Hot Wheels Infinite Rush Review – A Solid Family Friendly Racing Adventure

Racing games are not the dime-a-dozen genre they used to be. There used to be a handful of games to suit every playstyle. Arcade, sim, family, destruction, futuristic- we used to have tons of options at our disposal. Sadly, those options have dwindled significantly; only giants remain at the top, and if you want something fun for the kids, it’s essentially only Mario or Sonic as a quality racer. Thankfully, they can move over, because Hot Wheels Infinite Rush is a solid, family-friendly outing worth picking up.

All the Classics Are Here

The biggest change is the move away from simply hopping between individual events and toward an open-world structure. Infinite Rush gives players four themed islands to explore, filled with races, activities, collectibles, destructible objects, and the kind of oversized environments that make sense when you’re controlling a toy car. There are more than 150 vehicles to collect, spread across different vehicle classes, so there’s always another car or activity dangling in front of you.

The change is significant, as other recent giants like Mario Kart World and Forza Horizon are open-world, and the open-world format is a much more inviting premise for kids than strict circuit races. I never hated the prior games in this series, but they were surprisingly difficult at times and often frustrated the little ones more than excited them. The new structure, combined with pretty good driving assists, means anybody can hop in and, regardless of skill, at least have a good time right out of the gate. The open-world exploration and collectibles are also a nice touch, as it’s just as fun to go around clearing out the map and finding secrets as anything else. Some of this stuff reminds me of older open-world racers from the old days, like Diddy Kong Racing or Midtown Madness. Unexpected reference points, but ones I appreciated nonetheless.

So. Many. Hot Wheels.

Now the other half of the equation is, well, the Hot Wheels and the pretty slick track creation. You can make liveries and other things, but creating a track is really fun and pretty effortless. The way the open world automatically adjusts certain pieces of itself to work around your design rather than the other way around is a really nice touch.

The car selection is vast, well over a hundred cars, and my kids were already wanting to go out and do more and more to try and essentially collect them all. Cars also fall under different categories, like Drift or Versatile, although most of the differences between archetypes weren’t really apparent in my time. Furthermore, unlike previous games, everything is a bit easy and forgiving. Not a big problem for the family, of course, but if you’re just looking for any arcade racer to occupy you for tons of hours, Infinite Rush leans on the easier side and won’t challenge the hardcore racer in most seasoned players.

A Chill Sunday Cruise

It’s not all perfect; loads on the PS5 Pro can take longer than you’d expect. Also, with four different islands, they all tend to feel a bit the same, and each design never really stands out. We also didn’t get to test much online, but split-screen works great, and it’s a welcome inclusion. Hot Wheels Infinite Rush won’t be confused or knock out the top dogs in the genre, but if you’re looking for a fun, respectable driving adventure with the family, it’s a pretty fun and solid time well worth the effort.

Review copy given by publisher.