variety in modes never let anything become too dull before you’re on to the next objective, boosting your way to victory. I’m not a Hot Wheels diehard, but the sheer creativity, speed, and customization hooked me.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged follows the footsteps of the first episode, expanding the formula and offering a full-bodied package, packed with content, cars, and plenty of arcade-style fun. The absence of more acrobatic tracks in true Hot Wheels style is noticeable, but it is still a very entertaining arcade racer.