Wreckless: Web Wombat: Games

The gist of the plot is simple: it's summer in lovely downtown Hong Kong, but the Yakuza are having a few middle-management issues and the shit has started flying.

Territorial feuds, high-speed chases and daring robberies have become commonplace, and it's up to you, as either the police inspectors or the undercover government operatives, to get to the bottom of the recent Yakuza aggression. Public safety is at an all-time low, and if you can't stop the mafia, then Hong Kong is doomed for all eternity!

The term "demolition-based story game" may sound a little weird, but hey, this game is unique. There are 20 missions all up, split between both scenarios, and while this may sound a bit lacking, believe me when I say it's not.

Most levels start off with a fairly straightforward objective, but more often than not, things don't always go according to plan.

New variables are thrown into the fray, and what was once a simple 'chase' mission, can quickly turn into a fuzzy-wuzzy-free-for-all, with Yakuza thugs in their black gangsta-mobiles popping out at every turn.

The rear end has seen better days

Almost all mission are time-based, and one of the first you have to complete when playing as spies Ho and Chang is to recover laundered Yakuza finances. How would you go about this? Forget walking into the local Yak n' Whack mini-mart and turning on the charm - you simply chase an armoured van and smash into it until it's busted up real good.

This is where the funky physics engine comes in, and it is a wee bit reminiscent of one of GameBlitz' favourite driving games - Crazy Takushi. You can pretty much destroy anything - smashing into stuff is even encouraged!

It not only makes the replays more extreme, there's even a statistics page accessible in the options that tallies up how much real estate and how many vehicles you've wasted.

Perhaps taking another leaf from Crazy Taxi's book, Wreckless encourages players to look for the shortcuts, many of which are home to some rather fancy outcomes.

They usually help you finish the levels with more time intact, but can also be a great tool for getting ahead of the opposition in pursuit-based levels.

But back to the mission again, and once you've smashed up the van, you're given some extra time to escape down the freeway and to the airport. Simple enough, just put the pedal to the metal and dodge the Yakuza cars who are trying to take you out. The timer then reverts to 35 seconds when you get to the airport, no matter how much time you had left, and you have to drive into the cargo bay of a huge airoplane, before it takes off.

During any mission, you have a big green arrow-pointer to help you out. Generally speaking, it will always point to the closest objective or target, though a mini-map is also on offer if you need it.

Coming through, move it or lose it!!

Created by Japanese gaming freaks Bunkasha, Wreckless is a game that's hard to put down. Many of the later levels are excruciatingly tough, but the life-like cities and demolition-style gameplay will keep you coming back for more, time after time.

This was one of the first Xbox titles that really piqued our interest, for the simple fact that it looked so good. Sure, distinctive gameplay was promised, and has been delivered, but back then all we had to go on were the still images.

Everything in the Wreckless world moves at smooth 30 frames per second, though slow-down did come into once or twice. Nothing worth complaining on the Nvidia forums for, but it was there.

The general look of all entities in the Wreckless world is top notch. Try and find a jagged edge or a poly seam - everything looks so smooth and polished, it's as if they don't exist.

The first thing that really draws you in, graphically, to Wreckless is the populated city of Hong Kong. It looks so good, I often dreamt of sautéing it with garlic, served it up with potatoes and T-bone steak for supper. Only thing was, the Doctor said polymers weren't good for my duodenum…

The city feels alive and this is due to the fact that there are people everywhere, walking about, sometimes running, traffic that obeys the road rules, plus parks, highways and even remote dirt tracks. It looks real nice too - Bunkasha has used the impressive 'heat-wave' effect, and the 3D models are seriously complex.

The game makes use of some really cool blurring effects too. Basically, it can blur one area of the game-world, usually the foreground or the background, to create an in-focus effect. It adds a lot of charm and you'll appreciate other little touches the more you play.

The cars look amazing, complete with real-time chrome mapping, reactive independent suspension systems and a damage model that's up there with the best of 'em.

Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang returns - Huzzah!

The lighting system is rather spiffy too, and you'll see sparks flying, barrels exploding and yes, even the good old lens flare. Shadows look nice too. Many of the vehicles look particularly cool when there are panels half-hanging off or exhaust pipes dragging on the bitumen, such is the damage model's sophistication.

The feel of the cars is pretty good, and the control setup is simple and easy to get to grips with.

The cars don't exactly react to input like those from Grand Prix 4, but that's the fun part. If you run hot into a corner and turn too sharply, or abuse the handbrake, sometimes the car's suspension with compress to its limit, and then gravity and inertia take over, rolling or flipping the car at intense speeds.

It's moments like these that you'll appreciate the impressive replay feature - something Crazy Taxi sorely missed.

I thought many of the cars took too long to change into the reverse gear, which was annoying because you'll be doing plenty of cartwheels at 20 feet above the streets and can sometimes get lodged into tight nooks and crannies.

Bunkasha achieved what it set out to do with Wreckless. It created an engrossing and highly adventurous romp through a living-breathing city, with all the hijinks and comedy capers that go along with a fast-paced Hong Kong action movie.

The gameplay is unlike any other game you've played, and the promises made by Activision have been fulfilled, so now you can add another top-shelf title the burgeoning list of Xbox titles.

Activision took a bit of a gamble with Wreckless, as it was Bunkasha's first big title. Yet the gamble paid off, and this title is one seriously thrilling play.

The cheesy music, lame acting and eclectic plot come together perfectly, but had the game been a bit longer, or added multiplayer gaming, it would have been a classic. Still, secret cars, bonus missions and a devilish timer make up for this. But most of all, better than anything else, Wreckless managed to rekindle something long forgotten in us - demolition driving!

Game: Wreckless
System: Xbox
Players: 1-4
Memory Card: No
Developer: Bizarre Creations
Distributor: Activision

Rating: 80%

(Ratings Key/Explantion)

Wreckless is on the shelves now.

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