Wreckfest is a driving game focused on mayhem and Destruction. The base is inevitably reminiscent of FlatOut – another saga of the studio in question, Bugbear – and the classic Destruction Derby. To this, we must add a touch of madness, with special tests that break the monotony of traditional vehicles and that, in our opinion, makes the experience great.
Thus, we have a title that offers us several game modes, none particularly surprising: career, accessible mode and multiplayer. The race, which is the most interesting a priori, confronts us with a considerable number of tests with the main challenge – to win, generally – and a secondary one – which can be to win with particular advantage, cause specific damage or cause our rivals to lose the game. Control of his car, for example.
Wreckfest combines the different types of tests very well. In general, we will find one hundred percent Destruction Derby tests, in which we have to destroy a series of rivals; traditional races in which you have to arrive first; and destruction races, with tracks designed to encourage accidents, with intersections where crashes are inevitable.
These tests also have slightly crazier alternatives. For example, we can find traditional races … with motorized sofas. Or a race where everyone drives buses, except us, who are in a kind of van with three wheels. Or a destruction derby on lawnmowers. You can get an idea of what awaits us in career mode.
Of course, we will have to unlock or buy new cars, improve the ones we have and adapt them to the different challenges. Depending on the difficulty we choose, it will be a more or less demanding title, but the difference is remarkable. Changing the suspension before the race can be the key between a comfortable victory and an inevitable defeat. And it is that, despite its simcade approach to driving, it offers us the possibility of making it a little more serious.
Those who want a more practical challenge, handling or response from cars have options. It’s a very aggressive title, where vehicles take constant damage, and even then, we have an option to enable realistic damage. It is something that changes the experience entirely, and although we are more attracted to its more simcade side, we like that it has alternatives.
At first, Wreckfest may not be very surprising technically, but when we start playing, we see the enormous work behind it in physics and vehicle damage. It is impressive to see how well cars respond to impacts, how they deform and how this damage affects driving. For example, it cannot be compared with Gran Turismo, but it is a benchmark in its own right.
In addition, there are several vehicles, each with its characteristics that, as we say, we can modify. A compact car doesn’t drive like a sofa with a motor; a three-wheeled van has nothing to do with driving a lawnmower. And, each surface, of course, offers different sensations. It is a very careful title in this regard.
On a more visual note, Wreckfest isn’t stunning. It has its moments, and in the destruction derby tests, it is striking to see destroyed cars, on fire, with the ground covered in pieces of sheet metal while we dodge our rivals. We miss, perhaps, more colourful lighting or climatic effects, but it does its job.
In terms of sound, we have many sound effects, which are a great weight in a driving game. We also have a soundtrack that combines dubstep for the menus and alternative metal for the races. They are small groups, not very well known, and that is why we are particularly shocked that there is not a little sign with the name of the band and the song every time a song starts playing, something that would help them make them known.
There are other areas for improvement, such as long load times or lag in online multiplayer, but Bugbear has confirmed that this will be fixed with the release patch.
Final Thoughts
We like games like Wreckfest, which gets to the point and offers uncomplicated driving and fun. Bugbear offers driving with as many complications as we want, making it an ideal title for those who wish for a made title and for those who prefer something a bit more demanding and realistic.
This console version adds three new tracks, a new derby arena, three new crazy challenges, a revised and improved race, more hours of the day and unique rewards, among other things. This content is also coming to PC via an update, so we encourage you to return to it if you already have it on this platform. In one way or another, we find Wreckfest entertaining, and it is an excellent option for those who enjoy this subgenre.
We prepared this review with a digital copy of the game provided by Evolve PR.
