C’mon, there had to be some point in your youth when you ripped open a Hot Wheels toy out of its box and sent it on its merry little way to perform some stunts, whether it was a daring leap off of the couch or racing against your friends. And some of you even went the extra mile and picked up one of those elaborate playsets where you sent your cars flying through loop-de-loops, seeing if you could beat the local neighborhood kids at your own game.
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Well, get ready to have those feelings all over again, because Microsoft and the development team at Playground Games have made the ingenious decision to expand its world of Forza Horizon 3 into Hot Wheels territory. This is the latest expansion for the game, following the fun-as-hell Blizzard Mountain that came out a couple of months back, and somehow makes a terrific game even better, literally giving you a playground to run around like crazy and score first place victories.
Once the island opens up on the map – which it should immediately if you’re leveled up enough within the game (relax, you don’t require master class access) – you’ll immediately be transported to a world where there are barely any tracks on the road, and you’re instead racing around on neon orange tracks, put together with beams and scattered everywhere through the sky. Loop-de-loops are pretty common in this place, along with twisting tracks that offer the opportunity to get some air while driving literally sideways. No, seriously – you can actually look down using the camera view and see the ocean beneath you.
The expansion, which can be purchased separately or as part of a upgrade pass for $35 (which also includes Blizzard Mountain), comes with a variety of racing events to choose from, along with some classic vehicles ripped straight from the Hot Wheels lexicon, and pasted onto real Forza Horizon cars. It’s truly a toybox for those that remember these from their younger days, but also really impressive for those that have never touched one of the toys, as it provides an overwhelming sense of fun as you scoot down tracks, make near impossible jumps and cruise down half pipes that will literally let you drive up the walls.
A Whole New Toy World
There are slight balancing issues with some events. For instance, one race requires you to make an incredibly long jump, something you just can’t do if your vehicle is too slow. (You basically regenerate on the other side and lose a whole lot of places as a result.) However, if your car is too fast, there’s a good chance you could fly right off the track if you don’t brake enough. It’s a mild catch-22 that enters you into a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” sort of situation.
But these situations are seldom compared to the sheer fun you’ll have coasting around this beautiful island. Whether it’s racing right under the jaw of an animatronic Jurassic Park-like dino, or simply cruising around what appears to be a volcano on the brink of exploding, you’ll find plenty of sights to take in. And there’s miles of terrain to cover here, with new events that open up each time you level up and earn stars within the game. And even when you’re done, there’s plenty of joyriding to be done – especially with those loop-de-loops.
Playground Games spared no expense in putting together this expansion, and it shows. It looks absolutely breathtaking, even more so than the snowy Blizzard Mountain, and really presents a toy-based paradise that’s Forza Horizon at its finest. Dare we say that this is even more fun than all of Forza Horizon 2‘s previous expansions put together – and those were impressive.
The music selections are about the same that you hear in Horizon 3‘s tremendous soundtrack, and, like always, you can provide your own through Groove Music if you feel so compelled. But there are a lot of high-energy tunes presented on the various radio stations included in the game, whether you prefer to coast to Young M.C.’s “Bust a Move”, or something a little more contemporary. It’s still right at home here.
Go On, Play With This Set
As for the gameplay, it remains unchanged from Horizon 3‘s core set-up, and that’s fine with us. In fact, blazing your way around bright orange neon tracks may be just the thing to get some people pumped about this game again, even if they believed they conquered everything within it. The racing feels as great as always, and the various challenges still can’t be beat, especially as you go onto the higher difficulties. Just remember, the track doesn’t always stop you from falling off. We learned that the hard way. Ouch.
Even if you’ve never heard of Hot Wheels (but, really, who hasn’t these days?), the newest expansion of Forza Horizon 3 just makes it feel that much more complete. It’s incredibly fun to play, and its design is not only fulfilling to racing fans, but also imaginative, hunkering back to the good ol’ days of arcade racers when it was all about the thrill of speed, and not necessarily meeting objectives. And it gives you a lot to do as well, even if it means making death-defying jumps into the downtown skyline.
Forza Horizon 3‘s Hot Wheels expansion more than justifies its entry price. So go ahead, play with your toys.
RATING: Five out of five stars.
