Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 - Turbocharged Preview: Mini motors roar into second gear

Well, we're back on our hands and knees playing with plastic cars, it seems.

Let's not pretend for even a second that there's no joy in it - video games that aim to replicate the joys of youth in such an innocent manner have always been guilty pleasures among gamers, with the likes of Micro Machines and early Hot Wheels titles taking the reins on a sub-genre of racing game that had no right to be taken seriously, and yet demanded pure focus to come out ahead.

We've seen it before, and as long as little plastic cars are on production lines, we'll see it again. And we should be grateful.

Hot Wheels Unleashed was a surprising revelation to say the least, bringing classic gameplay and that instantly recognisable collectability back to consoles with some fun arcade racing in tow, but it's surprising yet again for it to be granted a sequel so soon after its initial launch.

So what is it that we can expect from a new Hot Wheels game, less than two years after its predecessor made a splash?

Hot Wheels Unleashed has changed - but not much

You'd think that with Hot Wheels Unleashed doing a pretty good job of capturing the joy of playing with Hot Wheels, there wouldn't be much more ground to tread - and frankly, you wouldn't be far off. But the additions that Turbocharged offers are lucid enough that they feel much more like a DLC addition to the core game than a sequel, and it seems as though different consoles are going to have completely different experiences.

The most interesting addition to proceedings in Turbocharged is the brand-new terrain that you'll be able to drive over - garden grass, gravel and sand. The novelty of taking the cars (and the brand-new buggies, motorbikes and monster trucks) themselves outside is a charming one, and it finally takes the game beyond the confines that the first title seemed to arbitrarily clutch to its chest.

They not only add a little sparkle to the rip-roaring racer, but they help to exemplify just how small the cars are, ducking through table legs and soaring across small gardens with a Rocket League-esque blast of nitrous.

The arcade elements have had a turbocharging too, with the addition of a double-jump and bumper blasters, that will fire you to the left or right to help you correct your turns. They're welcome additions, as the addition of the jump helps to make the player feel they're in total control of a race - but its actual application remains to be seen, with ramps in races all seeming to be perfectly fine without them.

The bumpers, too, are nice for pros - but it's hard to see that casual players will get much use out of them, or even remember that they're there to be used.

What's truly new in Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 Turbocharged?

From the preview that we were lucky enough to see, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 - Turbocharged certainly feels like some great Hot Wheels fun - but we've been forced to ask ourselves what is actually present here that can't be slightly compromised on when picking up the first game.

These new arcade elements feel like the only thing that players can latch onto, as the bonkers cars, burning shrunken rubber and high-octane racing moments are all there too, without all that much difference.

The game boasts plenty of new game modes that include a fully-voiced story mode, starring new characters, and while we didn't get to see any of it, it's hard to imagine that to crowbar new characters into the deeply narrative-light world of Hot Wheels will do anything beyond take the feeling of ownership that driving the mini motors brings.

Aside from this pretty massive addition to the mythos of Hot Wheels, there is a wealth of new modes that insist upon their online capabilities, seemingly intent on bringing to life communities of racers - but it's concerning that Turbocharged's cross-play excludes the Switch.

While this is likely down to logistical problems that would pose a frustration to any developer, it's worrying that those playing on Switch will be offered a lesser experience for the same AAA price tag, and that there is potential here for the online communities that Turbocharged is trying to create to be split in two.

Final Thoughts

Though there are some fun new additions in new terrains, a new lineup of cars and the freedom offered by new abilities, this new addition to the world of Hot Wheels Unleashed feels as though it could have been tacked onto the back of the original game, forming a more all-encompassing experience.

There is still no doubt that the game could be a rip-roaring success and that fans will find something here to adore, just as they did with the first game - but it's those similarities that mean the launch of Turbocharged could be more akin to a spluttering exhaust.

The fire of nitrous is alive here - let's hope it doesn't burn out before it reaches the finish line.