Wheelman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wheelman | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Midway Studios Newcastle Tigon Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Midway Games Ubisoft[1] |
| Composer(s) | Rod Abernethy Jason Graves |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 3 |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows |
| Release date(s) | NA March 24, 2009[1] |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure, Driving,Sandbox |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | BBFC: 15 ESRB: T OFLC: M PEGI: 16+ |
| Media | Download, DVD, Blu-ray Disc |
| System requirements | Supported OS: Windows XP and Vista
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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.
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[edit] Gameplay
The game is set in an open ended world modeled after Barcelona, full of destructable 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 and incorporated a crouching system similar to the one used in Goldeneye. A wide variety of guns is preserved for the player including pistols to RPG's.
Among the vehicles used by Milo Burik in the game is the Pontiac G8,[2] shown in released trailers for Wheelman. Reports[3] 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.
[edit] Plot
The protagonist, Milo Burik (a digitized Vin Diesel), is a driver who comes out of his retirement to save a woman from his past which leads him to Barcelona, Spain, and right into the middle of a gang war.[4]
[edit] Development
The video game Wheelman was first announced in February 2006 by publisher Midway Games as the second of three titles in a joint collaboration between Midway and MTV Networks.[5] Midway Games collaborated with Tigon Studios to design the game.[4] 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, and on a worldwide span on March 27. The game is co-published by Ubisoft.
[edit] Film adaptation
Simultaneously with the announcement of the video game in February 2006, a film adaptation 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.[5] Production of the film, with no script written yet, was estimated to be 18 months away from February 2006.[6] The film will be a sequel to the video game, which will establish the background. The movie is set to be released in 2010.[7]
[edit] 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 4.9/10, 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 Sand, but it's just guilty of being a poor game."[8] Gamepro, however, gave the game a high 4/5, calling the game "a GTA-meets-Burnout romp."[9] Gamespot gave the game a 6/10 saying "Wheelman offers plenty of movie-style thrills, although it's hamstrung by terrible on-foot gameplay.[10]
| Reviewing Site Address/Name | Rating |
|---|---|
| play.tm | 82/100[11] |
| Game Informer | 8.5/10 [12] |
| That Gaming Site | 8.8/10[13] |
| Push Square | 3/4[14] |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Midway and Ubisoft® announce strategic relationship to publish Wheelman™". Midway Games. http://www.midway.com/us/pr/mpr_5593.html. Retrieved on 2009-02-19.
- ^ "Pontiac G8 GT Featured in Wheelman - New Video Game and Movie with Vin Diesel" (in English). g8nation.com. April 17, 2008. http://www.g8nation.com/2008/04/pontiac-g8-gt-featured-in-wheelman-new-video-game-and-movie-with-vin-diesel/=en. Retrieved on 2009-01-27.
- ^ "Midway's Simon Woodroffe on Wheelman" (in English). Play.tm. December 16, 2008. http://play.tm/interview/22648/midway-s-simon-woodroffe-on-wheelman/=en. Retrieved on 2009-01-27.
- ^ a b Winda Benedetti (2006-12-07). "Almost all that has been produced when video games go Hollywood, and movies become games, is a series of bombs.The first trailer told the new game engine with realistic graphics and car and foot missions. The successful blockbuster formula gets... lost in translation". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
- ^ a b "“Wheelman” To Come to Life as Video Game Property and Feature Film; Vin Diesel to Star and Produce". Midway Games. 2006-02-22. http://www.midway.com/rxpage/mpr_3977.html. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
- ^ "Vin, Midway put pedal to metal". Chicago Tribune. 2006-02-28.
- ^ Wailin Wong (2007-12-25). "Midway resets for 2008 or 2009". Chicago Tribune. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-tue_midway_1225dec25,0,6078841.story?coll=chi-navrailbusiness-nav. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
- ^ IGN Wheelman Review http://ps3.ign.com/articles/965/965594p1.html
- ^ Gamepro Wheelman Review http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/209369/wheelman-ps3
- ^ Gamespot Wheelman review http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/driving/wheelman/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review
- ^ play.tm Wheelman review http://play.tm/review/23912/wheelman/
- ^ Wheelman Gane Informer Review http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/CECF4961-9C80-42BF-81C7-C8ECDB96C4CB.htm
- ^ Wheelman That Gaming Site Review http://thatgamingsite.com/article/170/wheelman-review//
- ^ Wheelman Push Square Review http://www.pushsquare.com/1094/vin-diesel-wheelman-on-playstation-3-review/
