Anki Overdrive Supertrucks Freewheel Review

The Anki Overdrive has had a heck of a lot of use since it arrived. Five minutes to get out or put away, and tons of fun when it's running, this robotic car racing system is a real household favourite. October saw the release of Supertrucks to add to your existing sets and really increase gameplay...

We've been sent the Freewheel Supertruck to review. Three times the size of the Anki Overdrive cars, the Supertrucks use their heftiness, plus a new control system and weapons, to race and battle against the other cars.

The packaging is awesome, and designed to protect your Supertruck long term. Incredibly carefully thought out and quick to open and close, Anki know you want to keep your vehicles safe, and they make it very easy. No excuses.

The Freewheel Supertruck is gorgeous. A sleek and finely detailed printed plastic model articulated truck which also happens to be a very sophisticated robot...

Underneath is the sensor, and, in an upgrade to the Anki Overdrive cars which we reviewed earlier, the on/off button is a lot easier to find! Note the 2 different sets of tyres, slicks on the front and rubber rear cab wheels.

Charging your Supertruck is done in exactly the same way as the cars, using the multi-car charger from the starter pack. One charge lasts the same amount of time as the cars, impressively for several races or challenges.

On the track the Freewheel Supertruck behaves very differently to the cars. In real life I drive a 3 ton van,  and you get that feeling when you set off with the Supertruck. It's sluggish to get going, and struggles more up hills, it's actually a lot more realistic than I'd anticipated. In reality it is still incredibly light at just over 90g. Great for side-swiping other cars off the road, and capable of jumping - unlike a real truck.

The truck runs usually with green lights, and they really set it off beautifully. When in Rage Mode several lights flash all over the vehicle, and when it has been 'taken over' it flashes red.

A feature of both Supertrucks is Rage Mode. Driving at top speed fills a meter and once full the Supertruck fires it's weapon constantly and is supercharged until the Rage meter empties.

Freewheel's initial weapon is a Gravity Trap, which acts as a tow hook grabbing another car and forcing it to travel behind as a shield. More weapons are earned as you gain experience.

We've really enjoyed the new modes that come with the Supertrucks. Take Over is already a firm favourite, and racing the truck until it has Rage is always a winner. New Commanders are also unlocked, although that's an area of the game we've not greatly explored yet because we always have several people wanting to play.

The lights on the Supertruck are great, and with the Anki Overdrive you can drive in the dark without leaving the track every 15 seconds, so you can really make the most of it. Here's a 1 minute look at it in action...

The Anki Overdrive Supertrucks Freewheel and X52 are available now priced £59.99 each. Recommended for age 8+, our 6 1/2 year old is incredibly competent, but occasionally a bit rough.

We love our Freewheel. Adding a Supertruck to your set adds a huge amount of play value, and it really is a lot of fun. We can now charge through all of the other cars and recreate all kinds of movie stunts. Plus there's just something special about driving a truck...

We were sent our Freewheel Supertruck by Anki for review.