Mon 9 Mar 2009
Wheelman is Midway’s upcoming action driving game starring Vin Diesel. In this game you play as an undercover agent named Milo Burik, who is sent to Barcelona where he becomes tangled up in a power struggle between three powerful gangs that run the city. Infiltration is the key to Burik’s mission in which he tries to earn the trust of each gang. The game is filled with shooting and reckless driving. One of the interesting aspects of Wheelman’s gameplay is the ability to perform “air jack”. Air Jack is a new way of stealing cars where you leap out of one car and into another. Midways has created this technique to induce the idea that vehicles are disposable items so that players are always looking into a new ride.
The game’s open-ended design provides a lot of room for grueling burnout-style chase sequences with street cops getting more persistent in pulling you over. Vehicular mayhem is the consistent theme through most of Wheelman’s driving missions. And the way to get the job done efficiently is to perform an onslaught of vehicular melees. With just a flick of the joystick, you can twitch your car in any direction and put up some spectacular damage to enemies nearby. Another cool highlights of Wheelman is the ability to slow down time via focus mode. During the focus mode, you’ll be able to target enemies’ “critical” parts. A red reticule will appear which will guide you to shoot a particular spot where the enemy will get hurt the most! This is the fastest way to get rid of your pesky thugs that try to run you over.
The game will feature traditional cars, motorcycles and even big rigs! Each vehicle will have its own feel. The trucks posses the most strength but their weaknesses are its speed and handling. The game gives you a variety of vehicles to choose from but you’ll need to pick the right car for the job. So far, Wheelman has some interesting concepts that will sure to please a lot of action fans. The action scenes have plenty of thrills in them in that there is a fun twist to the open-world outline. Animation is relatively smooth but the controls may take time in getting used to. The demo is already out so be sure to check that out. Midway is planning to release the game alongside the forthcoming film’s release, which is around March 24, 2009.