Wreckfest 2 – The party will come, but later. Preview

A few years ago, Bugbear, the studio behind the cult FlatOut, FlatOut 2 and its “remaster” FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage, released the ideological successor to classic racing arcades. Wreckfest provided almost the same degree of car madness and adrenaline rush, except that the pilot is now securely fastened and does not fly out through the windshield with every hard collision. Of course, the game became a real outlet for fans of the racing subgenre, where destruction, rough contact with opponents and visible damage to cars are more important than technical cornering and reducing the milliseconds spent on completing the distance. However, such a philosophy does not diminish the excitement of the fight for first place and the desire to set new records, and therefore the likelihood of losing the leading position due to one unsuccessful maneuver and the subsequent triple toe loop adds considerable tension to each race. And in this, Wreckfest 2 is completely faithful to its predecessor.

See this mountain of tires? You can drive into it!

⇡#A riot of crumpled metal

The sequel lives up to expectations in the very first race: there’s plenty of racing chaos and tough confrontations on the track, no problems with spectacular visual tricks and cool arcade physics. Dust rises in a column, tires, barrels, barriers and other debris fly in all directions, cars crumple from every impact and generously scatter “extra” parts around. And if something important falls off, the car on the track will also start to behave a little more capriciously, which will quickly reduce the chances of taking a good place on the invisible pedestal.

And since the battle for each position is serious, then without the ability to competently ram an opponent and deftly avoid contact – nowhere. However, mastering the technique of controlling the car in sharp turns will not be superfluous either, in addition, each of the presented cars has its own nuances of control. Of course, Wreckfest 2 does not offer cars of famous (and unknown) brands – only rusty, beaten and in their own way charming wagons that are not afraid of harsh contact with the side of the opponent.

If you prefer a realistic view from the cabin, then be prepared for a raised hood and a fun blind drive

The project fleet currently includes four models that differ significantly from each other. For example, the European 1 is more maneuverable and lighter than the others, which will be a good help on sharp turns, but the American 1 prefers straights; it, like the European car, is seriously lacking in striking power. The Roadslayer is their complete opposite: it will take you to the finish line first, because the other rivals are unlikely to withstand as many collisions as this battleship will. But catching up with someone on it will be a little more difficult than on the Rocket, which seems to be the optimal choice between speed, maneuverability and the ability to confidently confront opponents in contact. However, a lot depends on your preferred playing style, the track and the selected game mode.

Early access offers four locations: a junkyard with mountains of tires and piles of various scrap; a track complex with excellent asphalt pavement, surrounded by picturesque green forests; a hot quarry, where the track is sometimes invisible due to the rising sand and dust; and the white desert of the test zone. The first three have two racing routes each. There is also a derby arena, where we have to turn our beloved “swallow” into a smoking piece of scrap metal, simultaneously smashing all the other participants in the fun into the same shreds.

Yes, everything is fine, now I’ll just fix the wiper and it will drive like new!

I especially liked the test zone. Although the location is formally classified as a derby arena, in reality it is more of a free testing ground where you can practice the art of drifting, jostle with other cars for fun, or entertain yourself on one of the rides: there is a loop-the-loop ring, a car analogue of a roller coaster, and even a couple of guns (your rattle is used as a cannonball). Fun! You can also cheerfully roll your car down the stairs, smash it with a crash against various moving and stationary obstacles, or soar into the sky on one of the ramps, including a monstrous, almost vertical 180-meter structure – just to drive onto it correctly, you will need a lot of skill. But what a view opens up in flight…

⇡#Test drive

Despite all their fun, the described entertainment will not last long. In the first hours, Wreckfest 2 gives enough courage and spectacular moments to really get into the game. The cars are different, it is pleasant to drive them, the races are lively, and the tracks are interesting to study. There are enough dashing turns and potentially dangerous zones – what is worth at least the intersection of two trajectories on the “eight”, like in the old FlatOut, where you can get a sudden side impact from the last ones.

Playing without an interface is more atmospheric, and with it you can assess the level of damage received in a collision

Each race can be further customized: set the desired number of laps, the class of cars for opponents, the severity of damage in collisions. However, there are no alternative racing modes yet, as well as other weather features on the track, and the time of day only affects lighting, not driving conditions.

To study all the available tracks up and down and test drive all the available cars, you will need at most a couple of hours. And even the test zone, which I really liked, is more of a passing amusement than a full-fledged game mode. A few new impressions can be squeezed out of the network component – races with other players, of course, are much more intense and fun, and the lobby is never empty (it’s a pity that the network code occasionally plays up and throws you out of the room while waiting for a new race, or simply does not allow you to enter the network mode). But, alas, even here the enthusiasm will quickly run out.

You can paint almost every detail, and also adjust the level of gloss, brightness, or even fill the body with metallic paint

I got the impression that Wreckfest 2 is a bit understaffed even for an early access game — it’s more like an extended demo. However, even trial versions of arcade racing games usually don’t forget about one of the key components of the genre — a bright soundtrack. Unfortunately, Wreckfest 2 so far offers to be content with only the clanking of metal and the roar of engines. Of course, the sounds are melodic, but there’s still a lack of roaring alternative, dynamic rapcore, cheerful hip-hop, catchy pop or metal. A good soundtrack always adds fuel to the dynamics of racing, and without it, a fair share of the unrestrained racing holiday is lost. We’re looking forward to when this holiday will finally happen.

***

Although Wreckfest 2 feels like a demo, you can easily spend a couple of extremely fun hours in it. But if you are expecting a full-fledged arcade racing game with a lively soundtrack, a ton of different modes and a solid car fleet, then keep waiting – in its current state, the project cannot be described that way. However, Wreckfest 2 has a lot ahead of it – and I will gladly look into it in six months, not to mention the full release (which will not happen earlier than in a year).

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