Childhood memories unleashed.
Hot Wheels have been represented in videogame form since 1984 on the Commodore 64. And while it took several decades to have the brand truly realized as a videogame with 2021’s Hot Wheels Unleashed, it's taken just an extra few years to reproduce that childhood feeling of playing with those metal cars on their classic Hot Wheels playmats.
Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush is exactly that, an impressive representation of the classic cars existing in the big wide worlds we all imagined in our youth, complete with the variety of playsets and iconic vehicles that make it all come together. Is it perfect? Hardly, but it's the step in the right direction for the brand that I would love to see refined.
Infinite Rush is a semi-open world Hot Wheels game that honestly feels like it should have happened years ago. The idea of a large open space to drive around, with each island represented by notable Hot Wheels playsets, iconic orange ramps, and signature sets, such as 2014’s Scorpion Takedown playset, amongst a few others, is a Hot Wheels fan’s dream come true. Other games have included such iconography, but Infinite Rush provides the immersion of playing in that world like never before.
However, praise aside, while the game certainly shines on the more advanced hardware of the PS5, PC, or Xbox Series X, the Switch 2 version is plagued by a noticeable quality disparity and load times that are longer or as long as some events. It's certainly playable, land can be a lot of fun, but if you have access to the other more advanced hardware, then I'd recommend spinning your tires and boosting in that direction instead. Still, if you only have Switch 2, then you’re still going to be in for a wild ride.
Performance aside, and we will get back to the numbers and stats of the Switch 2 version, I still had a blast with Infinite Rush. The amount of vehicles you can drive, all separated into four classes, and the challenges that await you on four uniquely different islands, provides enough variety and content, even if the lack of crossplay between Switch 2 and other consoles prevents a truly worldwide online experience. Still, there is a lot to like here.
The four classes of vehicles certainly play and feel different, and some races or events are exclusive to those classes. Drifters are built for tight corners and recharge their boost by performing long drifts. Speeders are built for high speed racing on long stretches. They also have quick boost regeneration. Titans are beasts and are powerful alternatives. They have extra boost capability, but exhausting your boost will provide a temporary slow debuff to your vehicle. Lastly, Versatile vehicles are all-around balanced cars that are great in any situation. A jack of all trades, but master of none, so to speak. They consume boost in chunks, and cannot have that boost cancelled when activated.
With four classes of vehicles and four islands to conquer, there is a lot to do here. You'll have standard races where you'll want to be the first car past the finish line, to elimination races where the last few cars in last place will be removed from the race after a timer ticks down. Master drift challenges are where you'll need to beat a timer as well as perform a set number of drifts in the process. There are also challenging vehicle deliveries where you'll need to deliver a vehicle to the destination with as little damage to it as possible.
Additionally, you'll have events where you'll cause as much collateral damage in a set area as possible, from taking photographs of iconic locations, to tracking down stickers that are hidden around each map. There are gear collectibles to find, similar to the orbs in Crackdown. There are also one on one races with new vehicles where you race for pinks, that is to say you win their car if you beat them.
Some events will drop upgrade items, like having a fast start to your race, or faster regeneration for your boost. Each car can equip four upgrades, but you'll only have one slot unlocked from the start. There are several upgrades to find, and these can make or break some races, depending on the difficulty, as easy won't require any of these boosts as the AI is more or less clocked out here.
What is interesting about each of the four maps is how much of a playset they truly are. Blockades, plants, or other cars, can be rammed and removed from their placement. This reinforces the playset design. While buildings and ramps stay motionless, it's possible to carry a tree halfway across the map if you balance it against the front of your hood.
There is also no penalty to taking massive leaps, so there is no fall damage or resetting of your car. That said, you can easily lose control of your vehicle in this manner. In fact, most collectibles require that you take these extreme measures to catapult yourself into the air and get that sick jump photographed with the photo mode. In fact, one map has a giant skeletal monster that you can boost of its peak for some sky high thrills.
There are 150 cars to unlock, purchase, and find across the game, as well as additional content packs that can be purchased through the eshop. From new entries to the Hot Wheels catalog, to beloved classics, there is a ton to unlock here. And, with each car having different stats, and upgrades, there is a good amount of variety across the four classes.
The control of your vehicle in races, events, and just driving around, will certainly vary in the class. However, the overall feel is pretty loose, and it can be easy to lose control and bump into objects and terrain that don't get pulled off the track. Personally, if steering was a bit tighter, and drifts filled their meter about 20% faster, then I feel the control of your vehicle would be significantly better in the open world approach. Still, it does have that arcade feel, which suits the racing, but not always that open world approach.
Steering in races is solid, with boost and speed chargers on the track, as well as plenty of iconic orange ramps and loops. Drifting feels great, and the sense of speed is decent, albeit the Switch 2 maxes out at 30fps. Tracks are built around the environment, so you're not teleporting to some isolated and detached courses.
Regardless of the difficulty you choose, this is certainly an easy title for all ages, especially its target audience of younger players. Even on its highest difficulty I didn't really feel tested, apart from the one on one races where they were keeping up and capitalizing on any failed turn or not driving over the boost panel.
Races take place all over the map, and while you are largely driving through city streets and the wilds of each biome, there are a few moments where the courses surprised me. A few races have a magnetic field that transports to you the ceiling of the track. This isn't too common, but I loved these moments as you can still race even if you miss those platforms, you'll just be on the ground level. Ideas like these, including giant spinning tires that can block the road, offer up additional variety to the courses that is very much welcomed.
The four biomes have a good variety of sights and colorful vistas to explore, each kitted out with a variety of different play sets. Wheelswood is a largely urban locale with tall buildings, open streets, and lush greenery and parks. Tentacle Bay is a coastal region with beaches, parks, and rocky shores. Gearville is a desert with spacious canyons, and industrial mining sites. Lastly, Drifty Temples is a neon-lit area taking influences from East Asia architecture. Cherry blossom trees, ancient temples, and a massive dragon skyline await you. It's easily the best island and is saved for last.
Multiplayer varies on a few fronts, and with the Switch 2, there is slightly less here with a lack of crossplay. Co-op mode is limited to just a few race types with up to four player split screen. However, this must be unlocked first through the game's single player mode. It is worth pointing out that these are just races, as exploring the open world in co-op isn't possible here.
Online play is limited here due to the lack of crossplay, so finding enough players to fill out a full lobby was pretty challenging. Online play supports up to 12 players in various modes such as quick race, elimination, and smashing wheels. There are leaderboards, but I don't see that really being tested here, given the demographic.
Visually, the Switch 2 version cannot in any way compete with the other versions of this game, but is still vibrant, looks good, and is extremely playable, despite the visual differences from the other versions. Do I think it looks bad in any way shape or form? No, but other platforms are far more crisp and vehicles fare significantly better on the other side of the tracks.
PS5 and Xbox Series X hit 4K whereas the Switch 2 hits a ceiling of 1080p. Xbox and PS5 also have 60fps options where the Switch 2 is 30fps, at the best of times. I had some sub 20fps moments portable from time to time, but this wasn’t constant by any means.
Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush is damn fun, and fulfils those childhood moments of driving those metal cars through classic playmats and the abundance of play sets. The Switch 2 version is still enjoyable, but it's a noticeable drop in quality from the other console and PC versions. Still, with a ton of cars, races, and collectibles to track down, the vastness of each map makes this a Hot Wheels fan's dream come true.
Developer - Milestone.
Publisher - Milestone. Released - September 10th, 2026. Available On - PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PC. Rated - (E) - No Descriptors. Platform Reviewed - Nintendo Switch 2
Jeff is the original founder of Analog Stick Gaming. His favorite games include The Witcher III, the Mass Effect Trilogy, Hi-Fi Rush, Stellar Blade, Hellbade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and the Legend of Heroes series, especially Trails of Cold Steel III & IV.