Wheelman

Think, if you will, of all the greatest action and chase sequences from the movies.  Chances are that they'll have taken place in a popular, well-known American city, such as New York or San Francisco. For some reason, European locations seem to be criminally overlooked [Ahem, The Italian Job - Ed], so it's refreshing to see Wheelman, Vin Diesel's latest action vehicle, being set in Barcelona. But, just because the location is new, doesn't mean that everything else in this game is.

The bright, vibrant continental setting makes a nice change to the usual drab American setting. It's good fun zooming around the city in the decent selection of cars on offer, made all the easier by the accessible and arcadey driving model. It's a joy hurtling past landmarks such as the Casa Batlló and the Sagrada Família, weaving in and out of traffic as you do so. The central gameplay features also help to mix things up: Vehicle Mêlée transforms ordinary chases into brutal vehicular battles, Aimed and Cyclone shots bring a welcome change of pace to proceedings, giving you a few precious seconds to take out any troublesome opponents quickly and efficiently, and Air Jacking (where you commandeer another vehicle without stopping the one you're currently in), whilst making absolutely no sense, is consistently hilarious,  and sideswipes the frustration found when hijacking in other games.

Car number plates are also amusing, referencing titles Midway have created in the past, including MKV 5DCU, J0U5T, and SP1 HNTR, and the continental location means an international cast, which is a double-edged sword: being ordered to complete missions by a gruff Romanian mafia boss is all well and good, but being told by a Glaswegian boy-racer "no tae scratch his wheels" has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Fans of GTA IV and Burnout will be glad to learn that Wheelman copies some of these titles features exactly: Shooting (left trigger to aim, right trigger to shoot, right stick to fine aim and change target) is taken from GTA,  except for the cover system, which has been replaced with whack-a-mole mechanics, with Vin popping in and out of cover, whilst the crash cam from Burnout has been copied exactly when you smash another car off the road, explosions and everything; although the onscreen action can be a bit slower than it should be in these situations, but it's rare, and not a game-breaking disaster.

Taking the most fun elements of games series such as Grand Theft Auto, Burnout and Need For Speed and mashing them altogether does not necessarily mean you'll create an excellent title, and Wheelman is proof of that. What you do get is a fast, furious and fun, iadventure with an intriguing enough storyline, even if it does feel a little lifeless at times. Diesel's physical presence is more than just a marketing ploy to shift units: his appearance makes you feel like you're playing the greatest action film never made, with the numerous side missions (also borrowed from GTA) meaning you'll have more than enough to keep you busy long after the credits have finished rolling.

Grand Theft Auto is still the daddy of the open world game, and Burnout the king, but Wheelman comfortably finds its niche somewhere between the two.

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