Diesel takes center stage in Wheelman, blending explosive action with
vicious car chases into something clearly aimed at teenage boys across the
globe. Beneath the cartoonish action is a
surprisingly slick story. The burly protagonist, Milo, is an undercover
agent sent to infiltrate the criminal underworld in Barcelona. By taking on
the role of personal driver, Milo has a front row seat to meet some of the
biggest names in the business – a bit like the pizza delivery guy, only with
a slightly more exciting set of job skills. While the cinematic delivery of
this tale might have been more interesting on the silver screen, it works
well enough to propel the main character from one mission to another in the
context of an action game.
As you may surmise, the simulated driving
mechanics in Wheelman are shifted a bit closer to the arcade classic Crazy
Taxi than to reality. While the action maintains a heightened level of
danger rather than zaniness, there’s definitely more polish on the pizzazz
than the driving mechanics that form the game itself. The fancy stunts and
daredevil driving isn’t all just for show, however. Rather than earning
arbitrary “points” for pulling off moves, your focus meter builds, which can
then be used to pull off a variety of useful maneuvers. The stunts
themselves are not only useful, but completely necessary. As you’re speeding
down the road and swerving through lanes of traffic (sometimes striking cars
with minimal effect), you’re often chased by thugs and law enforcement
officials who’d like nothing better than to end your roadway crusade. To
combat these guys, Milo can ram his vehicle against others, and even unleash
a barrage of slow-motion gunfire, provided his aim is true.
Making his way from one mission to the next
requires that Milo travel on foot in certain areas. This isn’t so bad most
of the time, and would have been even better had some light-RPG style
elements been incorporated. Unfortunately, there are a few instances where
the combat takes place on foot, and this is where the game seems to fail the
most. The mechanics for these gunfights appear inexcusably underdeveloped,
and despite their blessed infrequency throughout the game, these firefights
detract significantly from an otherwise pleasant gameplay experience.
Movements and aiming feel very unnatural, and the enemy AI seems like
something out of a game from the nineties.
On the graphical front, Wheelman is
surprisingly bland. There isn’t nearly enough depth here to attract players
on anything beyond a superficial basis, and yet the game suffers from flat
texture and outdated shadows all over the place. Audio is thankfully
superior, with grinding metal and fiery blasts aplenty, so there’s more
than enough here to give any action junkie a
workout for their surround sound setup. Vin
Diesel voices the main character, easily stealing the show from the
supporting cast. Pithy lines in exaggerated baritone litter than aural
landscape, which will no doubt make guys smirk and gals scream. Even so, the
simple nature of Wheelman’s gameplay begins to wear thin quickly, despite
the full game taking only a few hours to complete. A few side missions have
been packed in as well, but there isn’t much here to keep players strapped
in once they’ve finished the campaign. Diesel fans will love the action, but
even the most indiscriminate adrenaline junkies won’t find a very long term
fix with Wheelman.
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Gameplay: 6.0
Carjacking is
quick and fun, at least the first few times. After the first few missions,
things feel awfully repetitive.
Graphics: 6.0
Flashy effects
can’t conceal a strangely simple visual design. At least
Vin is recognizable.
Sound: 8.0
The
audio designers nearly compensate for the lack of graphical panache.
Spanish vocals and nice instrumentals, plus a working
radio. Wait, this sounds familiar…
Difficulty: Medium
The
game offers adequate challenge, but the shootouts are a real headache.
Concept: 6.0
Guns and cars.
Some of this is admittedly cool, but hardly original.
Overall: 6.0
Wheelman will
satisfy players of simple taste, but only briefly. Fans of long-lasting
action could easily find a better place to spend their gaming hours.
