Code for this game was kindly provided by Popagenda.
Wheel World (developed by Messhof and published by Annapurna Interactive) stood out to me when it was included in one of the recent Steam Next Fests, and I made sure to download the demo immediately, it catching my eye as a unique and beautiful title. Skip forward a few months, and the game is out, so what is the full release like to play? In a handful of words - fun, quirky, addictive, and very pretty, but I’m sure I can think of a bit more to say that that…
The first thing that struck me upon starting the game was its whimsy. The little world that you inhabit during the game is infused with a strange mythology and world order which revolves around bicycles, a fact that you are reminded of at almost every opportunity by pretty much everyone you speak to in the game - most of whom will try and crowbar in some kind of bike related pun or reference. Cycling isn’t just a means of transport in this world, it’s a way of life, and an integral part of it, as you soon discover. From the start, a larger mystery is hinted at in Wheel World, and as you take control of the protagonist and enter the odd structure that looms darkly amongst the bight flora, you’re introduced to Skully, and immortal bike daemon. He’s had all his legendary parts stolen, left with a rusty old piece of crap, and you, to cycle him about. The main objective? Retrieve his parts, and perhaps save the world.
Beyond the introduction, it’s the vast array of characterful biker gangs that really bring this game to life, and their quirky outfits, strange obsessions, and weird ways make interacting with them a joy. The world itself possesses just as much character too, with the broad range of environments and locations bringing much variety to the game. Aesthetically, and in some ways mechanically, there are clear lines to be drawn between the cell shaded likes of Jet Set Radio, Cell Damage, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, amongst others, and actually, all of these games have a lot in common with Wheel World, from the oddballs who reside within each of the games, to the bright and colourful worlds, and even cursing about on your bike is similarly enjoyable to rollerblading, driving a bonkers car, or sailing around on the King of Red Lions - the latter of which is particularly pertinent, as both the boat and the bike are possessed!
The main bulk of the game will have you cycling, of course, and much of that revolves around the races. These are varied, with tracks consisting of short loops around urban environments, leisurely cruses around vineyards, long distance climbs up hills, or tight weaving paths through junkyards, with more besides. Each track feels as though it was designed not only to be exciting, but to be toughly enjoyable to traverse. Most races contain challenges too, which consist of finishing in the top three, beating a pre-set completion times, or coming first and collecting the letters of your character’s name (K, A, and T). These challenges add a little flavour to each race (other than boss races), and encourage you to perfect the courses, many of which have little shortcuts or jumps that can give you the edge.
How well you do will depend on your skill, of course, but perhaps more importantly, your bike. The upgrade system is very robust, with the option to change out each part of your bike with the wheels, saddle, frame, fork, handlebars, and drivetrain being interchangeable (the latter enabling gear shifting for more speed control when going up or downhill).
Other than as rewards for completing races, new bike parts can be acquired across the map by finding part boxes, which are fun to search of in and of themselves, or they can be purchased from shops and vendors across the map using coupons, which can be accrued by completing certain challenges, such as beating lone wolf cyclists on short tracks, finishing 1st in races a certain number of times, finding jump ramps, or a raft of other ways. The parts list is quite extensive with dozens of sets to collect, some being more serious and function, with others, like the horse set or the hotdog being a little more whimsical. You can mix and match any of these, but some have specialties, as well as differing stats, so a certain build might be better for off-roading, or another might enhance your bunny hop ability. Mixing and matching is down to your personal preference and what performance stats you consider more important. The general stats cover four categories, these being power, aero, handling, and grip, with the perks altering things such as your boost.
As well as your bike stats, boosting is paramount (so boosting perks are particularly useful). Your demonic skull chum will grant you this ability at the start of the game, and your boot bar will be enhanced throughout your playthrough by vising other daemons at Bell Shrines (think towers in Far Cry), giving you a real advantage during races, as wellnas revealing more of the map. Your boost bar can be refilled passively, via perks, by drafting (utilising another cyclist’s slipstream) or by catching air and narrowly avoiding crashes.
Aside from the visuals, it’s worth noting that the sound design is also fantastic - everything from the sound of your boost, your tyres on the road, the music, and the ambient environmental noises… the entire auditory package feels so in tune (har) with the game, and when combined with the aforementioned visuals, the game becomes not only a joyful gaming experience, but a fantastic and evocative virtual space, one which is not just enjoyable to play in, but enjoyable to exist in too. The time between races feels just as much a part of the game as anything else, as the mechanics of cycling have been implemented so well - often travelling between missions in games can be rather monotonous, but not so here. The game includes a fast travel system, but I really don’t think it’s necessary as roaming about is such a joy.
As I mentioned in my post on the demo, this game makes me feel like Tombo from Kiki’s Delivery Service - a grin of my face as I cycled about the idyllic locale that is Wheel World. I played through the whole thing on my Steam Deck, and it felt great - a perfect game to relax on the sofa with. One small thing I wish they’d add is a new game plus mode, or a way to continue after the credits, as there were lots of bike parts I still hadn’t acquired by the end, but if you resume the game after returning to the menu, you can travel back through the various regions and mess about to your hearts content (you just have to repeat the last part of the game again when you’re done).
Have you given this one a go? If not, I heartily recommend it, especially for the deck. During my initial playthrough I got a little confused by the time challenges which had me wondering how the game knew my name, saying that I had to beat Tom’s time during track races… I thought that perhaps the game was using my first attempt at a track as a benchmark in order for me to gain a new personal best - turns out one of the game’s characters is called Tom, so that’s why…
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Jamie B
Love the cell shaded aesthetic and it sounds fun. Added to the ol' wish list.
I tried the demo as well and aside from the bugs i encountered, it was a really entertaining game!
You make it sound even more exciting, im tempted to buy it this weekend. 💖