Milestone is often associated with niche motorcycle simulations such as the annual MotoGP series, but the Italian studio found unexpected mainstream success in 2021 with Hot Wheels Unleashed, an exuberant arcade racer based on the diecast toy car line. It was popular enough to spawn a sequel with 2023’s Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 Turbocharged, and now the series has returned three years later with Infinite Rush. While this is Milestone’s third Hot Wheels entry, it’s worth noting that this is the fifth title in the surprisingly saturated lineup of diecast car games. The last Unleashed game was followed by Bamgtang Games’ Let’s Race, based on the animated Netflix series, and Monster Truck Stunt Mayhem by 3D Clouds, but they didn’t match the heights of Milestone’s revered arcade racers. A tiny toy world As the name implies, this isn’t Hot Wheels Unleashed 3. Milestone could have easily churned out an iterative sequel, but Infinite Rush instead attempts to reinvent the series by taking it into an open-world, with four diorama-style islands to explore in contrast to its predecessor’s linear circuit layouts. While going in this direction is hardly original in this crowded genre, it’s a logical step for the arcade racing series. It’s an ambitious change of direction for Milestone, too, as this marks the Italian studio’s first fully open-world driving game. Whereas the Unleashed games blended tiny toy cars with full-size worlds, Infinite Rush scales everything down, with miniature vehicles and environments that feel like plastic playsets. Combined with the colourful visuals, the toy-like locations are brimming with charm. You start in the urban city of Wheelswood, complete with a Hollywood sign parody and a giant King Kong-style creature climbing up a skyscraper. Once you complete enough events, you gradually unlock the remaining islands, from the coastal roads and beaches