So it’s nothing new, but unlike many of the titles from which it draws its inspiration, Wheelman’s emphasis has been placed on sheer, unabashed fun. You’re never more than a few seconds away from an explosion, death-defying leap or vehicular carnage – it’s the perfect video game embodiment of a summer blockbuster, and one that often does a considerably better job than those whose sole purpose is to recreate their Hollywood counterpart.

Crucially, Midway Newcastle know their limits: the team hasn’t striven to pull off the impossible, instead achieving success through moderation. Indeed, Wheelman is technically deficient – character models are crude, enemy and ally AI is weak, and the unoptimised Unreal engine renders everything with a dreary, early 360-era plastic sheen.

Instead, Wheelman is confident where it counts; in its high-speed car chases, in its simple yet satisfying vehicle melee system, and in its sensational special move list that oozes playability. ‘Air Jacking’, for example, though a shameless rip of Just Cause’s vehicle hopping, does away with that title’s complexities, implemented perfectly by simply releasing a face button while in the slipstream of a vehicle. Similarly, the game’s ‘Cyclone’ and ‘Aimed Shot’ abilities (the former comprising of an exaggerated 180 degree slow motion vehicle spin) are executed by a quick tap on the d-pad, allowing you to see off pursuing villains with gaudiness unseen in recent years. It’s ridiculously over the top, but it works.

Unfortunately, Wheelman’s summer blockbuster roots extend beyond the game’s initial premise, with its woeful script and repetition both pouring scorn over an otherwise thoroughly entertaining title. In a post-GTA IV world, Wheelman will undoubtedly be written off by the naysayers who condemn it for its lack of ambition and back to basics approach – and it’s not difficult to see why. But what must be remembered when approaching Wheelman is that, unlike most of its genre brethren, this isn’t a game to be taken seriously; allow yourself to be enamoured by its Hollywoodism and you’ll find a game that offers a thrill comparable to that of Taito’s sublime Chase H.Q..

Quite frankly, we’re as stunned as you are. Just take one look at that box, that exploitable genre, that celebrity-endorsed title; everything about Wheelman screams disaster, except the game itself.

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