Wheel World Review – Is This Open World Indie Racer Spinning Its Wheels?

Annapurna Interactive's newest indie drops this week in the form of the bicycle racing game Wheel World, a game all about saving the universe using pedal power! With its speedy cycling, colorful world, and fast-paced races, this could be a great addition to the racing genre. But does Wheel World race into first place, or is it lagging behind the pack? 

Kat, our protagonist, is a young cyclist who happens upon an ancient bike that contains an immortal bike daemon who has long since missed a scheduled ‘Great Shift’ ritual, a necessary action that will send all of the spirits to the moon and save the entire universe. Using each other's skills, they must ride around Wheel World collecting parts of the Legendary bike, which have been distributed amongst the most popular riders in the area, and travel through the Sewer of Spirits. Through a series of races of varying difficulties, you’ll unlock new parts, upgrade your bike, and gain the all-important Rep.

The bulk of the game is very simple: you’ll ride around the world to various points of interest and engage in races with various gangs of cyclists, all with their own unique quirks. Whether that be a bunch of elderly cyclists, a scientist and his horde of cycling robots, or just a bunch of guys who want to go really fast in a circle, there is lots of variety to the races and racers themselves. Though when you are in the actual races, it is hard to really tell them apart, and aside from the actual courses they race on, there isn’t a whole lot of difference in the way they act while racing. 

Riding your bike, both in exploration and in the actual races, is very simple: hold one button to pedal, one to brake, and then slam the boost button when you want to get a bit of speed down the straights. Boost can be accumulated by drafting (riding in people's slipstream for the uninitiated) and bike parts you can pick up. You choose how your bike rides, with certain wheels performing better on rough terrain, bodies that look like hotdogs but have no benefit whatsoever, and chains that are either single gear or three gear, making your bike a bit more hands-on but potentially faster. 

Outside of races, there are a few bits and pieces to do: searching for parts, racing ‘lone riders’ who constantly cycle in loops for you to bother at any time you fancy, buying parts in shops, or completing the reward objectives that are set by the drones found around the world. You’ll also have to travel to the great bell shrines to unlock the map and improve your boost bar. Though I will say, the world can feel somewhat empty, and while the cycle tracks and raceways are interesting and challenging in their own way, it would have been nice for there to be some variety in what else you can do within the world.

The races themselves have a few different ways to gain Rep: finishing within the top 3, winning the race, beating the lead racer's time, and collecting the letters K, A, and T and still winning. It isn’t essential to the main plot of the game to complete every single one of the challenges in all the races (and some of them are very tricky to finish), but the more races you win, the more parts you unlock, and the higher your rep is, granting you access to even harder races.

The issue I have with the races is mainly with the other racers. I found myself often getting stuck against another racer and being pushed into a straight line as the bot forced its way onto their predetermined path. There was also the occasion where I would bounce off or get stuck on seemingly nothing, turning me around or shunting me straight to the back of the pack. In a game that encourages you to ride fast and race well, it can be frustrating to be forced to start again due to something entirely out of your control. 

The varying locations can make for their own unique challenge: the farmland with its rough terrain, the forest with its steep inclines and winding roads, and the cities with their straight roads but heavy traffic. There are plenty of variations in the way you’ll have to race in each area. However, the traffic can be a problem during races, especially when one is stopped by a cyclist (the NPCs stop traffic, you get knocked on your ass), and suddenly you’re trying to cycle through a wall of stopped traffic while it figures itself out. 

The game features an original soundtrack from independent artist Italians Do It Better, and with the selection of backing tracks and upbeat race music you are served throughout your time with the game, it really does pair perfectly with the action and story in Wheel World. Plus, the song that plays during the more important races is an absolute banger and will have you head-bopping your way to victory.

The game's visuals are lovely to behold. Its brightly colored cartoony style, quirky cast of characters, and somewhat goofy-looking main character make the game perfectly capture the joy of cycling around a beautiful landscape on a sunny day. Each area in the first location feels different from the last, and once you’ve got your legendary parts back and travel through the sewer of souls, the new locations are also unique in both their aesthetic and color palette. 

Aside from the random physics glitches during races, the game runs well, with no noticeable frame drops or quality problems, though I did encounter one crash right as the opening titles came up, but it wasn’t a repeatable crash, so it may have just been a teething problem ahead of its release. There are no options in the settings that adjust any of the actual gameplay mechanics, so accessibility may be a problem for gamers who struggle with racing games or need additional settings to make games like this playable. 

There are definitely some frustrating glitches here and there which may irritate those of you who are avid racing game fans, and some of the races may be a bit difficult for newbies, but I am sure that with its quirky look and upbeat music, the game will be a blast of fresh air during any particularly rainy days this summer. I feel Wheel World earns itself a Silver Genie lamp of approval as a colorful, joyful jaunt that you could easily play through the 5-hour run time in one go and have a lovely time.

SILVER - GREAT