I’m gonna wreck it!

I enjoyed my time with the FlatOut franchise. It was some pretty crazy/stupid fun that developers Bugbear knew hooked many fans of the car destruction/racing genre. Now, Wreckfest (formerly known as The Next Car Game in early access for a good four years) is Bugbear’s next endeavor in the car smashing genre, and aside from a few hiccups here and there, they made a pretty fun ride.

Wreckfest is mainly a racing game with some pretty impressive crash physics thrown in. Players take on a series of different modes in a career mode that has them doing racing in certain vehicles, competing in destruction derby, and obtaining upgrades for vehicles through money and level requirements. It’s a simple structure that never changes up for the most part.

Platforms: PC, (XB1/PS4 coming soon)
MSRP: $44.99
Price I’d pay: $44.99

Each event has challenges to go for completing challenges in races will not only unlock new events but also offer up XP that goes towards the profile level. At certain intervals, when leveling up, players unlock the ability to purchase upgrades for certain vehicles as well as purchase new vehicles themselves. Players can upgrade their vehicles with performance parts as well as customizing the tuning of them allowing them to fine tune how a car rides and handles. On top of all that, players can also customize their vehicles with new decals, paint jobs, and all kinds of accessories that add nothing to the car but make them look ridiculous which is just perfect for this game.

During races, players can totally wreck their opponents. In fact, it is actually encouraged in this game. Spinning out the opponent in front of me was not only fun, but it offered up more XP as well as sometimes created a “rival” for the race. Hitting my rival gave me even more XP at the end of an event. It’s a nice system that really shows off the mentality of this game. I’m here to win this race, and if you get in my way, I’m going to throw you into a wall.

What really sets Wreckfest apart from other racers is the destruction of said vehicles. The physics in this game are pretty wild and actually matter when it comes to vehicle damage. After a hardcore destruction derby event, my car looked like a sardine can that had been through an industrial meat grinder. Visually, this game look fantastically dirty and messy. It really is impressive.

The game offers online multiplayer as well through joined servers. In some instances, it works just fine, but in others, it can be a bit of a laggy ordeal. It really all depended on which servers I joined. Of course, I always ran into a person that would just try to wreck the other players and even then, it was a blast. Just watching what others come up with and how they try to take out cars during what is supposed to be a race was fun and very entertaining.

The selection of vehicles range from practical to downright insane. The standard race cars and trucks are here, but eventually, players will find themselves behind the wheel of school buses and a farm combine, and yes, it totally available to use in the multiplayer.

Now, I still see a few missteps here and there. The career mode is fine, but can get a bit monotonous after a while. It helps to switch over to the multiplayer just to mix things up a bit since race after race with a few destruction derbies thrown in can get a little long in the tooth, but I always found myself coming back to it to clear out more of the career board to unlock some better things.

In the end, Wreckfest is a game that you will tend to make your own fun in. The career mode can get a little old after a while, but the multiplayer makes it even more fun throwing other players into the already impressively crazy mix. Bugbear knows what their players want out of a game from them, and they offer it up in a really fun, chaotic package that any arcade racer can enjoy.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Great physics
  • Impressive visuals
  • Fun mechanics
  • Chaotic multiplayer
  • Nice customization options
Bad
  • Some laggy multiplayer
  • Career mode can get a little monotonous
8.5
Great
Written by
Drew is the Community Manager here at ZTGD and his accent simply woos the ladies. His rage is only surpassed by the great one himself and no one should stand between him and his Twizzlers.