Wreckfest Review

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Game Details

Title: Wreckfest
Developer: Bugbear Entertainment
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Website: https://order.wreckfestgame.com/
Genre: Racing, Simulation, Sport
Platform: PS4
Age Rating: PEGI 12
Release Date: 27/08/19
Price: £34.99 – Rapid Reviews UK was very kindly provided with a review code for this title.

One of the games I loved back in the 1990s was Destruction Derby. Fast-paced lots of flying carbon and plenty of action. There have been plenty of racing games that have come and gone, and there was a void of this kind of game for over 20 years. Step in Wreckfest, of which I know has been out on Early Access for PC, and regular updates meant significant improvements and ready for when a console release came forward.

That moment is, of course, now. From booting up the game if immediately feels like how DiRT Rally was coming out of early access. No nonsense, pick an event and get playing. Straight off the bat, you race on a lawnmower tackling to wreck other drivers to beat a target of 5 wrecks while not allowing yourself to be beaten. Plenty of laughs straight away with poor handling and ramming hard at speed, knocking drivers off the mower. Getting the balance right is vital and picking the right moment to strike for maximum impact. I don’t fall in love with many racing games at the start, that honour has only been bestowed to Forza Horizon and DiRT Rally, but I can now add Wreckfest to this list.

As you carry on through the early races, there is a range of mixes of race. Some are just laps to finish first, some are to wreck as many as possible, and bonuses are awarded for tackling challenges in a race. You can obtain these for getting a set amount of damage, wrecking a set amount of drivers, beating a select driver or a combination of all of them. Plenty to do and can take a good portion of time to maximise an event. One of my favourite events is racing around a figure of 8 on a motorised sofa. Handling worse than anything I’ve ever raced with especially around corners and when clubbing another sofa or barrier.

Speaking of handling, the Developers have nailed the authenticity of the vehicles and the way they perform on the terrains of track. Just as important and vital considering the nature of the game is how each one performs when bashed and broken, Wreckfest works well with handling when damaged. Taking extreme care of car management at the important moments of a race is an art form and high satisfaction for me.

Over 20 vehicles and over 15 tracks with more on the way. Plenty of upgrades to pick from for each making longevity at over 15 hours on single-player alone if you want to get 100% accompanying the visuals and the career mode there is a soundtrack of pure metal and grunge which absolutely suits the game to a T. With a lot of detail in the game one small annoyance is that the loading screens take some of the fast-paced action away, about 30 seconds average I found in between menus and the start of the race and likewise to get back into the lobby.

Multiplayer is fun plenty to do and especially with friends online for bragging rights. Expect this to extend the game beyond the single-player for years to come. I noticed a little input lag, although, at the time of writing this, there is a lack of online players to play against.

In conclusion, Wreckfest is for the hardcore racer. One that doesn’t mind a career mode that is silly, destructive and doesn’t have the plethora of cars to choose from. Wreckfest offers over 15 hours of career mode and a multiplayer that will last for years – a definite pick up.

Rapid Reviews Rating

You can purchase Wreckfest from the PlayStation Store on the following link, https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP4389-CUSA08652_00-WRECKFESTEU00001