Wheels of Aurelia

Wheels of Aurelia is a 2016 visual novel and adventure video game that was developed and published by Santa Ragione. It was released worldwide on 20 September 2016 for Linux, Microsoft Windows and OS X, and later released on 4 October 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and a mobile version on 19 October 2017 for iOS. The game was also released on 2 November 2017 for the Nintendo Switch. Its story is set in 1978 Italy and tells the story of Lella who drives along the Italian motorway Via Aurelia alongside one or many companions; commenting on issues such as single parenthood, fascism and the Mafia.

Wheels of Aurelia
Game art from PC release
Developer(s)Santa Ragione
Publisher(s)Santa Ragione
Artist(s)Luca Francesco Rossi Flaminia Grimaldi
Writer(s)Matteo Pozzi, Claudia Molinari
Composer(s)Michael Manning, Nicolò Sala
EngineUnity
Platform(s)
Release
Genre(s)Adventure, visual novel
Mode(s)Single-player

From a bird's-eye view, the player controls Lella's vehicle and dialogue choices; the game's narrative has a branching dialogue system. On her way across Via Aurelia, she meets hitchhikers who can alter the story's outcomes. While the game is fairly short, it offers 16 different endings. The game was inspired by the 1986 arcade game Out Run and the cult film Il Sorpasso. Wheels of Aurelia received mixed reviews from critics; while its atmosphere and aesthetics were praised, reviewers thought the gameplay was fitted into the narrative poorly.

Gameplay and synopsis
A conversation between characters Lella and Olga, who are discussing departure for France.

Wheels of Aurelia follows a female couple in a 1978 road trip across Italy. The player controls the sports car that the couple drive from a bird's-eye view.[6] As the journey progresses, the player-character meets hitchhikers and through interactions with them, can alter the one of the 16 different game endings.[6][7] From start to finish, game playthroughs last around 15 minutes.[6][8]

The game is set in an Italian sports car, and drive the motorway Via Aurelia.[9] Information discussed in dialogue effects further dialogue options with further information on topics being added into the games menu. New cars and vehicles can be unlocked through different endings and circumstances can be changed through dialogue options. The game features multiple endings and a branching story, with the every conversation featuring three dialogue options.[10][lower-alpha 1]

The player controls Lella, a feminist woman driving a sports car[lower-alpha 2] who stops in a nightclub to "find someone to take her away", looking for a date to help her leave the country.[12] She finds Olga, who later accompanies her for the journey to France, leaving behind the highly political and dangerous Italy.[13] Whilst Lella and Olga's reasons for leaving Italy are initially unknown.[8] they want to leave for different reasons; Lella is attempting to re-convene with her former kidnapper and Olga is attempting to get to France to have an abortion. The players' actions and their interactions with non-player characters in the form of hitchhikers, one of many different endings may be incurred.[6][9]

When the characters reach new locations, a cutscene with the characters placed over a postcard of the area will play. The player can visit Rome, Civitavecchia, Bracciano, Piombino, Siena and Viareggio during the trip, but may visit a limited range of locations per playthrough. The player may change Lella's travel companions, dump hitchikers, and change the vehicle Lella is driving at these locations, purely on the players' choice of dialogue. The game features topics including single parenthood, fascism and the Mafia.[14] Experiences of the game can range from a car race against a stranger to robbing a bank.[14]

Development

The game was designed and coded by Santa Ragione's Pietro Righi Riva and Nicolò Tedeschi, with help from Double Fine Productions' Anna Kipnis.[15] Kipnis was responsible for the game's dialogue design, a role she worked on with Double Fine Productions.[15] According to the game's creators, Wheels of Aurelia was developed with a "unique" system in place, with each line of dialogue tied treated as a separate topic, setting certain interactions to affect later events.[15][16] Wheels of Aurelia was first released as a beta included in a release on Humble Bundle called "Humble Weekly Bundle: Fantastic Arcade".[17] This version of the game would be referred to as the "Fantastic Arcade Beta Edition".[18]

The game was inspired by the 1986 arcade game Out Run and 1962 film Il Sorpasso,[19] featuring Commedia all'italiana which the developers attempted to attach to the release.[19] During an interview with designer, producer, and programmer Pietro Riva, noted that Wheels "is the natural evolution" of the "driving game" mentality set out in the Out Run series.[19] Riva also noted that Il Sorpasso was the "movie that single-handedly inspired [Wheels of Aurelia] — the main reference"[19] Riva also mentions that other driving games were inspiration for the game including 1993's World Rally Championship, and 1994's Great 1000 Mile Rally as inspiration for the visual aspect of the game.[20] Riva had spent some time discussing with co-developer Nicolò Sala regarding making a game set in Italy before working on the project.[20] Along with this, Riva wanted to research how the country was in the generation before his, "because it always felt like we were living – as kids – in the aftermath of something important."[20]

Wheels's artwork came from a variety of artists. The environment Italian artist Flaminia Grimaldi, who contributed over 200 assets for the game's Italien landscape, whereas the game's characters were created by New Yorker Patrick Leger; who worked closely with the game's writers to create the characters. Italian game designer couple "We Are Müesli" helped to create Wheels's dialogue; and provided the voice artist recordings for all of the game's characters.[20][21] Graphic design for the game came from freelancer Luca Francesco Rossi.[22]

The game was created using the Unity game engine, with pre-production starting in January 2014.[20] The production was delayed until June 2015 for Santa Ragione to work on FOTONICA, an action first person runner, whilst still working on the imagery, movies, and music for Wheels.[20] Shortly after, Wheels was placed on Steam Greenlight. The game was eventually greenlit and was released for Linux, Microsoft Windows and OS X on 20 September 2016. The PlayStation 4 version was released on 4 October 2016, and the Xbox One version was released on 18 November 2016. The first mobile version of the game was released for iOS on 19 October 2016, and after the release of the Nintendo Switch, the game was released exclusively via the Nintendo eShop the following year on 2 November 2017.[23][24]

Reception

According to the review aggregator website Metacritic, the Windows version of Wheels of Aurelia received "mixed or average reviews",[1] while the Switch version received "generally unfavorable reviews".[5] Italy's Eurogamer's Manuel Stanislao reviewed the PlayStation version, calling the game's soundtrack "captivating", and that the game was an "interesting product" but stated the game was only suitable for a "niche audience".[25] Rosa Piermarco writing for IGN Italy reviewed the PlayStation version, calling it "a truly unique game that deserves to be played".[27]

Critics praised the game's presentation and graphical interface. Gita Jackson for Kotaku was very positive about the game's graphics,[29] saying, "Playing this game is like playing an Italian neorealist film." They praised the game's graphical representation of this type of film, despite it being a modern game "it still captures the naturalness and honesty of the films of that genre."[29] Jackson also praised the game's atmosphere, "Wheels of Aurelia captures a moment in time when conventions of Italian life were being challenged, and it’s worth getting a little insight into these struggles."[29] Piermarco of IGN Italy also commented on the games' graphical representation, citing "mention of merit to the nice low poly graphics and two-dimensional portraits of the characters inspired by the seventies comics, such as those of Lanciostory and Skorpio"[27] Suriel Vazquez for review magazine Game Informer were also positive about the game, being particularly positive about the game's immersion, with the game being at its "best when it’s immersing you in the culture it came from".[26]

However, some reviews questioned the game's substance. Edge said it is a "shame the journey itself can't match the poignancy of the final destination".[10] When reviewing the Nintendo Switch release, Switch Player's Liam Langan called it "too short to be engaging" and a "disappointing attempt at bringing the Visual Novel genre to the Switch".[6] Langan also commented on the game's value for money, saying "Maybe if the game was longer I might’ve had more time to warm into the story and I may have been able to enjoy Wheels of Aurelia a little more."[6] Liam Doolan's piece for Nintendo Life also found the game lacking,[30] saying, "As a visual novel, Wheels of Aurelia is a lacklustre experience. As a driving game, it’s even worse."[30] Vazquez cited the games' "aesthetically flawless" graphics and the "accurate historical reconstruction"; however, it was less appreciative of the games' driving mechanics and lack of real interaction with the story.[26]

Notes
  1. The player has the option at all times to stay silent, similar to games such as The Walking Dead[11]
  2. The choice of car can be altered on any playthrough of the game. These range from European cars, sports cars to a police cruiser. A faster car allows for the game to be sped up.[12]

References
  1. "Wheels of Aurelia for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  2. "Wheels of Aurelia for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  3. "Wheels of Aurelia for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  4. "WWheels of Aurelia for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 14 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  5. "Wheels of Aurelia for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  6. Langan, Liam. "Wheels of Aurelia Review". Switch Player. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  7. Smith, Adam (23 September 2016). "Wot I Think: Wheels of Aurelia Review". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  8. Smith, Graham (28 October 2015). "Wheels Of Aurelia Is A Narrative Driving Game". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  9. Gibson, David (16 December 2015). "BBC - Autos - Driving Game Meets Interactive Fiction". British Broadcasting Corporation. BBC. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  10. "Wheels of Aurelia Review - Edge". Edge. Vol. December 2016. p. 123.
  11. Hernandez, Patricia (1 October 2013). "If You Didn't Make This Choice In The Walking Dead, Clementine Would Make It For You". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  12. "Review: Wheels of Aurelia". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  13. "Extreme Paparazzi: Glamour & Violence in 1970s Italy". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  14. Wright, Steven. "'Wheels of Aurelia' Takes History for a Road Trip". Inverse. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  15. Wright, Steven T (28 October 2016). "'Wheels of Aurelia' Takes History for a Road Trip". Inverse.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  16. Wawro, Alex (3 December 2015). "Interactive fiction meets arcade racer: Designing Wheels of Aurelia". gamasutra.com. Archived from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  17. Alexander, Leigh (30 September 2015). "Wheels of Aurelia, a girls' road trip, may be my favorite game of 2015 so far". Boing Boing. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  18. "Pay what you want for these great indie games and play all weekend". Boing Boing. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  19. "'Wheels of Aurelia' Is a 1970s Road Trip About Talking". Inverse. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  20. Wawro, Alex (3 December 2015). "Interactive fiction meets arcade racer: Designing Wheels of Aurelia". gamasutra.com. Archived from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  21. "About". We Are Müesli. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  22. "Santa Ragione". santaragione.com. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  23. "forma.8 launching next week on Nintendo Switch, two more games coming to Switch this year from MixedBag". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 17 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  24. "Wheels of Aurelia Drives Onto Switch on 2 November". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  25. Stanislao, Manuel (26 October 2016). "Wheels of Aurelia Review". Eurogamer Italy. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  26. Vazquez, Suriel (5 October 2016). "On The Road Again And Again - Wheels of Aurelia". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  27. Piermarco, Rosa (6 November 2016). "Wheels of Aurelia - Review" (in Italian). IGN Italy. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  28. "Wheels of Aurelia Review". The Games Machine - Italy. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  29. Jackson, Gita. "Game About A Road Trip Is Perfect On The Switch". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  30. Doolan, Liam (1 November 2017). "Wheels of Aurelia Review - Switch e-Shop". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
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