WRECKFEST Review for PC

Sitting in first with a hundred meters to the finish, it’s pretty rare that you’ll find yourself secretly wishing a guy named Crocster would rear end you with his 1970 Ford Escort.  Yet there I was, with my name practically etched into the first place trophy, subconsciously tapping the breaks and bracing for impact. This may not strike you as the level headed mentality that is needed to close out the final lap of a race, but if you get a chance to play Wreckfest, the MMO, demolition racing game developed by Bugbear and published by THQ Nordic, you will feel the pull of this game’s destructive appeal first hand.

After four years of early access, Wreckfest launched in full earlier this month to nearly universal praise for its brilliant physics, stunning visuals and sophisticated driving dynamics. To the chagrin of many early access drivers, however, the highly anticipated release of Wreckfest came with a $17 price increase and a launch update that wipes clean any beta version save progress. But for a game as polished and fully developed as it is, Wrekfest’s higher sticker price is somewhat warranted, and Bugbear advertises the update as a necessary consolation in order to, “prevent bugs and glitches stemming from legacy save data.”

Gameplay

With Wreckfest, the focus is on combining the mayhem and hilarity of demolition with the elegance and sophistication of a high quality racing sim.  If you find the average circuit racer to be a bit of a bore, Wreckfest offers that excitement and absurdity that you might be missing out on, while preserving premium racing mechanics.

For example, the game presents some of the most in depth car customizations and upgrades in the genre while giving users an incredible range of options when it comes to driving control and AI ability. At the same time, there are game modes that literally allow you to race lawnmowers around a dirt race track, highlighting the lighthearted and playful nature that makes this game standout against the bland backdrop of other arcade racers.

For those of you looking for the classic free-for-all, demolition derby side of the game, Wreckfest has two new game modes to satisfy your thirst for over the top crashes and unhindered carnage, free from the guise of circuit racing. The first game mode, virtually unchanged from the earliest days of the game, is called Last Man Standing and plays exactly how it sounds: the player that leaves the arena with a drivable car takes home the trophy.

The newest addition to this game mode is Deathmatch, which similarly involves an arena of cars, but the objective is to take down as many cars as you can; the driver with the most take downs at the end of the match is dubbed the winner.  Although there isn’t an effort to combat the typical problems that these game modes present (such as the inevitable player that will avoid confrontation and win by sheer collision prevention), Last Man Standing and Deathmatch are as entertaining as it gets and give players a chance to worry less on perfect driving technique and focus more on what truly matters in this game: the destruction.

Overview

While it may not plant new seeds in the genre, Wreckfest’s soft body damage modeling and unparalleled computer graphics make it an absolute joy to play. Sure, expect the visually spectacular crashes to draw you in, but the reaches of this game’s intrigue extend even further.

What Wreckfest ultimately produces is a racing game that inspires a slightly uncouth and unconventional approach to driving. While traditional racing games are more about picking the best lines and racing against the track, Wreckfest forces you to strategically battle with the other drivers, making for more competitive races that are a whole lot of fun regardless of whether you are making it to the finish line or not.

Rating: 7.4

Watch the Wreckfest Launch Trailer:

Wreckfest is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.