Hot Wheels: The Infinite Rush Unveiled

During my few hours with Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush, I felt like I was rummaging through a stuffed toy box in the middle of my childhood bedroom looking for plastic cars and loose pieces of track that could be assembled to form whatever epic contraption my imagination could conjure up. There are so many cars to choose from in its four distinct classes that it can sometimes feel overwhelming as you move from one event to the next, but the simplistic nature of its races makes this open-world adventure perfect for all ages. And sometimes it’s too simple for its own good.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not fun, with Infinite Rush clearly taking inspiration from genre giants like Forza Horizon to feature a diverse range of events and biomes that made it difficult to tear myself away from it. As someone who finds an endless amount of charm in game worlds made from literal toys and similarly presented toys, there’s something very entertaining about exploring this game’s four distinct islands, seeing precisely what they have to offer. Let’s see how he looks, plays, and how I hope he lives up to that potential.

Pedal to plastic

My preview build didn’t start right from the start of the game, but instead dropped me into the middle of the open world where the campaign had already progressed to a certain point. As a result, it took me a while to figure out precisely what each icon on the picture map meant and what I should address first. Many of these are quick activities, like using photo mode to take photos of specific landmarks while driving a required car class, while you might come across Daredevils who can be challenged to an instant race to unlock the car you triumph against.

The orange icons are more focused on progression through the campaign and offer not just a single race or time attack event, but multiple events to conquer that will eventually pit you against mini-bosses or major encounters known as Rush Masters. It reminds me of taking on tougher racers in something like Crash Team Racing or Toy Story Racer. It wasn’t particularly daunting in terms of difficulty, however, which was either because this prerelease version had most vehicles unlocked or an intentional decision to make the game more accessible to casual players.

But hey, at least the moment-to-moment running feels pretty good. It’s a breeze to hurtle down straight roads at incredible speeds or quickly engage in an unhealthy drift to conquer tricky turns or a poorly placed checkpoint. I also discovered that the physics of the vehicles act as if they were made of plastic, as driving into an NPC at full speed will send them flying through the air, and it’s quite easy to put too much power into a corner and accidentally fly into the nearest bush. These physics could still use some tweaking, and it would be nice if some vehicle classes had more weight, but like the more linear Hot Wheels titles, the racing is just a lot of fun.

There are four unique vehicle types to choose from: Versatile, Speeder, Drifter, and Titan – which feature unique mechanical and visual quirks. A Titan is a stockier car that can navigate obstacles and other racers, while a Speeder is all about going as fast as humanly possible without accidentally ripping off the track. Drifter does what it says on the tin, while Versatile offers a complete mix of each class in one. With over 150 cars to choose from, you’ll definitely be spoiled for choice here.

A giant gorilla watches as the player cares in Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush.

Events and activities will usually require you to upgrade to a specific car class, which is thankfully done in just a few seconds in the pause menu, while there are also activities that allow you to use any car you want. The level of variety is impressive, and I particularly like how in the menu all the vehicles are unlocked like you’re ripping the cardboard out of an old-school Hot Wheels package.

I’ve played around with the track generator briefly, and it’s accessible and easy to use. It quickly reminded me of Modnation Racers on PS3 with how you can easily piece together courses and try them out for yourself.

I didn’t play much with the livery editor or customization tools during my preview, but it looks like there will be an opportunity to further customize specific cars or unlock upgrades if you have a favorite quartet of cars that you want to stick with for the entire campaign. The emphasis is on catching them all and building a library of plastic cars like collectors would do in real life. A nice facsimile whose gameplay is hopefully varied enough to allow for a complete experience.

From Wheelswood to Tentacle Bay

Tentacle Bay in Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush.

During the preview, I was free to move between open worlds, so you won’t be exploring a completely consistent environment throughout Infinite Rush. Instead, you’ll head towards ramps on the map that will send you soaring through the sky (and a loading screen) before landing in a different environment. It’s far from smooth, and it would be nice if fast travel felt more immediate rather than spending a few minutes scanning the map, but perhaps the intention is for you to naturally complete new activities along the way.

The locations themselves however are great and full of personality despite the fairly generic settings they envision. Wheelswood is a sprawling metropolis inspired by the iconic Hot Wheels games with a King Kong-like gorilla causing mayhem in the sky, while

Tentacle Bay is yet another town, but with a lot more natural forests, beaches, and water to play in. Gearville is a rugged landscape dominated by sand and decay as larger-than-life orange tracks wind through the environment.

A car drifts on a sandy beach in Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush.

Massive loops, giant plastic creatures, and several other additions make every location feel like Hot Wheels in every way that matters, and there’s nothing more fun than narrowly avoiding the jaws of a dinosaur while you burn through hard rubber on asphalt. I spent a lot of time putting together playsets as a kid with siblings, and this is the first time a game has managed to capture that feeling so succinctly.

Drifty Island is the final major location, clearly inspired by Tokyo and classic Japanese imagery with its multi-layered pagodas and giant dragon at the center of the map.

There’s enough variety here to run an entire campaign, and I can’t wait to experience it from the start to see exactly how progression plays out. I want to unlock cars, find a favorite and take over the plastic world of automobiles like no one has before. Judging from what I’ve played, Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush showcases the fundamentals of racing while having the potential to bring this series into the open world in spectacular style.