Milestone, which is typically known for its simulation racing games, had no issue transitioning to arcade fun with its Hot Wheels Unleashed games. Now the Italian studio returns to the brand for an open-world spin on the license with Hot Wheels Infinite Rush, which adds four open-world islands to explore.

The racing itself is Milestone at its most reliable. Similar to the Unleashed games, you’ll earn boost by driving well and drifting around turns. This allows you to then gain an edge on the straightaways. You can also press square or circle to ram into opponents and side-swipe them, which adds some more fun. Races take place in the open world, so expect some oncoming traffic and level layouts that will force you to pay attention to where you need to go. It’s familiar yet distinct enough for this to feel like its own series rather than Unleashed 3.

There are four separate islands to unlock in Hot Wheels Infinite Rush. Each has its own list of events and activities, from collectibles to drifting challenges. The most fun of these is challenging cars to a pink slip race, which lets you unlock new vehicles if you are faster. The world could use a few more in-world things to do, as driving from event to event can feel like busywork sometimes. Some Forza Horizon-like speed traps or billboards would’ve gone a long way.

Racing itself comes down to using four different types of cars. There are your standard versatile cars, titans, which can smash through anything, tricky drifter cars, and quick speeders. Certain missions will require a specific class, so it’s good to find a good vehicle in each field so you aren’t struggling. It also gives the game some solid variety, as a drifter car plays distinctly differently than a speeder.

If there’s one major complaint to the game, it’s that the islands aren’t quite as imaginative as one would like. A bit more of a charming art style, like how Unleashed embraced being on a miniature hand-built scale, would’ve gone a long way. Instead, it mostly looks like a generic arcade racing game with a few reminders that it’s a Hot Wheels game (the later worlds do a better job at this). Hopefully, DLC or a sequel will allow Milestone more freedom to get a bit more fun and unique with the areas you are exploring.

Hot Wheels Infinite Rush (PS5) Review: Final Verdict

Hot Wheels Infinite Rush is a fun arcade racing game. The world isn’t the most charming, but the racing is as solid as ever. There’s a ton of cool cars to unlock and secrets to find, although it won’t top Forza Horizon as the best open-world arcade racing game on PlayStation 5.

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