"Hot Wheels Unleashed" video game coming Sept. 30
If you're running out of space for your Hot Wheels collection, why not take it digital?
Scheduled to be released Sept. 30, "Hot Wheels Unleashed" is a new video game that lets players race toy cars on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch or PC. It's another attempt by the iconic toy-car brand to expand into the digital realm.
A trailer released last week shows cars racing on Hot Wheels' trademark orange track. But while some effects—like flames shooting out of exhaust tips—were added, the cars are rendered as toys, in the same scale they would be in the real world.
Hot Wheels Unleashed trailer screenshot
The cars themselves are Hot Wheels originals, like the Bone Shaker and Twin Mill, rather than scaled-down versions of real-life designs, and they can be customized with a livery editor. A track editor is included as well, allowing players to create custom tracks, along with online and offline multiplayer modes and a split-screen display.
That should help "Hot Wheels Unleashed" stand out from more traditional racing games like "Need for Speed," and gives the game a more playful attitude than serious racing simulators like the "Forza Motorsport" and "Gran Turismo" series.
"Hot Wheels Unleashed" is available for pre-order now. The basic version retails for $49.99, but collector's editions with added content are also available. If you're in desperate for a new racing game now that "Gran Turismo 7" has been delayed to 2022 by the coronavirus pandemic, have run out of things to do while quarantined, or just really like Hot Wheels, it might be worth a look.
For a taste of the in-game action, click on the video above.
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