Wreckfest Review (PS5): Drive Hard. Die Last

Developed by Bugbear Entertainment, Wreckfest made its debut on PC back in 2018, and since it's been so popular among fans of car racing games, a console version was released this month. This specific version includes some improvements over the previous versions, such as 60 frames-per-second and full utilization of the PS5 DualSense controller.

Unlike many other racing games, Wreckfest focuses on vehicular combat for the most part. Players must find a balance between defensive and offensive tactics to beat opponents in banger racing and demolition derby type of races. Even though the racing gameplay is simple – control a car, win races – Wreckfest benefits from a deep progression system that's not obvious at first glance.

Don't expect any background story: Wreckfest is all about crashy, smashy racing. The game offers players three main options from the get-go: quick races, online events, and career mode. The latter is by far the most complex, featuring no less than five sub-campaigns that offer access to various types of races.

I made my way to the Pro sub-campaign after several hours of play through the Juniors and Amateurs sub-campaigns, but I didn't complete all the events since that's not really required. To progress to the next sub-campaign, you only need to win races and gain a certain number of points to unlock the final event, which will promote you to the next difficulty level.

Wreckfest adopts the arcade handling model, which makes perfect sense considering its focus on destruction rather than racing skills. That's the main reason the physics are more liberal, so taking a turn in Wreckfest won't require players to significantly reduce speed, but rather “powerslide” the car to keep the momentum.

Being an arcade-style racing game and all that, Wreckfest's collisions are greatly exaggerated, especially when “wrecking” other players' cars. The formula couldn't be fully complete without the anarchic sense deeply rooted in the game. Take the banger races, for example, chaotic free for all events where 23 other vehicles are ramming each other over and over again until only one remain.

At one time, I had to finish first driving a three-wheeled Supervan competing against 23 buses. It wasn't pretty, but it was stupid fun. I still don't understand how I managed to win on my second attempt, but in retrospect, I believe luck had a major role in this particular race.

Wreckfest was also the first game where I got to drive a couch, virtually, of course. With its impressive exhaust system taking its place on the right and left arms, and a steering wheel that is more akin to a valve wheel, the couch vehicle looks completely ridiculous. Driving one of these, though, is pure madness, especially on a Figure 8 racing track that purposely intersects itself, thus increasing the risk of collision.

Did I tell you that my very first race event in Wreckfest involved driving a … lawnmower? Tackling derby destruction race events are probably the most fun activities in the game, not just because you're free to smash your vehicles into others, but you're encouraged to inflict maximum damage to as many competitors as possible. After all, it's the last lawnmower standing that takes the crown. To make the game even more ridiculous, in a good way, Wreckfest also lets you drive harvesters and other such vehicles that are hardly meant for racing.

Demolition derby events are the expression of freedom and excitement, as you're encouraged to pursue potential t-bone victims in an arena of two dozen cars. Each vehicle has an overall health rating that shrinks the more damage they receive. Since this is an arcade-style game, the damage factor isn't a big deal, so unless your health bar is completely depleted, you should be able to control your car well enough to finish a race.

Aside from the mixture of events that players can tackle in any order they wish, Wreckfest offers some deep customization options that allow you to tune your vehicles. Heading to the Garage will let you tinker with any car you own adding parts or painting them. The problem is the upgrades that you purchase for your car don't always feel like they're making a difference in certain scenarios where they should. But that's a common problem with arcade-style racing games that typically remove the precision and rigor required from the simulation experience.

Conclusion

Wreckfest is a strange mixture of arcade racing and vehicular combat, which offers just about the right level of silliness to keep you entertained throughout the entire career mode. The DualSense haptics and triggers are decently utilized to provide a much better experience than on PS4. Although it's not the most impressive use of DualSense technology, it does make a difference more often than not.

Even though the game runs at super-sharp 4K resolution, it does manage to keep a silky-smooth frame rate no matter what's happening on the screen. That being said, graphics and soundtrack are quite impressive in Wreckfest, very important aspects that shouldn't be overlooked even if we're talking about a racing game.

The only downsides I'm willing to point out are the camera angles, which are frustrating when your car is spinning or when you're taking a tight turn, and the deep customization options, yet meaningless in most cases.

Overall, Wreckfest is a fun arcade-style racing game that smartly mixes racing and vehicle combat. The game is difficult enough to offer a decent challenge to both newcomers and veterans of the genre.

If you're looking for a less punishing racing game that goes the extra mile to offer pure, mad fun, Wreckfest might be right for you.
Rating: 80/100