Wreckfest is the newest creation from the team behind the Flat Out games, and as you can probably guess from the name, it is all about the celebration of vehicular destruction! Not since the days of Flat Out and Destruction Derby has there really been a game that gives players the feeling of going on a rampage in the same way that Wreckfest does.
The beauty of Wreckfest is in its simplicity. Choose a race mode, start the race and try to survive ‘till the finish while destroying everyone else around you in a visually-stunning metal-filled explosion. The game has a few modes which boil down to either races or destruction derby events - you might feel that is limiting, but what else really do you really need from this style of game? While sometimes lacking in variety, the graphical fidelity and detail of the destruction completely makes up for this.
Whether you are in a truck, car, or even kart racer the level of destruction is something to behold and is something unseen in racers such as Forza Horizon or GT Sport. Side swiping into an opponent and watching them flip into the air with parts of their car flying in every direction never gets old and is quite addicting to play, taking me back to my younger years on Burnout Takedown, where I spent many an hour destroying as many vehicles as I possibly could. There are loads of tracks to choose from, ranging from more serious GT-style circuit races to loop the loops that encourage as much destruction as possible.
My main complaint with the game is that the frame rate was a bit choppy, most likely due to the sheer amount of physics happening on the screen in any given race - it never got low enough to really affect my enjoyment. One thing to be aware of are the long load times between races, which can take you out of an otherwise absorbing experience.
I would also say that, relative to other driving games, the offering seems to be a little bare-bones in terms of modes available. Games like Forza Horizon and GT Sport have absolutely massive stories and main campaigns. Forza, for instance, has a very large open world that is filled to the brim with things to do. While Wreckfest does have a career mode, when you compare it to similar games it does feel rather lacklustre.
What I love most about what the team behind Wreckfest, has done is that they have created a truly unique take on the racing genre that we haven't really seen for years, setting itself apart from its competitors in the current market. Like Forza did with the festival concept, Wreckfest brings something new to the table which is a real breath of fresh air. If you're looking for an original racer that straddles the line between realism and arcade, providing hours of entertainment, then Wreckfest is most definitely worth your money.
★★★★☆
Hannah Read
