Initial release date: October 18, 2024
Developer: 3DClouds
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S
Genres: Action game, Racing
Publisher: GameMill Entertainment
Now, I don’t know much about monster trucks outside of gaming, and it’s been a long time since I stood outdoors on the garden path, shooting toy vehicles into a flower bed from a makeshift ramp of books and an A4 folder. But, like any mid-forties man-child, the sight of massive motors coupled to even larger wheels being thrown through the air, pirouetting as they go, as shown in Hot Wheels: Monster Trucks Stunt Mayhem, can’t help but make you smile.
Featuring a range of motorized monstrosities from real-life Hot Wheels, you’re put into confined arcade arenas consisting of ramps, barrels, vehicles to smash, and a ridiculously over-the-top “boss”.
The core of the experience will be hurling your truck around, hoping to keep the combo multiplier running as you trick from ramp to ramp, collecting golden coins along the way to rack up points. You can rotate on all axes, spinning uncontrollably through the air before attempting to plant all four wheels securely on solid ground. Add in a flashy special move that is unique to the vehicle, and you’ll quickly be up to double-digit combo multipliers. These specials are frequently a simple method to safely end a combination because they will right your vehicle in mid-air, regardless of the extreme angle you’re at.
With an excessively bouncy physics engine, hitting the landing in Hot Wheels: Monster Trucks Stunt Mayhem without a special isn’t always as simple as it sounds, and you’ll frequently find yourself precariously balancing on two wheels as you hurtle toward the next obstacle. If you misjudge any of this and find your view of the world turned upside down, a fast button press will have you upright and ready to roll in a matter of moments, straight back into the action, but with your hard-earned score now diminished.
Tasked with completing a number of objectives in this time limit, including a stunt score to beat (built up by performing tricks while maximising your combo score), a destruction target (by destroying targets, shacks, and the aforementioned barrels), a find the “thing” challenge (be it a hot dog stand or a golden balloon), a specific trick type to perform, and finally, beating the boss three times. This entails locating three standees to smash your mammoth through, allowing entrance to the monster, potentially by a loop the loop or some unique, insane jump to launch yourself through, damaging its health meter in the process.
Unfortunately, there is a bit of a disconnect here because the same animation will play each time, with the camera spreading out for a more dramatic shot of the action and your vehicle plummeting through the sky. This has the effect of taking you out of the moment and slowing down the pace of the game. Given that you have to repeat this method three times to fulfill the objective, it can become monotonous, especially since you will be repeating it several times throughout the game.
You won’t be completing all of these trials in one round, though. With only one per arena to complete in the early stages, Hot Wheels: Monster Trucks Stunt Mayhem gradually increases the difficulty in each area until you have ever-increasing scores to beat and three tasks to complete in the later stages of the game. It becomes tougher, but it’s never too difficult.
The on-screen representations of the little trucks look fantastic, with overhead spotlights bouncing off gleaming chrome and windshields, and each has a variety of skins to unlock as you continue through the campaign. Unfortunately, the venues themselves lack variation and character, in stark contrast to the show’s headliners. Although there are several distinct biomes to unlock, there isn’t enough variation between them to truly distinguish one from the other. There may be some set decoration, but each arena feels very similar to the last, with little to distinguish them aside from the boss.
Coming in at roughly four hours of play time, I can’t say I played the game completely, but I did complete almost all of the single player objectives. There’s just not enough substance here to keep me coming back for more, with the same duties repeated indefinitely, even in the other game modes: stunt, destruction, and boss mode. These are standalone versions of the standard game objectives that provide little more than a focused version of what you’ve already been accomplishing.
I believe that with a little more time and care, there is a wonderful game hidden just beneath the surface. Add in more diverse jobs to do, a longer range of fancy moves to perform, and a selection of hit songs, and you’ll have a motorized version of Tony Hawks’ series ready to roar onto the market. It simply needs more substance. There is obviously potential here, and I hope that this serves as a solid foundation for 3DClouds to expand on in future games in the series.
Having said that, there is plenty of entertainment to be obtained, particularly for a younger gaming audience that will ooh and ahh over the special tricks and animated boss spectacle. It’s easy to learn and has a simple interface, making it excellent for young children to use. It is also the title that boasts the most realistic-looking plastic wheels I have ever seen in a game. You can practically smell them.
Review Overview
Gameplay: 83%
Controls: 80%
Aesthetics: 85%
Content: 78%
Accessibility: 82%
Value: 81%
Overall: 82%
Overall: 82%
Summary:
“Hot Wheels: Monster Trucks Stunt Mayhem” brings high-octane monster truck action to life through arcade-style gameplay. The game has dramatic stunts, colorful tracks, and a diverse selection of monster trucks to pick from. While the controls are simple to learn, the physics might be a little exaggerated, which adds to the pleasure but can also cause frustration with precision tricks. Visually, it remains faithful to the Hot Wheels brand, with vibrant and inventive designs. Although the content could be more varied, the game nonetheless provides enjoyable amusement for fans of stunt racing and Hot Wheels equally.