Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem arrives hot on the heels of another childhood favourite, Matchbox Driving Adventures. However, this isn’t my first foray into the virtual world of Hot Wheels, thanks to the Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels expansion.
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem, developed by 3DClouds and published by GameMill Entertainment, focuses solely on the monster trucks from the Hot Wheels universe. While aimed at a younger audience, can it also entertain a gamer who’s only young at heart?
Let’s fire up our engines and hit the arena to find out.
Presentation-wise, one might assume this would be a straightforward task. After all, recreating an arena and a larger-than-life monster truck isn’t exactly rocket science. Fortunately, the graphic artists have done a commendable job. Aside from an occasional graphical glitch where the truck’s skin loads slightly after the vehicle model, the visuals are smooth and polished.
The arenas, while not drastically different from level to level, offer enough variety to keep things interesting too. Ramps, bumps, destructible objects, and even hidden secrets are all present and accounted for. The trucks look impressive in mid-air, and the stunts are satisfying to execute and visually appealing.
The sound design is also commendable. Each arena attempt is accompanied by enthusiastic commentary, though the repetition of certain phrases, like “Oh no, that’s a rollover!”, can become tiresome. The engine noises, while decent, lack the visceral roar one might expect from 1,000-horsepower, 7.5-liter V8 engines. However, the energetic rock music complements the action well.
Unlike many games, there’s no overarching narrative or story-driven motivation for driving these monster trucks. It’s simply, “Here are some trucks, here are some arenas, go have fun!” This approach is perfectly acceptable, especially for the target audience. My son often skips cutscenes, so I doubt a complex narrative would add much to the experience for younger players.
The gameplay, while somewhat limited in scope, is enjoyable. The career mode of Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem takes you on a tour of what appears to be the United States, with various events spread across different zones. Some events require specific trucks, so switching between them in the garage becomes routine. However, the trucks handle identically, with the only differences being their appearance and unique signature moves. These signature moves, used to boost your score, are visually impressive and add a touch of personality to each truck.
Each arena presents a series of challenges, rewarding you with fans and wheels upon completion. These challenges typically fall into two categories: spectacle points earned through stunts and destruction percentage achieved by smashing objects and crushing cars. Occasionally, a third category requires performing specific stunts, such as front flips or wheelies. The stunts are easy to execute using the right stick for flips and the left stick for steering and mid-air spins. Combining these inputs allows for impressive combos, but be sure to land on your wheels to avoid a painful crash.
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem offers a decent amount of content, with a multi-zone career mode, local head-to-head multiplayer in stunt and destruction modes, and a boss mode where you face off against fan-favourite trucks like Crushzilla. While the gameplay is relatively simple, the variety of challenges and arenas prevents it from becoming repetitive.
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem is surprisingly fun. For children within the target age range, this is a no-brainer, but even older players will find some enjoyment here.
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem Unleashes Epic Action on PC and Consoles – https://www.thexboxhub.com/hot-wheels-monster-trucks-stunt-mayhem-unleashes-epic-action-on-pc-and-consoles/
Buy Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/hot-wheels-monster-trucks-stunt-mayhem/9P69RDT766Q6
