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Gelid Games and Reverb Publishing have teamed up to bring PlayStation Network a car combat masterpiece, Wheels of Destruction (WoD). For $9.99 ($7.99 for PS+ members), players will be invited into the altered world of vehicles created by Gelid Games. There isn’t much of a story to WoD, because it’s straight vehicular arena combat. It may be too early in the review, but I want to let the cat out of the bag: this game is one of the most fun arcade titles I’ve played, filled with style, guns, maps, and car classes.
WoD features five car classes, each with unique features: Engineer, Assassin, Heavy, Scout, and the Soldier. The Engineer can be a pain to go up against. They have the highest jump, which is extremely useful when dodging cars, rockets or flamethrowers. They are equipped with an advanced radar and can lock on much sooner than the other classes. Engineers also have the most powerful speed boost. The Assassin is deadly serious when it comes to tearing up enemies. They’re also sneaky and they have the ability to fire two shots to every enemy’s one and have an extremely fast firing rate. They are much like snipers in the sense that they can take out an enemy before they even know what’s happening.
The Heavy is the tank and a beast when it comes to dealing damage. It’s slower, but it takes a hell of a lot more damage than the other classes. The Scout is the fastest driver, but doesn’t do much in the way of destruction; its best use is on capture the flag. The Soldier is the most balanced class, which makes it a good starter class when learning the game.
There are 5 maps to choose from; Paris, Seattle, London, Rome, and Tokyo. Each map has an aura loosely based on the cities themselves – if they were ransacked by an act of nature. Paris features the Eiffel Tour in the background and the course is covered by a jungle. Seattle’s track is iced over. The city of London is sunken and surrounded by swamps; its track is multilevel and under the jumps are acid pits of death.
Rome is in further ruins, covered by thick clouds and volcanic ash. Lastly, Tokyo has been swallowed by water. In the distance you can only see tips of buildings sticking out. The tracks were tailored toward each level and done so differently I never felt like I was running through the same track over and over. Even playing a map back to back didn’t tire easily.
There are three modes: deathmatch, team deathmatch and capture the flag. All of these modes support 2, 4, 6 or 12 players. The maps are made to support 12 players and don’t adjust in size for smaller groups. When playing smaller matches a player could find it easy to stalemate or run out of time with very few kills.
Throughout the maps are holographic weapon drops. Each car is equipped with a gatling gun and a shotgun, but to add to a vehicle’s arsenal players only need to drive over a drop; they can then switch weapons. I found the rockets to be the most useful, as they had the best range. For close range I enjoyed the flamethrower and shotgun, especially while using the Heavy.
All of the game modes can be played offline with the help of AI. Offline can help a player gain knowledge of the game, but the AI is almost too smart. My vehicle was wrecked a lot. If I was unable to assist in any captures during capture the flag, time would run out and the match would be a stalemate. The AI is a useful – if ruthless – trainer, and players who practice with it could showcase a certain robotic fluidity and excellence once they step online. Plus, offline mode will give players the chance to get used to the controls.
WoD’s controls are setup to utilize most of the player’s fingers and the controller’s buttons. To accelerate, use R2; to shoot, use R1. Being a car combat game, players must be able to do them simultaneously, which can be awkward. I ended up shifting my hands a little, nothing unusual or bothersome, and it didn’t ruin my day. The camera, on the other hand, took some time to get used to. In the beginning, I found myself slowing the vehicle down in order to make turns; if I was caught in a corner it looked like I was reenacting a scene from “Austin Powers.”
With the variety of ways that WoDcan be played, players can easily put hours into this PlayStation exclusive. Some YouTubers commented that it was like Twisted Metal and Sonic Kart Racing meets Team Fortress 2 minus the hats, and I’d have to agree. It offers the same type of fun of any of those games mashed into one.
