Riding a bike is both a great and terrible way to get around. The thrill of tearing down streets and trails with the wind whipping around you just about makes up for sweating through all your clothes as bugs dive-bomb your face. There aren’t many games that try to capture the feeling of biking, at least compared to how many emulate driving, but a new release makes an admirable attempt without quite hitting the highs and lows of the real thing.
Wheel World makes a great first impression. Just watch the trailer, with its wonderful cel-shaded art and hype-building soundtrack, and try not to get excited. Those remain some of the best elements of Wheel World, giving it a sense of life and character that more realistic bike racing games tend to lack. Its art in particular, which builds the world with large blocks of flat color, makes the world gorgeous and keeps everything ahead of you distinct as you race at top speed.
