It’s 2013 and Bugbear Games has failed in their fundraising efforts to deliver “Next Car Game”. With only $81,000 raised it is hard to imagine that the game would reach the end of production, let alone become a fan favourite with one of the biggest and most consistent fanbases in the racing game genre.
Fast-forward to 2021, the game (retitled “Wreckfest” in 2014) is entertaining a growing audience.
And since the game also launched on consoles in 2019, the true numbers are likely to be much higher.
Something For Everyone
Wreckfest was designed as neither a “hardcore sim” nor an “arcade racer”, with flexible options to suit all tastes, making racing fun again. With several game modes, mods (PC only), season pass DLC and vehicle categories there’s almost an unending number of ways to play this game.
With a name like “Wreckfest”, you know what you’re setting yourself up for before you even start the game up. Mentally, you are prepared for an onslaught on your car and fully prepared to give as good as you get. Being hit by a rival in Wreckfest isn’t quite the mental torture it would be in a “serious” game like iRacing or rFactor 2 – it’s actually (mostly) pretty funny.
It is these crashes and shareable moments that continue to grow the userbase through streaming and social media. Bugbear Entertainment has made a game that guarantees car-based chaos, each time you boot the game you are likely to get wrecked in new and hilarious ways.
There’s more than just one way to wreck a car
The variety of game modes adds to the enjoyment. From destruction derby deathmatches to circuit-based banger races, there’s certainly something for everyone. It’s easy to go further than that, limited only by your imagination. Want to recreate that memorable Top Gear caravan race? No problem.
What about a score of battle buses driving backwards whilst the rest of the field compete for the win? And if you really want, you could even choose to drive sensibly…
DLC and Tournament Content
The DLC with Wreckfest also makes much more sense than some other games on the market. The audience doesn’t get segregated by who owns what content, but instead, there is still (currently) a regular stream of new content that everyone downloads but is unlocked for those that purchase.
Tracks are historically free and you’re paying only for cosmetics or special cars. The cars also feel well balanced, in a way that doesn’t feel like its “pay-to-win”. The tournament and subsequent fame awards also give a lot of replayability – rewarding players with new cars/buses/combine harvesters but without any cost whatsoever and simultaneously creating community competition and engagement.
Conclusion
The predictable unpredictability is what makes Wreckfest such a replayable and addictive game. All credit goes to the Bugbear Entertainment team for creating a racing game that is so refreshingly anarchic and fun. The growing community of Wreckfest fanatics proves that sometimes all we need is a little bit of chaos and destruction in our lives.
Stay tuned to Traxion for all the latest Wreckfest news and opinions and let us know if you’ve started playing the game again recently via social media.
