Chaos on Wheels

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Chaos on Wheels is the latest entry in the racing shooter genre and is one of the better indie games this year. Don’t expect anything spectacular; this game was developed over several years by a small team from Croatia, and what it offers is something we haven’t seen for a long time. We had the opportunity to interview the developers and get a better look at the game, whose main goal is to revive old combat vehicle experiences. 

This brings to mind titles like Twisted Metal and Vigilante 8, on which the concept of Chaos on Wheels is based. The premise of the game is centered around artificial intelligence, where the rogue program Helios has taken control of everything in a bid for world domination. However, his plans will be foiled by a handful of drivers we play as, attempting to create “chaos on wheels.”

Some cars take a very long time to turn or accelerate

It should be noted that Chaos on Wheels was released in an Early Access version. Currently, you can play a ten-chapter campaign, the single-player Chaos Career as a more open-ended way to play, which includes a score leader board, the ability to upgrade your vehicle, buy various items, and change drivers.

There is also a customized play selection with split-screen for two players. The game’s additional charm comes from 25 different vehicles, characters that have their own voice acting, numerous ways to shoot, and weapons ranging from rockets to machine guns, as well as a somewhat strange way of drifting and driving that definitely could have been done better.

Some cars take a very long time to turn or spin around. Drifting is awkward because the car first skids too much to the right or left before you manage to execute a turn, or perhaps, I’m simply not skilled enough at it. The most irritating thing is the vehicle’s starting acceleration; I felt like I was driving a manual and not an automatic, where the car takes a very long time to accelerate and reach the desired speed. In other words, you waste a lot of time just to speed up or start driving in reverse; by then, you could be destroyed fifty times over.

A More Challenging Way to Play

It’s commendable that there is a tutorial to introduce us to the game’s mechanics, and there isn’t too much content to master. However, some parts of the game aren’t best explained, such as what each pickup in the game does. If you were expecting an easier game in terms of difficulty, don’t be fooled, as you are genuinely expected to know how to make the best use of every part of this game.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it will be very off-putting for players new to this genre, especially since you need several waves of bullets to destroy anything, and you are continuously stopped from shooting at your target because there are certain weapon cooldowns after a while. Besides planning to shoot at various turrets, you will be chased and attacked by other Helios-controlled cars the entire time. Judging by the different difficulties offered, it can be concluded that Chaos on Wheels is indeed a more challenging title to play.

The campaign is conceptualized simply: each chapter contains a few missions, and everything comes down to completing the assigned task within the time limit, whether you need to destroy 12 turrets, pick up weapons or ammo packages, or escort a truck convoy to a marked location. I really like the variety of landscapes and atmosphere during the campaign playthrough: you drive through cities, race tracks, deserts, snow, and rain, and all of this affects the car’s machinery and the gameplay experience itself.

Multiple Ways to Shoot and Destroy

To successfully destroy enemies, you will have four ways to shoot at your disposal. The first is using your main machine gun, then you can fire various rockets, there are also smaller machine guns for faster firing, and the ability to launch limited projectiles. You collect special rockets by destroying turrets or simply finding them scattered across the map, and you can distinguish them by their colors. Some deal more damage, some less, and everything depends on how much space for ammunition your car has. Your car will never be the same; it will differ in appearance and also in its firing capacity.

You can also collect other pickups, such as the ability to repair, shoot longer, slow down time, etc. All of this leaves a very good impression and is interconnected, though it might be even better if it were easier to pick up everything on the ground. You must drive directly through an ability to pick it up, which is extremely difficult with the less-than-practical turning and driving, and because everything around you is happening very fast.

You also have a driver ability that you can use, with each of the 10 drivers (you meet them during the campaign) possessing different skills. For example, there is a driver who has nitro, another features a shield around the car that defends you from incoming projectiles, and in addition, there are pickups that also refresh the driver’s abilities.

Chaos Career

You start with just one car, basic armor, and low-level weapons. As you advance and collect more money and experience, you level up and unlock more equipment like new armor, weapons, ammo, and especially cars. Once you build your dream car, you can prepare for battle, whether you want to play a Deathmatch or roam freely through the various levels.

In Chaos Career, you can’t progress very quickly. Initially, you’ll be destroyed at least a hundred times before you reach a level where you can stand up to the enemies. This is actually a very good thing, as you gradually get acquainted with the game, the items and weapons available in the garage, and the maps in the game.

There’s a great selection of upgrades, and everything affects how your car performs. If you have less weight, you’ll be faster; if you have more space for rockets, it will be easier to destroy enemies, and so on. What’s important to point out is that Chaos Career will receive more content, such as Team Deathmatch, so you’ll have the opportunity to play more game modes when the game officially leaves Early Access.

Final Thoughts

I would dare to say that Chaos on Wheels demonstrates just how good our gaming scene is. It’s important to simply put in the effort and create something interesting, and this very title is proof of what dedication can achieve. Although Chaos on Wheels has its flaws, which can be fixed and resolved, and I have no doubt that they will be, it has potential and promises future updates and content. However, I would recommend this title to players looking for a challenging racing shooter game, and it’s necessary to consider that it is currently not suitable for those who are new to this genre.

Review copy provided by the publisher.