Wheel World Review: A Wheelie Good Time (PS5)

For most of Wheel World’s runtime, I had a smile upon my face. It’s not perfect; the challenge of racing within the last world is frustrating. Completing side gigs will require a guide to find the ones you miss. However, for the people just looking for a comfy, enjoyable time with a competitive edge, this is great fun. And we’re going to explore why.

Wheel World was created by Messhof, well-known for the 2D hit Nidhogg. It was published by Annapurna Interactive and was released in July 2025 for PlayStation 5, X-box Series S/X, Windows and Epic Games Store..

For those interested in all things chill, Abi Westy looked at Spray Paint Simulator recently; here’s what she thought of it.

Story: Save The Legendary Bike, Save The World

A young girl called Kat awakes into a foreign world – and is immediately involved in a precarious predicament. Lying beside her is a possessed bike. Possessed by none other than Skully, an immortal bike demon. With the help of a Legendary Rider, he can perform The Great Shift. Leading spirits to the moon and back, completing the chain of life.

There’s a small problem though: the parts for his bike have been STOLEN! Skully needs Kat’s help to remake his Legendary Bike, travel to Mt. Send through the Sewer of Spirits and perform The Great Shift, redressing the world’s balance.

To do so, we’re going to need to travel the world to find Skully’s parts. Which are conveniently now in the hands of cyclists calling the shots throughout the world. To challenge them, we’re going to need reputation. And to get reputation, we’re going to have to race all the gangs controlling each area.

Wheel World‘s story isn’t going to win any awards, but it does just fine with the material it has. The writing for the most part is witty, it can be a little cringey, but it’s not a serious tone. There is a good twist about the use of technology. Considering I chose to complete the game before story, it felt a little longer than necessary, but it’s fun and lighthearted. You could complete it 5-10 hours.

Kat soon meets the immortal bike demon, Scully. He needs help repairing his bike.

Gameplay: Addictive Experience

Wheel World, if the player chooses, could be a nice, cosy and quickly finished game. Once Kat is up and running, you’re introduced to the land of Tramonto. Your task is simple: Connect with Bell Towers to unveil the area, then compete and win in races to earn Reputation. Earning enough Rep grants you the chance to tackle the big boss of an area to reclaim parts of Skully’s magical bicycle. Then he’ll be able to perform The Great Shift.

The racing itself is really enjoyable, almost all the time. Kat’s bike uses the shoulder buttons for acceleration/deceleration, and they’ve worked in the ergonomics it would take to “get going”, which I really liked for immersion. You will compete in a variety of races, from a certain number of laps to “point to point” races.

The speed of racing felt great and once you’ve upgraded your bike, the control of your bike was something you got used to. One of the most important aspects of racing was the “slipstream”. Getting here means increasing your boost gauge, allowing you to go faster and could be the difference between winning and losing.

Later races nearing the end of the game were frustrating due to Messhof deciding to put debris or obstacles on the track. Enemy AI was spot on. It was frustrating at the beginning of races, usually due to it being on a pre-determined path. Overall, I really enjoyed them. Completing a race unlocked it for you to complete certain tasks; collecting letters and winning, while also completing it within a certain time. When everything clicks, Wheel World is a lot of fun.

Racing was enjoyable, especially getting the bike’s stats correct

The Land of Tramonto

Wheel World is a small open world. As well as competing in races around the world, you come across a company called Cyclorps. Cyclorps have a system implemented where you can complete challenges around the world, you gain coupons. Gaining coupons is essentially currency for you to use at shops for new bike parts. I enjoyed this system in the main. Getting around was helped with the “Portal Potty”, aka fast travel system.

So Wheel World has a collectible/side gig economy to explore. I enjoyed most of these; it encouraged you to explore and scour the map. However, I will say that there isn’t a system in place for tracking where everything you’ve encountered was. So, when finding a Hidden Jump or finding someone lost, it’s not marked on the map for you to remember completing. I did enjoy most of this but needed guidance for some of it.

The world itself was just relaxing to explore and take in. The land was also ergonomic, with hills, ramps, slopes to engage with. All the areas felt different as well, from farmland to cities.

Finding a Bell Shrine will unlock information within a certain area.

Kat’s Bike

Quickly on the bike itself. Completing races and the side gigs gains you coupons. Coupons can be spent on the shops for parts. Parts can also be found throughout the world in boxes. I personally found it to be a bit much.

You bike is made up of seven parts, with stats ranging from Power, Aero, Handling and Grip. The world is small and addictive, so I don’t mind scouring and collecting parts, but there are so many that I found it time consuming to find the right balance. There is a little strategy involved for certain races; not enough grip and your bike will skid all over the place. I would have preferred less to appreciate the changes. The designs were good fun – anyone fancy riding around as a hotdog?

Wheel World has lots of parts to collect and plenty of them are fun to use.

Graphics: Beautifully Stylised

Wheel World looks great. Using the Unity engine, it looks like a cartoon strip. It’s bright, colourful and detailed. A lot of good shading. The areas all felt unique as well. The Farmlands has big bales of hay and scarecrows to find. Velo City is all roads, houses, concrete. The Cyclorp City created in the Underworld looks industrial and messy, rubbish everywhere. Great use of colour. And the frame rate always looks fine. There is the odd instance of animation stutter, like Kat’s hoodie, but it’s not a big deal.

Wheel World had plenty of great looking locations

Sound & Music: Upbeat Experience

Wheel World, with it’s soundtrack from Italians Do It Better, is a belter. With it’s blend of techno-pop, it’s all extremely catchy, while also suiting the chill vibes of the game. It’s bound to be Spotify and I would recommend a listen.

Wheel World’s sound design also impressed. Getting around in Kat’s bike sounded right, the crunch of the gravel from tires, to bursting through different terrain, it all sounded great.

Wheel World was played and reviewed on PlayStation 5.