I dedicated a week to the quest of saving the universe. Leading a quirky team of seasoned veterans, I launched an assault on an intergalactic tyrant’s base, while also tackling a series of well-crafted tasks aimed at enhancing my warrior magician to vanquish the ancient, malevolent god of hope.
I accomplished this through a straightforward bike race. Sounds absurd? Welcome to Wheel World.
When your joy comes from saving the world by leaping on mushrooms or watching a chatty sneaker-wearing hedgehog, critiquing the absurd plot of video games becomes a mere reflection of the game’s essence. After all, he even led Arbroath FC to the final match of the Championship Manager’s European Cup. Yet, the narrative of Wheel World feels awkwardly jumbled. I suspect 10% of the code could simply be Blu-Tack.
Your bike is accompanied by a spirit resembling a skull, aptly named Skully. That’s just how this game rolls. You must defeat the cyclist who possesses them to recover seven missing pieces of his legendary bike. This allows Skully to access Soul Sewer, ascend Mount Send, conduct a grand ritual, and venture to the moon to save the cosmos. Just entering this plot makes my fingers tingle with its clumsiness; it’s like a lo-fi hipster rap trap. It didn’t have to turn out this way.
The original storyline, initially dubbed ghost bike, featured a roadside memorial commemorating a fallen cyclist. It sounds far more compelling, but was abandoned for a lighter narrative. Now, Mark Essen, the head of Messhof Studio states, “There’s some silly lore out there, the creation myth, and people pray, but it’s take it or leave it.”
What would I think if the game developers didn’t care about the story?
But who even cares? This is a racing game: does it require a plot? It’s all about thrilling excitement and keeping the audience on edge.
Yet, this isn’t the case.
It’s not a dreadful game by any means. While it could easily be likened to Tony Hawk, placed on two wheels with a Jet Set Radio aesthetic, it’s decent and “free” with an Xbox Game Pass. It passed the “sitting and thinking when I’m not playing it” test. However, each time I returned, my enthusiasm was palpably low, not high. There are no weapons or outrageous power-ups, no multiplayer mode, and you can’t force other cyclists off their bikes (it doesn’t involve crashing like in a car). I finished the game, briefly captivated, but it was just gripping enough. It utilized 14 bicycle parts—out of over 170 games available.
It doesn’t provide enough escapism for me since much of what you can do in this game can be duplicated in real life. Right now, I’m cycling and racing another cyclist, ringing my bell, saying, “Hey, lonely wolves, I challenge you to a race,” just like in Wheel World. In reality, things could be even more exhilarating; other cyclists might retaliate if they feel provoked.
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I’m yearning for a game that lets me experience things outside the realm of reality.
I never owned a bike but reveled in Road Rash on the Mega Drive. I can play soccer, yet I can’t replicate the players and tricks seen in FIFA. Apologies for my lack of ambition, but I’ll probably never be a spaceship captain—I cherished games from Elite to Mass Effect.
Of course, not all games revolve around smart bombs and dragons. I grasp the allure of farm, train, and bus simulators. They provide engagement and interactivity. While many people may aspire to be rail operators in real life, spending two hours a day doing so might seem fair play. Just as long as you don’t mind wearing a special hat.
I can’t shake the feeling that we’re overdue for a fantastic bike game. Pedal mechanics can feel inadequate and unrealistic on consoles, but spinning the thumbstick to boost speed, as seen in track and field games, can be quite frustrating (and painful).
What I crave is a Cycle Courier version of Crazy Taxi, or a game that captures the joy of riding a bike as a child. Until then, I’ll have to settle for reminiscing about Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX on PlayStation.
Source: www.theguardian.com
