I have a fondness for racing games that aren't super complicated. If you read my writing you know that I am not a fan at all of games that involve all the buttons on the controller because I am not a teenager and I have to do other things in my day such as work, socialize, and clean up around the house. Oh and I have to sleep every now and then as well. So if a game involves a buttload of buttons, let alone buttons that change depending on the situation, I am going to forget these controls and therefore am not going to enjoy the game.
In Hot Wheels Unleashed 2, there are only a handful of buttons to remember and this makes the game appeal to me. What doesn't appeal to me is something that was done just for PS-Plus customers (perhaps other bundles as well) and while it is meant to be a "perk" it kind of ruins the game.
The idea behind this game is that you go and do some neat tracks and eventually build up your garage of cars, bikes, and monster trucks that all have their own particular strengths and weaknesses depending on the terrain in question. The goal behind completion of any track is simply to complete the track, get a reward for having done so, and then purchasing additional cars that make those runs even faster.
Much like in Need for Speed or really any other game that starts you out with a basic car, the desire to continue playing is driven by you wanting to get more upgraded cars so that future tracks can be done faster and easier.
By simply firing the game up you are gifted this car called the "Power Pro" before you even do your first race. When you compare the stats on this car to the other basic ones in your garage that the people who bought the retail version of this game had as their only choices, it is significantly better.
It is NOT the best car in the game but it is much better than any of your other options at the start of the game. Of course you could always choose to not use it and I honestly wish I had just deleted it or sold if (if that is even an option) because once you have seen the top end of performance in this game, it is kind of tough to return to the basic models that are in there specifically to introduce you to a slower version of the game and gradually work you up towards faster and faster cars.
But in the "free" version of the game you are given one of the best cars in the game right at the start and while this is a nice gesture I guess, it kind of ruins the game. I am no longer excited about what sort of car I am going to unlock after a race because the one I am using is already leaps and bounds better than anything I am going to have offered to me until I get a lot further in the game and therefore I do not feel inclined to go further in the game.
Even though this is the case I will say that the gameplay or the racing, is a lot of fun in this game. They have a map of sorts that is going to somewhat change your environment and there are various games that you have to play in your car that keeps things fresh.
The only issue is that the reward for doing well in any of these competitions, other than pride and unlocking another track, is simply going to be cars that most of the time are inferior to the one that I am already driving.
Therefore, if you do have this on your free list and you haven't played it yet, you are likely going to have the same gift-car that gets put into your garage just like I did. I highly suggest that you sell this car before you ever use it because although it is fast and makes passing all the other cars on the track a piece of cake, it kind of ruins the overall game.
Giving someone too much power right at the start kind of devolves their desire to get any better at it. As it is now, I will always finish in 1st place unless I fly wildly off the track multiple times in a row... even then, I am still likely going to be in the top 3 without even trying. That's not very competitive now, is it?