Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush, the latest toy-based racing game from developer Milestone, moves the series into an open-world format inspired by Forza Horizon, letting players explore four themed islands with more than 100 iconic toy cars. The shift brings both new pleasures and notable drawbacks, including long load times on Nintendo Switch 2 and some uninspired challenge designs.
The game follows Milestone's well-received Hot Wheels Unleashed series, which began in 2021. In Infinite Rush, the action leaves the garage and bedroom settings of previous titles and takes place across four visually impactful islands, each with its own theme. Tentacle Bay, for example, places a giant squid at its centre, while Wheelswood draws inspiration from New York and includes a giant ape.
Vehicle classes and racing mechanics
One of the game's strongest elements is its attention to vehicle collection. Cars are divided into four categories: Versatile, Drifter, Speeder, and Titan. Players are encouraged to build a personal collection, switch vehicles on the fly, and use them to complete racing-based challenges, which in turn unlock more cars. This loop is described as "true chicken-and-egg game design at its most moreish."
The racing mechanics themselves remain tight, with Milestone's trademark boosting and drifting feeling great. The Drifter class makes handling while boosting and drifting more manageable, while the Speeder class requires a single extended boost with one button press before the meter refills, rather than allowing multiple boosts in a stretch. This system helps differentiate the four vehicle classes, though it is not the most in-depth racing system.
Competing in standard Race, Stuntman, and Drifting events earns currency to unlock cars, as well as boost effects and livery skins that allow for a more personalised experience.
Island exploration and challenges
The open-world approach places players in toyetic environments with plastic trees, orange roads, and oversized loop-de-loops. While the novelty of driving through a toy dinosaur skeleton's mouth is enjoyable, the lack of real-world objects to compare with reduces the impact of these settings over time.
The islands offer a mix of activities, including Quick Races, Drift challenges, and photo opportunities. However, some Stuntman tasks, which involve crashing into objects within a time limit, are described as too easy. Race types that require crashing into randomly placed tyres to maintain a combo feel like an odd variant on drift-chaining challenges and are less rewarding, sometimes causing players to veer out of bounds.
Load times on Nintendo Switch 2
The biggest issue, likely exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2 version, is load times. Loading in and out of a standard Racing event can take up to a full minute, which breaks the momentum of exploring four open-worlds. Completing each island's series of events is necessary to unlock new ones, so these waits cannot be avoided. The review notes that this issue may not affect other versions.
Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush excels when encouraging exploration and collection, but uninspired challenges and long load times on Switch 2 dull the experience. At its best, it offers a near infinite number of opportunities for kids and kids at heart to explore playful toy sandbox playgrounds. The game is rated 3/5 and is scheduled to launch on PS5, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 on September 10, 2026.
