Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 Tips and tricks for beginners

The driving in Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged is easy to learn but hard to master. With so many different vehicles and types of tracks, there's room for different approaches and exploits, and the simple mechanics have greater depth than it seems. If you are new to the game, this list of tips and tricks will improve your driving instantly.

How to be faster in Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged

Some of the following tips can make you gain a lot of time, while others will only give you a slight edge. I have ordered them so the higher up they are on the list, the more significance they have. However, when the competition is tough, every small detail matters; in the end, the smallest of margins can define the outcome of a race.

Find shortcuts

The tracks in Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 are checkpoint-based, which means you don't have to respect the shape of the circuit as long as you hit all checkpoints. It might be impossible to go off-road in tracks where there are walls to the sides, but some circuits have their layouts defined by traffic cones or movable objects. Forget about taking the corners properly in these and go straight to the next checkpoint.

There are also places where you can take a ramp or jump off the track and land on another portion further ahead. Pay attention to these opportunities and if you can't find any (see the next item on this list).

Play online

Even if your only goal is to beat the campaign in single-player, you can learn a lot from playing online. Human players can be very creative when coming up with new (dirty) driving techniques, and you may discover shortcuts you wouldn't have noticed on your own. For instance, in my first online race I learned you can use the side push against an opponent when you are about to go through a checkpoint. If you push them off successfully, they will miss said checkpoint and have to respawn or go back.

Save some boost for key moments

Following up on the technique of pushing opponents, be careful when you are driving on a track with an open edge on a side, because other drivers may want to push you off. Saving some of your boost to dash away from these moments or to push them first can be a good strategy. You should also have some leftover boost for vertical loops since you don't want to lose your momentum when you are upside down.

Do not waste your boost

On the same note, it is key to know when to not use your boost. Try to memorize the track on your first run —this way you will be able to anticipate what portions are coming right after and use your boost more effectively. If there is a speed boost pad right ahead, you would want to avoid using your own since they don't stack up.

If you use the boost on the wrong portions of the track, it may make you miss a checkpoint or fail a jump. It is best to save it for straight portions of the circuit or for defensive moves.

Straighten your jumps

When there is a ramp or a jump ahead, you should prioritize taking it straight. You can spin in the air and catch your car, but it's always best if you aim your landing before taking off. Also, beware of other players trying to push you off when you jump and push them first.

Related: How to unlock more cars in Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged

Try different vehicles

Monster trucks drive differently from sport coupes or motorcycles, and different vehicles are better on some tracks than others. So try as many vehicles as you can until you learn their strengths and weaknesses and find which ones suit you the most or which ones are best for each challenge.

Do not upgrade cars at the begining

It is tempting to upgrade a car you really like, but the upgrade packages can completely change how your favorite car drives. Although spending on the upgrades can make it faster, it may make it harder or less enjoyable to drive. Instead, it is best to use your credits on buying other vehicles and learning about their driving styles before you start investing in upgrades.

Start to drift earlier

When you take the corners, try the slow-in-fast-out approach and brake earlier than you would normally. This may result in an earlier drift and a sharper turning angle, and the car might almost crash its nose against the apex wall, but if you correct it, you will straighten the car earlier than others and be able you to use the boost sooner. This will also allow you to overtake other cars on the inside.

The opposite approach (drifting too late) may result in the car crashing against the outer wall and losing a lot of momentum. Therefore, I prefer to break too early than too late.

Race starts

If you time your throttle correctly, you can fill up your boost meter before the race starts. The game isn't specific about how this works, but after some testing, I figured out the right moment to press the throttle: right when the number 3 of the countdown is disappearing. If you do it right, your car will blow purple flames through the exhaust and it will recharge the maximum boost meter. If you are slightly off the timing, you may still get a medium boost (indicated by green flames), but if you miss the window completely, you won't get any boost at all.

For more on Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged, check out the List of cars in Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharger here on Pro Game Guides.