XBOX REVIEW | Hot wheels Let’s Race: Ultimate Speed

Start your engines and hold onto your spoilers, Hot Wheels Let’s Race: Ultimate Speed is pure pedal-to-the-metal pandemonium. You’ll rocket through loop-de-loops, dodge fire-breathing dragons, and take on cobra-sized boss battles, all while unlocking a fleet of fan-favourite rides from the Netflix series. With track-building madness, split-screen showdowns, and enough neon to rival an arcade cabinet at full tilt, this one’s built for speed, style, and serious Saturday morning energy.

So, does Ultimate Speed live up to its name, or stall out in the pit lane? I strapped in for a few dozen races, tested every mode, and took a deep dive into the game’s visuals, sound, and mechanics to find out. From the first turbo boost to the final boss showdown, here’s what stood out, and what spun out.

Things I liked!

• Visuals & Style | While the visuals in Hot Wheels Let’s Race: Ultimate Speed may not be groundbreaking, they’re exactly what this kind of racer needs: bold, bright, and bursting with personality. Each car has its own unique style, with cool textures and colour schemes that pop against the neon-soaked tracks. The environments are deceptively detailed too, loop-de-loops, cityscapes, and oversized toy rooms all come alive with vibrant backdrops and playful touches. Even if the art style leans simple, it works brilliantly, keeping the action clear and the vibe consistent. During my time playing, I never encountered any visual performance issues, even when racing at high speeds. The game targets 4K UHD visuals, and everything looks crisp and sharp throughout. Launching off a boost pad or triggering a character’s power ability unleashes a burst of visual effects that add flair without ever feeling overwhelming.
  
  
• Sound Design | The sound design in Ultimate Speed is exactly what you’d expect from a Hot Wheels racer: loud, lively, and full of character. Each car has its own engine note, from throaty muscle roars to high-pitched electric whines, adding personality to your chosen ride. The soundtrack leans into upbeat, synth-heavy tracks that wouldn’t feel out of place in a cartoon chase scene, perfectly matching the game’s neon visuals and frantic pace. Menu jingles and race countdowns are punchy and playful, while power-up effects and boss battle audio cues add a satisfying layer of feedback. I’m sure younger gamers will be especially happy with the sound effects, and as you race around each track, characters often shout a few one-liners. I never found this too annoying personally, it’s never overdone, and it adds a bit of charm without becoming repetitive.

• Modes & Mayhem | Ultimate Speed doesn’t just rely on flashy visuals and fast cars, it packs in a solid variety of game modes to keep things fresh. Racing Camp acts as the main story mode, guiding you through themed challenges and character unlocks. Cup Champ offers classic tournament-style races, while Speed Trials test your reflexes against the clock. Free Race lets you dive into any track with your favourite car, and Track Builder is a standout, giving players the tools to create wild custom circuits with loop-de-loops, hazards, and boost pads galore.
  
  Track Builder also features nine challenges, where you must add specific track pieces to complete a layout without exceeding the total lap time limit. With simple controls and a difficulty curve that ramps up fast, this mode might actually appeal most to older gamers, I struggled with the last four challenges myself. Better still, as you race in the other modes, you’ll unlock new track pieces that can be used in Free Build, giving you more creative freedom the further you progress. Whether you’re chasing medals solo or battling friends in four-player split-screen, there’s enough here to keep the action varied and the fun rolling.
  
  
• Accessibility & Simplicity | Younger racers will have no trouble finding their way around, there’s no boring menu here! Instead, you control a character who strolls through a colourful room, picking game modes, settings, and extras like they’re toys on a shelf. It’s simple, fun, and way more exciting than clicking buttons.

Mixed & disliked!

• Speed, Stats & Steering | Each car and character in Ultimate Speed comes with three key stats: handling, speed, and acrobatics. I preferred a balanced setup, nimble in corners, quick on straights, and agile enough to pull off stunts. You build your car power meter by collecting lightning bolts or performing simple stunts off ramps. Most car powers deliver a satisfying speed boost, while a few fire projectiles, though I found those tough to use effectively mid-race. You can also hit oil barrels, which instantly drop a slick behind you, perfect for sending tailgaters into a spin and adding a bit of chaos to the chase. It took me a while to realise there were different car powers available, and I’d have liked to see a few more in the mix.
  
  That said, none of it matters if you can’t stay on the track. The racing controls take time to click. Acceleration and boost feel snappy, but steering and drifting behave differently from most arcade racers. I kept turning into corners early, only to slam into barriers, here, you need to steer slightly later to glide through cleanly. It took several hours to adjust, and younger players or those used to tighter handling might find the learning curve steep. Tracks are narrow, so mistiming a drift often means clipping the edge and losing speed. Successful drifts reward you with a short boost, making it worth the risk once mastered. Even race starts have a rhythm: hold accelerate as the countdown begins, and if you hit the green zone at “Go,” you’ll launch with a bonus boost. On higher difficulties, I was constantly bouncing between barriers, slowing down meant falling behind, but keeping pace made it hard to land even simple jumps cleanly. I played most of the review on medium difficulty, which felt like the sweet spot: fast enough to stay exciting, but forgiving enough to keep you on track.

• One World, Twelve Tracks | While the track designs themselves mostly work well and offer plenty of variation in layout and challenge, the visual setting for each one shares the same backdrop. After a few races, the environments start to blur together, and I found myself wishing for more distinct worlds or biomes, something to give each track a stronger sense of place. That said, each course is packed with twists, turns, and set-piece moments, and driving over a massive jump or rocketing through a loop-the-loop never stops being satisfying. It’s a minor grumble, but one that stands out given how imaginative the rest of the game can be. There are 12 tracks available in total, unlocked gradually as you play. It’s a solid number for a game of this scope, and the inclusion of the Track Builder mode means you can keep racing long after the main circuits are done. Still, a few more pre-built tracks with varied backdrops would have gone a long way in keeping the experience fresh across longer play sessions.

How long did I play the review before publishing? 11 Hours
How long to beat the story? N/A
How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 23/27 OR 855/1000G
How long to achieve 1000G | 13 Hours +
You’ll love this game if you like these | Sonic Racing: Crossworlds & Race with Ryan

CONCLUSION

Score: 72/100

Ultimate Speed delivers on chaos and colour, but its repetitive backdrops and clunky controls keep it from crossing the finish line first.

Hot Wheels Let’s Race: Ultimate Speed is a fast, flashy arcade racer packed with loop-de-loops, fan-favourite cars from the Netflix series, and vibrant cartoon energy. Bold visuals and lively sound design match the game’s pace, while varied modes and a robust Track Builder keep things fresh. Controls take time to master, and the shared backdrop across tracks feels repetitive, but satisfying stunts and chaotic power-ups help keep the action fun. With 12 tracks and plenty of split-screen mayhem, it’s a solid pick for younger players and Hot Wheels fans alike.