The Wheelman
Encyclopedia
Wheelman is a driving game developed by Midway Studios - Newcastle and published by Ubisoft
and Midway Games
for the PlayStation 3
, Xbox 360
and Microsoft Windows
.
modeled after Barcelona
, full of destructible objects, alleyways, shortcuts through office blocks and a total of 31 story missions and 105 side missions. While most missions are driving-oriented, there are also foot missions which are played from a third person perspective. A wide variety of guns are preserved for the player including pistols to RPGs.
Among the vehicles used by Milo Burik in the game is the Pontiac G8
, shown in released trailers for Wheelman. Reports also indicated that the Opel Astra
is a drivable vehicle. In the demo, his license plate says MRTL KM8T which is a reference to Mortal Kombat, Midway's popular fighting game.
), is an undercover agent whose assignment is to work along with a gang in Barcelona planning the biggest heist of their career. He turns out to be one of the most effective weapons in the business.
as the second of three titles in a joint collaboration between Midway and MTV Networks
. Midway Games collaborated with Tigon Studios to design the game. After multiple delays over the course of around 3 years, Wheelman was finally released in many "major territories" including the United States, Australia and the biggest European countries on March 24.
was announced with Vin Diesel
in the lead role and Rich Wilkes
, who worked with Diesel on xXx
(2002), was hired to write the script. Paramount Pictures
and MTV Films
were announced to collaborate on the project. Production of the film, with no script written yet, was estimated to be 18 months away from February 2006. The film will be a sequel to the video game, which will establish the background.
, but it's just guilty of being a poor game." Gamepro, however, gave the game a high 4/5, calling the game "a GTA-meets-Burnout romp." GameSpot gave the game a 6/10 saying "Wheelman offers plenty of movie-style thrills, although it's hamstrung by terrible on-foot gameplay. Hyper
s Darren Wells commends the game for "cool and useful special driving moves [and] genuinely new locale". However, he criticises it for "meaningless vehicle handling, cheating AI, poor on-foot level design [and] bland graphics".
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
and Midway Games
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
.
Gameplay
The game is set in an open worldOpen world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
modeled after Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, full of destructible objects, alleyways, shortcuts through office blocks and a total of 31 story missions and 105 side missions. While most missions are driving-oriented, there are also foot missions which are played from a third person perspective. A wide variety of guns are preserved for the player including pistols to RPGs.
Among the vehicles used by Milo Burik in the game is the Pontiac G8
Pontiac G8
The Pontiac G8 is a rear-wheel drive sedan that was produced by Holden, the Australian General Motors subsidiary. The G8, a rebadged Holden Commodore, was released in early 2008 for the 2008 model year in the United States, and in 2008 for the 2009 model year in Canada. Production stopped in...
, shown in released trailers for Wheelman. Reports also indicated that the Opel Astra
Opel Astra
The Opel Astra is a small family car engineered and manufactured by the German automaker Opel since 1991.It is branded as Vauxhall Astra in the United Kingdom, the Buick Excelle XT in China and the Chevrolet Astra/Vectra in Latin America...
is a drivable vehicle. In the demo, his license plate says MRTL KM8T which is a reference to Mortal Kombat, Midway's popular fighting game.
Plot
The protagonist, Milo Burik (a digitized Vin DieselVin Diesel
Vin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
), is an undercover agent whose assignment is to work along with a gang in Barcelona planning the biggest heist of their career. He turns out to be one of the most effective weapons in the business.
Development
The video game Wheelman was first announced in February 2006 by publisher Midway GamesMidway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
as the second of three titles in a joint collaboration between Midway and MTV Networks
MTV Networks
MTV Networks is a division of media conglomerate Viacom that oversees the operations of many television channels and Internet brands, including the original MTV channel in the United States...
. Midway Games collaborated with Tigon Studios to design the game. After multiple delays over the course of around 3 years, Wheelman was finally released in many "major territories" including the United States, Australia and the biggest European countries on March 24.
Film adaptation
Simultaneously with the announcement of the video game in February 2006, a film adaptationFilm adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
was announced with Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
in the lead role and Rich Wilkes
Rich Wilkes
Rich Wilkes , attended El Camino High School in Oceanside, CA, and is an American filmmaker. His work to date is generally noted for its rooting in contemporary music and youth culture.- As screenwriter :...
, who worked with Diesel on xXx
XXX
XXX may refer to:* The number 30 in Roman numerals* The year 30 AD* Games of the XXX Olympiad, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England* Super Bowl XXX, held on January 28, 1996* A mark indicating "extra strong"* Alcoholic beverages...
(2002), was hired to write the script. Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
and MTV Films
MTV Films
MTV Films is the motion picture production arm of cable channel MTV. Founded in 1996, it has produced films based on MTV programs such as Beavis and Butt-head Do America and Jackass: The Movie, as well as other adaptations and original projects. Its films are released by fellow Viacom division...
were announced to collaborate on the project. Production of the film, with no script written yet, was estimated to be 18 months away from February 2006. The film will be a sequel to the video game, which will establish the background.
Reception
The game has received mixed reviews, many of the reviewers criticising the game for falling short of story mode and lacking multiplayer functionality. IGN's Greg Miler gave the game a 4.8/10, which by the site's rating scale is translated as "poor", stating that he was hoping for the game "to be a guilty pleasure, like 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is a third-person shooting video game developed by Swordfish Studios and published by THQ for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was released on February 20, 2009, in Europe and February 24, 2009, in North America and serves as the sequel to 50 Cent:...
, but it's just guilty of being a poor game." Gamepro, however, gave the game a high 4/5, calling the game "a GTA-meets-Burnout romp." GameSpot gave the game a 6/10 saying "Wheelman offers plenty of movie-style thrills, although it's hamstrung by terrible on-foot gameplay. Hyper
Hyper (magazine)
Hyper is a multi-platform Australian video game magazine. Australia's longest running gaming magazine, it has been in publication since 1993, and was released the same month as the better known UK magazine Edge...
s Darren Wells commends the game for "cool and useful special driving moves [and] genuinely new locale". However, he criticises it for "meaningless vehicle handling, cheating AI, poor on-foot level design [and] bland graphics".
| Reviewing Site Address/Name | Rating |
|---|---|
| Edge Magazine | 4/10 |
| IGN IGN IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment... |
4.8/10 |
| play.tm | 82/100 |
| Game Informer | 8.5/10 |
| That Gaming Site | 8.8/10 |
| Push Square | 3/4 |