Our second editor’s choice leading up to GAAD 2024 and the Diamond Award is Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged, chosen by Meridith.
I have always considered myself an avid sports gamer, and racing games have increasingly become a genre within the genre. My 2023 Editor’s Choice goes to Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged, a very accessible and extremely fun game. Personally, it is difficult for me to find a racing game that is accessible for my needs. I struggle with games that require simultaneous inputs. For this reason, the first game in the series was not welcoming for me. I was cautiously optimistic going into the second one. It completely exceeded my expectations on multiple levels.
Assists and controls
When I first tried the game, I was immediately thrilled to see that Milestone added in several assist features not found in the first entry. These literally made the game playable for me. Braking and acceleration can be automatic, along with help for jumping and steering. This allows each player to determine the exact amount of input that they would like to give. The game helps with the rest. Complementing all of this is the ability to fully customize controls.
Something that I absolutely love to see in any game is the ability to map an input to a direction on one of the analog sticks. The combination these options allowed me to have the most fun I have ever had in a racing game! Adding to this is that this was the first game I tested and had a lot of success with using my PlayStation Access controller. I prefer not using any external switches with this controller and the customization allowed me to perfect my play style.
Immersive and engaging
I have enjoyed Hot Wheels throughout my life, being able to play with them digitally added another layer to that. Given the family friendly nature of the brand, the lack of micro-transactions was a relief. There is in-game currency that is relatively easy to come by playing any mode. It gives you the ability to unlock cars from a shop, with the inventory refreshing every 45 minutes. Models and graphics are extremely impressive, combining realism with a great sense of dealing with toys in a full-size world. This level of immersion gave me a strong motivation to collect every car in the game. Upgrading cars is also possible. The progression system is surprisingly complex, offering several different perks at the expense of other stats.
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged is the game I have had the most fun with in a long time. Between its accessibility, mechanics, and integration with all sorts of cars, it has really kept me coming back on the hunt for all of its well over 100 vehicles. Motorcycles, movie tie-ins, and monster trucks all wait to be added to your virtual collection and taken to the track.
