Wheel in the Face

Category: Action, Arcade Plays: 38 Rating:

(0.0 / 0)

How to Play

Game Overview

Wheel in the Face is a vehicular combat game where you strap a weapon onto a car and try to smash other cars into bits. The arenas are these boxy, neon-lit death traps with saw blades spinning out of walls and spike strips on the floor. Visual style is kind of like if someone took a 90s arcade racer and poured radioactive slime all over it -- everything glows, explosions are big and chunky, and the cars look like they were welded together from scrap metal and anger. You don't drive like a normal car; you dash around in eight directions, which feels janky at first but clicks after a few rounds. The flamethrower is stupidly satisfying because you can cook enemies while they're pinned against a wall. Shotgun feels punchy but slow, spinning blade is for people who like to get close and gamble. Playing against a friend on the same screen is where this game shines -- it's chaotic and unfair in the best way, with both of you screaming as you dodge saws and try to land one last hit. The AI in single-player is decent but gets predictable after a while. The campaign has boss fights that are basically giant versions of your car with more health and a better weapon, which is fine but not groundbreaking. Who would get hooked? Anyone who misses the couch multiplayer mayhem of games like Twisted Metal or Micro Machines, or people who just want to turn their brain off for twenty minutes and cause destruction.

About Wheel in the Face

So Wheel in the Face is exactly what it sounds like -- you drive a car with a weapon bolted to it, and your goal is to wreck everything that moves. The core loop is simple: pick a match, get tossed into an arena, and start blasting. Matches usually last a couple minutes, and the pace is frantic from the get-go. There's no time to breathe because enemy cars respawn fast and the arena hazards keep things spicy.

You control your car with A/D to steer and W/S to dash, which is a short burst of speed in any direction. That dash is your main survival tool because projectiles and saw blades fly everywhere. The G key fires whatever weapon you've equipped. Early on you'll have a basic shotgun or a flamethrower, but later you unlock stuff like a homing missile launcher or a spinning blade that sticks to your car and shreds anyone who gets close. The satisfying moment comes when you pin an enemy against a spike trap with a well-timed ram, or when you chain dashes to avoid a volley of rockets and retaliate with a point-blank shotgun blast.

Difficulty ramps up across three modes. The campaign throws you into themed arenas like Scrapyard Meltdown or Ice Rink Massacre -- each has unique hazards. In Scrapyard Meltdown, crusher pistons slam down randomly, and you'll die fast if you don't keep moving. Boss battles are where the game gets mean. One boss is a giant drill tank that burrows and pops up under you, another is a hovering turret that spams seeking missiles. You need to learn attack patterns and use the environment to survive.

Upgrade system is straightforward: earn cash from kills and victories, then spend it on armor, wheels, and weapons. Armor reduces damage but slows you down, so you have to balance tankiness with speed. Wheels affect traction -- off-road tires grip better on dirt, slick tires let you slide around corners for tight turns. Later upgrades let you add a secondary weapon or a shield generator, which changes your approach entirely.

Local multiplayer is chaotic fun with a buddy on the same keyboard -- Player 2 uses J/L, I/K, and H. It's a mess of overlapping dashes and accidental team kills. AI on hard mode will dodge your attacks and flank you, which is genuinely challenging. The campaign has 15 levels, and each boss introduces a new mechanic that changes how you play -- like the electric floor that damages you if you stop moving, or the gravity well that pulls cars toward the center.

The game doesn't hold your hand. You'll die a lot, but respawns are instant, so you're back in the action within seconds. That's the appeal -- it's pure, dumb, violent fun with no downtime.

Tips & Tricks

The dash isn't just for dodging -- it's your best tool for setting up kills. Instead of panic-dashing away from a saw blade, dash *toward* an enemy to close distance while the blade clips them. That click moment changed how I played entirely.

Weapon choice matters way more than you think against specific AI bosses. The flamethrower shreds through the slow, armored tank boss because its fire ignores some damage reduction. But against the fast spinner boss? Switch to the shotgun -- the spread catches its erratic movement.

Upgrade your wheels before armor. I wasted early cash on thick armor and still got wrecked because I couldn't turn fast enough. Better wheels let you outmaneuver traps and line up cleaner attacks.

In split-screen, watch your opponent's fuel gauge. If they just dashed twice, they're vulnerable for a second. That's your window to rush in with a blade spin. Timing this won me matches I'd otherwise lose.

The campaign's boss fights have patterns -- don't treat them like regular enemies. The first boss telegraphs a charge by revving its engine for a full second. Sidestep that, and it's stuck against a wall for a free flamethrower punish.

Mobile players: the attack button is tiny on some phones. I kept missing it in panic. Go into settings and resize it -- makes a huge difference.

One trick that took me too long: the spike traps on the arena floor can be triggered by enemies. Ram someone into a trap zone, and they take the damage instead of you. Free kills, no ammo spent.