4 user reviews
3.1 / 5 avg score
Reviewed on April 13, 2009
Wheelman has some great ideas that are executed well, but a lot of the peripheral stuff is underwhelming.
Read Jeff Gerstmann's full review
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Vin Diesel is looking for a job in Wheelman, a driving-focused open-world game with vehicular special moves to assist in your escape. The story is based around Diesel's character as he comes out of retirement to save a woman from his past

Wheelman is a driving game starring Vin Diesel, developed and published by Midway Games and currently planned for release in 2008. It was first announced in February 2006, and is one of three projects being developed between Midway and MTV. On Febuary 18, 2009, Midway announced that it had partnered with Ubisoft to help publish Wheelman. Wheelman is being produced in collaboration with Diesel's own game company Tigon Studios

A demo for Wheelman was released on Xbox Live Marketplace for download on March 5, 2009 and the PlayStation Network shortly afterward. The demo includes a mission from the story plus two out of 105 side missions that will be available. The mission is a driving mission, that involves escaping from the police. The side missions are a race and a mission to hijack three different vehicles and sell them for cash.

Plot

Milo Burik
Milo Burik
The game features  Milo Burik  (Vin Diesel) as a a driver who comes out of retirement after he saves a women for his past. This rescue leads him into a gang war in  Barcelona Spain.




Game Play

Driving portions.
Driving portions.
The game contains a mix of driving and on-foot missions, though the great majority will focus specifically on driving. Wheelman offers a number of flashy vehicular special moves. You can slam into cars alongside yours with the right analog stick. An even flashier move involves slowing down time, spinning your car 180 degrees, shooting the driver or gas tank of a pursuing vehicle, and then whipping back around to speed away and escape your pursuit. 


Wheelman is set in a virtual world of Barcelon, Spain. Many of the places in the game are based on real places. Those include:

Vehicles

Wheelman is set to feature an array of vehicles. Licensed vehicles will be used in the game. Milo Burik is set to drive a Pontiac G8 and a Opel Astra. 

Trivia

Aside from their look (and occasionally their name), cars in Wheelman are best identified by their license plates, all of which are references to classic Midway games.  So far, the following games referenced in license plates have been identified: Mortal Kombat, Smash TV, Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe, BlackSite: Area 51, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing, Arctic Thunder, NARC, Spy Hunter, Cruis'n World, War Gods, CART Fury, Marble Madness, Robotron, Gauntlet, and Dr. Muto.  There are more besides these, and they, as well as the car models they belong to, will be added as soon as we figure them out.
 
 

Reception

 Wheelman gained mixed reviews. Many critics didn't like weak story or it's lack of multiplayer, both which most reviews and players find to be a must. Game Informer gave Wheelman some praise, giving it a 8.5/10. They gave credit for great driving and action that keeps you playing.

Game Name Wheelman
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Original US Release March 27, 2009
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Original US Release
Q1
2009
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Aliases Vin Diesel Wheelman
ESRB
ESRB: T
PEGI
PEGI: 16+
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