Hot Wheels Unleashedis one of the best arcade racers to have come out in recent times. The simple yet deep driving mechanics coupled with a host of interesting tracks means that players will have a great time combing through the title and figuring out everything there is to find in this amazing racing title that has seemingly sprung up from out of nowhere. After all,no one expectedHot Wheels Unleashedto be such an addictive racing titleat all!
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That being said,Hot Wheels Unleashedis far from being a perfect racing game. There are a fair number of issues that plague the game and prevent it from being the quintessential arcade racing game. Here are a few of the many problems in the game that need to be fixed to make the experience all the more enjoyable.
10The Economy Needs To Be Fixed
The worst partaboutHot Wheels Unleashedis definitely its restrictive economy. You’ll need to play the game for a long time to unlock new cars and better tracks.
This economy is so stringent that it seems poised for microtransactions, even though there aren’t any in the game. Hopefully,Hot Wheels Unleashedwill fix this economy without forcing people to use real money to get these coins and gears.
9Players Should Get Points For Playing On User-Made Tracks
While a ton of tracks inHot Wheels Unleashedare locked, there are severaluser-made tracksthat are already available. Witnessing the creativity of players as they construct some amazing tracks makes it one of the highlights ofHot Wheels Unleashed.
However, an annoying thing about racing on these tracks is that players don’t get any rewards for clearing them. This is a shame since players are obviously going to spend a ton of time on these tracks and would like to be rewarded for their efforts.
8There Should Be A Filter On What Kind Of User-Made Tracks Are Available Online
Another issue related to user-made tracks stems from their quality. While most of these tracks are a ton of fun, some of them are either too simple or too hard to enjoy, with the latter being especially frustrating.
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There should be an in-game classification of these tracks that allow players to filter out any poor tracks and only race on the best ones of the lot. As of right now, there’s no demarcation allowing players to access only the cream of the crop and nothing else.
7Split-Screen Gameplay Should Allow Players To Gain Points Too
Racing with a friend is one of the biggest draws ofmost arcade racers. WhileHot Wheels Unleasheddoes feature this option, the manner in which it’s integrated is pretty lacking.
Players can only race split-screen on tracks they’ve already unlocked, and no points are gained for finishing these races at a good position. At the very least, players should get points for clearing races in split-screen mode so that they can unlock more tracks to play with their friends.
6There Should Be A Way For Players To Duel Each Other In Split-Screen
It’s clear that Milestone still has a long way to go before making local multiplayer more feasible inHot Wheels Unleashed. Along with the issues already mentioned, there’s another annoyance players have to deal with in split-screen mode.
Players can’t duel each other, with the AI tagging along for every race. While racing against a slew of other opponents is fun, it comes at the cost of missing out on just racing your friend in the game and pushing each other to the very limit as both players try and secure first place.
5More Game Modes Need To Be Integrated
One of the worst parts ofHot Wheels Unleashedis the fact that there simply aren’t that many game modes that you’re able to play around with. The only two modes available in the game are normal races and time trials.
An arcade racer obviously needs a ton of variety to keep the gameplay fresh. As things stand right now, a lack of game modes is bound to makeHot Wheels Unleashedfeel extremely repetitive instead.
4Boosting On Inclines Or Jumps Shouldn’t Have Such Major Penalties
Boosting isone of the core mechanics ofHot Wheels Unleashed. A well-timed boost can propel players all the way to the start of the pack… while ill-timed boosts can launch players off the track or into a corner.
The fact that cars completely fly off when boosting on a ramp or a downwards incline is easily one of the most annoying parts of the game. It makes sense that toy cars with jetpacks would fly off the moment they lose contact with the track… but this realism can become extremely annoying at times too.
3The Jump In AI Difficulty From Easy To Normal Needs To Be More Balanced
The AI ofHot Wheels Unleashedis no joke. Players who don’t have a good grasp on the mechanics of the game will beabsolutely pulverized by the opposing racers, who will punish each and every one of their mistakes.
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However, the AI on Easy is a complete joke in comparison and will be defeated by the most inept players around. This disparity between Easy and Normal can be quite annoying at times, and there should be a proper middle ground between these difficulties to decrease the skill gap between them.
2There Should Be A Reason To Use Novel Cars As Opposed To The Usual Speed Demons
The roster ofHot Wheels Unleashedis full to the brim with a wide variety of cars, encompassing everything from real-life supercars to quirky delivery vehicles as well!
However,most of the novel cars present in the game feature abysmal stats, especially when it comes to speed. There’s no reason to choose these cars over the other faster cars in the game, making them completely useless against tough opposition.
1Loot Boxes Shouldn’t Be The Primary Way To Unlock New Cars
Speaking of cars, one has to point out just how annoying it is to unlock new vehicles in the game. Instead of unlocking cars through a clear-cut progression system,Hot Wheels Unleashedemploys loot boxes that leave everything in the hands of fate as players pray ardently to not get a duplicate of the same car over and over again.
It’s easily one of the most frustrating parts of the game, and players would ideally want to choose the cars they want to unlock instead of relying on blind luck. There are limited offers that allow players to select five pre-determined options, but that’s nowhere near good enough!
Hot Wheels Unleashedwas released on July 15, 2025, and is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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