Taking to the road with Wheelman

Midway is going to take you for the ride of your life, with Hollywood actor Vin Diesel at the wheel. Take a look at one of the latest film and videogame collaborations to hit the streets, Wheelman.

Wheelman takes you to Hollywood, although not in a literal sense. The game actually places you in Barcelona, sitting in the shoes of an undercover driver for hire who is trying to infiltrate the criminal underworld. Accompanying its picturesque Spanish setting is a high vaulting, big screen philosophy that mimics an action movie blockbuster, complete with a silver screen star headlining the show. Wheelman is Hollywood through and through, driven by household name actor Vin Diesel, in more ways than one.

Wheel of fate

The origins of Wheelman come from Diesel's videogame production company, Tigon Studios, which collaborated with Midway Newcastle to create a title which would spark plans for a feature film to compliment each other. The result was a driving game that uses the sort of stylish action movie moves and set pieces seen in films such as The Transporter and Vanishing Point, while also using an open world that allows players to get out of the car and engage in on-foot battles as well.

"Wheelman is your big Hollywood car chase action movie as a videogame," explains Cumron Ashtiani, Art Director for Midway. "So if you think of all the great films you've seen like the Bourne trilogy and Bullitt - all those cinematic moments where they're shooting out of the cars and ramming each other on the roads, all of that is encompassed in Wheelman."

You play as Diesel's character, expert wheelman Milo Burik, who is gathering intelligence surrounding a covert heist and caught in a crossfire of corruption and chaos while trying to stay one step ahead of local law enforcement officers and rival gangs. Which means lots of spectacular car chases and stunts around the bustling city of Barcelona.

Diesel power

Diesel's personal involvement with the game has been extensive, offering his likeness to Burik's character model, helping with script and story tweaks and voiceover work. "He has a love for videogames and wants to continue having a hand in them, so this really appealed to him," says Ashtiani.

"From the very start, particularly in the writing of the script, he had input - Vin's main character really came from himself, coming up with the premise of who Milo is, who the different characters are in the game, and so on. He was in the voiceover studio quite often past 2am doing sessions to make sure he got everything correct and giving us different versions just in case it didn't come out quite right. He's been very attentive."

Creative Director Simon Woodroffe is also keen to express Diesel's videogame passion, having spent many hours playing games with him in during Wheelman's development. "He's a really passionate gamer. He knows his stuff and has been a really avid contributor to the process from start to finish, and his skills and experience in cinematic direction, writing the story and other factors have been invaluable."

I'm gonna take you for a ride

Wheelman's combination of driving, on-foot gameplay and desire to be as big and flashy as its Hollywood inspiration means you can perform a number of special moves from your car. The Cyclone manoeuvre lets you spin the vehicle 360 degrees while precision firing at your enemies in slow motion, while an Air Jack allows you to leap from moving car to moving car and take control of a brand new ride.

This is added to the ability to ramming other vehicles into destructible objects, shooting through the windshield, drifting through streets and tight alleys, handbrake turns and more. There are even combo and finishing moves to take advantage of, making sure your time spent in the car is just as thrilling as the time spent out of it.

With around 30 main missions and 105 side missions, Wheelman is built to last a fair bit longer than your average driving action movie. Midway expects it to deliver an asphalt churning white knuckle ride, with you in the driver's seat. "I'm proud of the experience we're giving to the player," says Ashtiani. "It's the ultimate Hollywood car chase."