Wheelman review (Xbox360, PS3, PC)
WHEELMAN is stupid and completely unoriginal - but it is also a whole lot of fun.
In this Grand Theft Auto clone you play Vin Diesel as Milo Burik, an American driver who arrives in Barcelona to infiltrate the city's three main gangs.
The over-the-top arcade driving is what Wheelman does best. Your car can be used as a lethal weapon, shunting enemy vehicles into oblivion in satisfying fashion.
Filling up the focus gauge by excessive speeding and dangerous driving nets you the ability to pull off cool slow-motion special moves, such as spinning your car around to shoot at the bad guys behind you.
You can also 'airjack' the cars infront of you, literally leaping onto the roof and kicking the driver out without once touching the ground.
This mechanic works well and is essential to survival, as cars take so much damage it is only a matter of time before they explode.
The in-car missions in Wheelman usually involve either trying to escape the bad guys or hunt them down, but somehow the game gets away with its repetition due to its fun, no-nonsense approach which keeps the action coming full throttle all of the time.
The on-foot missions have come in for criticism but in truth they are completely inoffensive. They use a basic cover system which works okay, and add a bit of variety to the gameplay. And occasionally, they are actually quite thrilling in their own right.
The short side missions are also fun and their completition increases Milo's stats such as car strength and performance.
Wheelman keeps the action coming. There are no 'girlfriend' side missions as in Grand Theft Auto, and no need to drive to the missions if you don't want to. The checkpoints within each mission also makes the game extremely forgiving.
It has little of the depth of other sandbox driving games, yet Wheelman's accessibility and sense of fun combined with its in your face action makes it worthy of recommendation.
bucksherald.co.uk score: 7.5/10
Format reviewed: Xbox360
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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