Wreckfest

If, like me, you’re old enough to remember having a massive amount of fun playing Destruction Derby on the original PlayStation, you’re going to love Wreckfest.

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"Wreckfest" is a destruction-focused racing game that features intense demolition derby-style action and a variety of vehicles to choose from. The game emphasizes physics-based destruction and offers a range of tracks and environments to race in. Players can upgrade and customize their cars to improve performance and appearance, while a career mode provides hours of gameplay with progressively challenging events.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 34,459 reviews

graphics1,513 positive mentions

story60 negative mentions

graphics
2,449 mentions
62 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics in Wreckfest have received widespread praise for their impressive quality and attention to detail, often compared favorably to modern racing games. Players appreciate the realistic damage modeling and vibrant visuals, which enhance the chaotic racing experience. However, some users have reported performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems, and noted that the game can be demanding on hardware, occasionally leading to stuttering or frame rate drops. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's enjoyment.
- “Absolutely this is a great game with incredible graphics and sounds, lots of events to participate in and different modes not really offered in other games.”
- “The chaos of figure 8 racing coupled with modern graphics and a great damage model is very fun, especially when you get to do the racing in oddball cars (what other game has a Saab 96?).”
- “The graphics are so good, you can almost feel the paint chips flying into your virtual face.”
- “The game locks up my graphics intermittently.”
- “I played this game for around 20 mins and I lost count of how many times it crashed. I tried adjusting framerate limit and graphics but neither solved the problem.”
- “The graphics are nothing short of shocking for a £40 game.”
gameplay
1,561 mentions
41 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Wreckfest is characterized by its engaging mix of arcade racing and demolition mechanics, offering players a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic titles like FlatOut. While many praise the realistic vehicle physics and detailed destruction systems, some players find the gameplay can become repetitive over time, particularly in single-player modes. Overall, the game is well-received for its fun, chaotic racing experience, though it faces criticism for occasional performance issues and a lack of depth in certain gameplay elements.
- “Engaging gameplay without being overburdened with technical adjustments or spec sheets.”
- “Awesome sequel to the Flatout series (after part 2), really enjoying physics and gameplay.”
- “The career mode is a well-crafted journey, offering a diverse range of events and challenges that keep the gameplay fresh and exciting.”
- “I honestly had high hopes for this, but sadly it falls short. Destruction Derby 2 on the PlayStation has better mechanics. D2 feels like you are going faster; it feels like it has better mechanics than a game that came out in 2018. It's just shocking that a game that came out in 1996 felt like it had the mechanics down compared to this game. This feels sluggish at best, feels like I'm going 5 miles an hour and the impacts are meh.”
- “The crashing mechanics are implemented poorly.”
- “The game has potential, but as it is right now, it is full of bugs which makes the gameplay quite frustrating.”
music
1,052 mentions
40 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The music in Wreckfest has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its energetic rock and metal soundtrack that complements the game's chaotic racing and destruction themes. However, a significant number of users have noted that the soundtrack is limited and repetitive, leading them to mute the in-game music and play their own playlists instead. Overall, while the soundtrack can enhance the experience, its lack of variety and short playlist detracts from long-term enjoyment.
- “The destruction, adrenaline rush, and music are 10/10.”
- “The soundtrack is awesome and really gets you pumped to smash some cars.”
- “Wreckfest effectively takes the high visual damage of flatout, the simulation driving of project cars, and then throws in the great soundtrack of the burnout games.”
- “The soundtrack is a bit limited and mediocre and I noticed some minor things that need to be patched but great game overall.”
- “The music is really really bad.”
- “The music gets a bit repetitive, which is a shame because it's suitably high-energy hard-rock.”
humor
739 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The humor in Wreckfest is a standout feature, with players frequently laughing out loud at the chaotic and absurd moments that arise during races. The game's physics and vehicle destruction mechanics contribute to a comedic atmosphere, especially in multiplayer settings where players can witness hilarious crashes and unexpected outcomes. Overall, Wreckfest is celebrated for its lighthearted approach to racing, making it a fun experience for friends and casual gamers alike.
- “Wreckfest is a hilariously chaotic racing experience that’s perfect for anyone who believes that if you’re not out of control, you’re not in control.”
- “I can't remember the last time I cried laughing at a game, this has been consistent fun each time I've loaded it up.”
- “The physics are great and the demolition aspect is hilarious.”
- “Guys, that's not funny - did someone in your office get bitten by an EA employee and the infection has spread to the rest?”
- “Updates add some weird stuff that is not fun: no, the mawnlawer is not funny.”
- “The humor in this game falls flat and feels forced, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
optimization
706 mentions
28 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its performance and smooth graphics, particularly on higher-end systems, while others report significant issues, especially on AMD hardware, leading to stuttering and low frame rates. Many users suggest that while the game has improved since its early access phase, it still requires further optimization to ensure a consistent experience across various setups. Overall, the game's performance can vary widely depending on the hardware and settings used.
- “The graphics are really good and it is well optimized.”
- “This game is more than the true heir of Flatout Ultimate Carnage; they kept everything that made people love Flatout and made it even better with new graphics but very well optimized, many fun, crazy, goofy modes and a good amount of racing stages to satisfy everyone, no matter if you're here for the fun or serious dirt road racing.”
- “Wreckfest is optimized extremely well, looks and runs great.”
- “This is the most bug-filled, performance-crippled, poorly optimized game I've played in a long, long time.”
- “The most unoptimized game I have seen in a long time.”
- “Absolute terrible optimization making the game very difficult to play.”
story
320 mentions
14 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional story mode, with many reviews highlighting the absence of a meaningful narrative or character development. While some players enjoy the chaotic racing mechanics and multiplayer interactions, the overall consensus is that the game offers little in terms of storytelling, often reducing the experience to repetitive missions and a focus on destruction rather than plot.
- “As Henry's health gradually declined, Alex made it his mission to bring joy to his grandfather's final days.”
- “The best story comes from the friends and competitors you can make in the multiplayer servers!”
- “It actually has a story and there is a real reason to race.”
- “The absence of human characters and a meaningful story only underscores the game's troubling message that violence and destruction are acceptable forms of entertainment.”
- “When the destruction flair wears off, you're left with a plot that's about as exciting as organizing your credit card payments.”
- “Yes, there are no major bugs, the game is playable, no lag or crashes, but it's boring and there is no story, campaign, or something similar.”
stability
272 mentions
26 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
74 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and various bugs that hinder gameplay. While some users have noted that the game runs well on certain platforms like Steam Deck and Linux, others have expressed frustration over persistent issues, particularly in multiplayer modes and during map loading. Overall, while the game shows potential and can be enjoyable, it is marred by significant stability problems that detract from the experience.
- “Wreckfest is optimized extremely well, looks and runs great.”
- “It runs great, handling is amazingly fun, damages are cool and good, graphics are beautiful.”
- “The crash physics are great, it runs great (on a PC with 1070 etc.) and it has multiplayer to make it even crazier than the kamikaze AIs in the singleplayer.”
- “Menu loads but when going to the track it freezes with a fatal error message box.”
- “The game crashes/freezes almost every race.”
- “I'm changing my review to negative because the developers have abandoned the game, left it to die and refuse to fix known bugs/glitches that get complained about all the time.”
grinding
210 mentions
1 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
78 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized, with many players feeling that it requires an excessive time investment to unlock vehicles and upgrades, often leading to a tedious experience. While some find enjoyment in the multiplayer and chaotic racing elements, the single-player career mode is frequently described as shallow and frustratingly grindy, making progress feel like a chore rather than a rewarding experience. Overall, players suggest that the game could benefit from a more balanced progression system to alleviate the grind.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A little bit of grinding.”
- “Too much grinding.”
- “A good game completely ruined by a tedious career mode and one of the worst AI I have ever seen in a video game.”
- “Everyone online has long maxed out their cars, so if you start now, prepare for at least 15 hours of grinding in single player before even thinking of playing online.”
- “Even if the game is good, the main career mode is way too grindy and forces you to replay and win all events to unlock just the minimal amount of cars to keep going onward... not cool.”
replayability
145 mentions
44 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
Overall, the game boasts high replayability, with many players praising its engaging multiplayer modes, custom event options, and a vibrant modding community that enhances the experience. While some users noted limitations in single-player content, the combination of daily challenges, career mode, and chaotic racing dynamics keeps players returning for more. The game's lighthearted approach and variety of gameplay options contribute significantly to its replay value, making it a favorite among fans of demolition derby and casual racing games.
- “Replayability is high, with a career mode to 100%, online multiplayer, and now the daily solo tournament that you can play to unlock special cars and decals that weren't in the main game.”
- “The custom event mode is exactly like the name states; you create a custom event on any track in the game that you want with the ability to change almost all of the settings like the lap count, AI vehicles, game mode, difficulty, etc. There is tons of offline replay value here since there are loads of event combinations that can be created in this mode alone.”
- “The community is active and a lot of mods are made that extend the replayability of this title, and the developers are really devoted to this project.”
- “But for me, there's limited replayability, and personally, I can't sink as many hours into racing games as I can something like GTA or Far Cry.”
- “With only three basic game modes, this game is sorely lacking in single player replayability.”
- “Bought it three years ago on sale and I must say that it entertained me for a bit, but now it seems there's no updates at all coming in and the game is lacking replayability, and to charge nearly £40 for it is ludicrous.”
monetization
54 mentions
6 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
48 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players feeling it leans towards a cash grab due to frequent DLC releases and high prices for minimal content. However, others appreciate the absence of microtransactions, noting that the game maintains a sense of fairness where skill prevails over pay-to-win mechanics. Overall, while there are concerns about excessive monetization, many players find the DLC reasonably priced and enjoyable.
- “A racing and demolition derby game with cheap-but-worth-it DLC and no microtransactions.”
- “Fair priced DLC if you're interested, and zero microtransactions.”
- “No microtransactions here.”
- “Lots of monetization stuff that makes it feel like money-milking mobile rubbish.”
- “Bought this and for the money it was terrible... so bad in fact that the mod maps were that much better they paid him to make maps for him... this is a DLC cash grab with a new one out every few weeks. I don't mind DLC, but this game milks it.”
- “The flatout games were so nuts they were censored in some countries, but don't worry, this one won't rattle your butt plug, only your wallet - with an absurd $45 price tag given the minuscule content, and then they double down with DLC, season passes, microtransactions... #need for shekels.”
emotional
52 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a wide range of emotions while engaging with the game, from laughter and joy to frustration and excitement. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke strong feelings, whether through humorous moments or the thrill of racing, leading to experiences that can make them laugh until they cry. Additionally, the emotional connection to the vehicles and the wholesome online community contribute to a unique and impactful gaming experience.
- “Tears welled up in Henry's eyes as he realized the depth of his grandson's love and thoughtfulness.”
- “This is a game which has brought me to both ends of the emotional spectrum – laughter, cursing, screaming, and cheering all in a few minutes.”
- “I was worried about some of the negative reviews, but I played, I laughed, I cried.”
atmosphere
37 mentions
78 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is generally praised for its authenticity and immersive qualities, enhanced by a strong soundtrack and sound effects that complement the racing experience. However, some players feel that certain elements, such as the racing courses and user interface, detract from the overall atmosphere, making it less engaging. Despite these criticisms, many reviews highlight the unique storytelling aspect of each race and the chaotic fun of destruction, contributing to a memorable gaming experience.
- “The music creates a nice atmosphere, and the overall experience makes it unique.”
- “Great atmosphere, each race has a story to tell and no race is the same.”
- “All the destruction that goes on throughout either the race or derby adds to the atmosphere since you can look back at the end and see all the carnage that has unfolded.”
- “The racing courses are worse and more boring, the sense of speed is gone, the nitro is gone, everything is more tame, ramming somebody is less fun than it should be, the UI is clunky, unintuitive and has slow load times, the difficulty is often too easy, the AI can't dodge the wrecks of other cars so they end up destroying their own cars on them, the lighting and atmosphere is worse, the car points system is needlessly complicated, tuning the cars is needlessly complicated, career mode feels like an afterthought and screams 'play multiplayer' at you, gamer tags for bots are an immersion breaker.”
- “Seriously, the music selection in this game does not energize the mood or atmosphere or aesthetic of 'smash n bash derby race culture'.”
- “It does not have that atmosphere and experience at all.”