Wreckfest 2

Wreckfest has certainly had a wild ride. After a failed Kickstarter campaign in 2013, the developers tried to market their "next car game" through their own website, offering a "technology sneak peek" that was so well received and generated so much attention that it even surpassed the original Kickstarter goal. As a result, the game entered Early Access in early 2014, where it continued to grow for nearly four and a half years. It was finally released on June 14, 2018. Console releases, season passes and continued positive feedback followed - not least because the crash-heavy races are quite unique in the racing genre.

Wreckfest has certainly had a wild ride. After a failed Kickstarter campaign in 2013, the developers tried to market their "next car game" through their own website, offering a "technology sneak peek" that was so well received and generated so much attention that it even surpassed the original Kickstarter goal. As a result, the game entered Early Access in early 2014, where it continued to grow for nearly four and a half years. It was finally released on June 14, 2018. Console releases, season passes and continued positive feedback followed - not least because the crash-heavy races are quite unique in the racing genre.

And that's exactly what the Finnish developers are building on with Wreckfest 2. On the visually much more appealing tracks, it's all about pushing, elbowing and crashing - "full-contact racing by breaking the rules and everything else", as the marketing text aptly describes it. The already impressive damage system of the predecessor has been massively expanded. There are more parts that can fall apart, a higher crash fidelity and a more complex component damage simulation, the deformation and damage of the vehicles is unsurpassed.

But not only these aspects or the physical simulation of objects on and off the track have been expanded compared to its predecessor; the driving behavior of the cars on different surfaces leaves a more immersive impression, while the cars can be controlled well (along with minor driving aids in the options). The sound is also richer. At the moment, Wreckfest 2 is limited to the essentials, a decent control (better grip) and a lot of chaotic fender benders on the tracks. A career mode with progression will follow later.

"> Brace yourself for the most phenomenal full-contact racing action with no rules, just jaw dropping moments of chaos and destruction, powered by the overhauled physics engine. Race in intense head-to-head fights on courses featuring high-speed circuits, crazy courses with obstacles & jumps, intersections and oncoming traffic, or go for demolition domination in derby mode. - THQ Nordic"

This time the focus is not only on destroying cars, creating chaos on the track and winning races, but also on customizing the cars. Currently, players can paint the different parts of their car. Over the course of the Early Access period, more and more customization options will be added to the game, from cosmetic items to new armor and component types that support specific play styles.

At the start of Early Access, the game contains significantly less than Wreckfest, which has grown over the years, but Bugbear Entertainment and THQ Nordic are very open about this. There will be single player racing & derby with up to 24 players (bots) and multiplayer racing & derby with up to 24 players + bot support on three maps with multiple tracks - as well as a single player only sandbox map with ramps, loops, etc. to demonstrate the destruction capabilities of the improved technology used. Like its predecessor, Bugbear is powered by the ROMU engine. There are four cars with basic paint customization, a garage to edit and save car designs, and an early version of a replay mode.

The developers want to listen to the community after launch and develop new content accordingly. Two new cars and two new tracks are promised for the first Early Access update. Basically, they plan to deliver a "fully fledged racing and derby game" with career & multiplayer modes with progression, customization options from performance to cosmetics, modding support, tournaments, localization into multiple languages and much more. Mod support is also planned for a later date.

Wreckfest 2 launched in Early Access on PC on 20 March 2025 for €29.99. The price will increase over the course of Early Access and as more content becomes available. The game will remain in Early Access for at least twelve months, depending on community feedback. After Early Access ends, the game will also be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Conclusion

Wreckfest 2 builds on the strengths of the first game and features wild crash races you won't find anywhere else. The current Early Access version is still a bit bare-bones, but with the help of the community, the game should get bigger and better over time. The foundation is great. The same goes for the level of detail in the crashes.

Features

• Unique wild races
• Impressive crashes and customizable vehicles
• More than a solid foundation for future expansions.