Gaming typically consists of sitting on your couch and playing on a screen like your TV or smartphone. Every so often, a game comes along that mixes things up a bit. Velan Studios and Mattel have launched Hot Wheels: Rift Rally, a new mixed-reality game for Apple devices and PlayStation consoles that turns your house into a Hot Wheels track.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Using Velan Studios’ patented RC mixed reality technology, gamers can experience an all-new Hot Wheels experience that blends the real world with digital environments, turning their homes into high-speed raceways.
“At Velan Studios, we pride ourselves on our ability to create ground-breaking game experiences through new forms of play. With Hot Wheels: Rift Rally, we leveled up our RC car technology to really bring the fantasy of being in the drivers’ seat of a Hot Wheels car to life. We can’t wait for players to experience it for themselves, and turn their living rooms into the ultimate Hot Wheels race tracks.”
Karthik Bala, CEO, Velan Studios
The game itself offers up two types of gameplay: Campaign Mode and Stunt Mode. The first lets players create “the ultimate mixed reality track” and explore challenge maps. Stunt Mode is a bit more open and lets players chain together drifts, wheelies, and burnouts to see how high they can score. Some of the over 140 classic Hot Wheels vehicles the Chameleon RC car can digitally transform into include Twin Mill, Bone Shaker, Mach Speeder, and Gotta Go, as well as some original Rift Rally variations.
Features of the game include:
- Two Ways to Play: In Campaign mode, players set up Rift Gates to create the ultimate mixed reality track, exploring maps that feature multiple challenges to complete and races to race. InStunt mode, players drive and stunt the Chameleon without gates as they chain together drifts, wheelies, and burnouts to hit high scores and earn rewards.
- Vehicle Variety: The Chameleon can digitally transform into 22 different core cars with more than 140 variants, allowing players to get behind the wheel of their favourite Hot Wheels cars, including fan favourites like Twin Mill, Bone Shaker, Mach Speeder and Gotta Go, as well as all new vehicles.●Custom Cars-There are endless options to customize the look and performance of cars so players can bring their own flair and style to the game. In-game performance customizations translate into real-world Chameleon behaviour: for instance, increasing acceleration performance means the Chameleon accelerates faster across the living room.
- Exciting Challenges: Hot Wheels: Rift Rally offers a variety of mini-games, puzzles and challenges to earn new vehicles and customizations.
- Play Solo or with Friends: Players can play solo or by connecting multiple Chameleons on separate devices with cross-platform play. Players can also play co-op with friends on PlayStation using a single Chameleon, where action hands off to different controllers
- Chameleon RC Car Specs:
- 1080p onboard camera provides 3rd person view that enables immersive mixed-reality play
- Battery drive time is roughly 2 hours of play under normal play conditions
- Charge times: ~1hr from 50%, 2-3hrs from 0%
- Size: H: 100mm, W: 101mm, L: 91mm
Now available in two editions, the Standard Edition of Hot Wheels: Rift Rally retails for $129.99 and includes the Chameleon RC car, four Rift Gates for track building, and a charging cable. The Deluxe Edition will set you back an extra $20 and includes a special edition Chameleon with black deco and gold accents and a limited edition McLaren Senna Hot Wheels die-cast supercar in a display case.
What do you think about Hot Wheels: Rift Rally for Apple devices and PlayStation consoles? Will you be picking it up? Let us know on social media by using the buttons below.
