Wreckfest

I can think of no better metaphor for the rocky development of Wreckfest than to compare it to one of the game's mangled, twisted, thoroughly destroyed cars that barely makes it over the finish line. This is a game that started its life in 2012, only to suffer a number of unfortunate setbacks that included everything from a failed crowdfunding campaign to a number of delays. Now, after seven long years, Wreckfest is finally bringing the demolition derby to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. And while it's a little messy and some of the events are repetitive, there's no denying that T-boning your opponent's car over and over is certainly cathartic.

Wreckfest is the new game from developer Bugbear Entertainment, the company best known for the FlatOut series. This is a mostly off-road racer that feels like a cross between Sega Rally and Destruction Derby. It's the kind of rough-and-tumble game where everybody's jockeying for first place and smashing into the opponent is not only allowed, but encouraged. This is where you go when you're sick of driving fancy Lamborghinis and Ferraris, because every car in this game is a heavily-reinforced junker.

As you might expect, there's not a lot of story or setup here. Wreckfest is split up into a couple different types of events -- a traditional multi-lap race and a free-for-all demolition derby. The gameplay is equally simple, mostly consisting of going forwards, backwards and using the emergency brake to drift around corners. There's no turbo button or items to pick up, because this is a no-frills arcade-style racing game where the car is the weapon and defensive driving is the key to winning.

The good news is that Bugbear makes the most out of the simple premise by coming up with a lot of creative races and dream match-ups. This is a game that literally starts with us using a lawnmower to cause chaos. Before long we're smashing into tiny cars with a massive school bus or jumping in a tractor to take out the opponents. Wreckfest goes well beyond the typical figure-eight track and sets up courses where they know you're going to crash, like using a giant Hard Drivin'-style loop in order to win a race. This is a game that knows exactly what it is and what the fans want.

You'll find a nice variety of race and demolition types in the campaign mode, which features five increasingly difficult tiers to complete. What I liked is that not all of the events have you trying to come in first, as a lot of them will want you to earn a certain amount of wrecks or just get in the way of everybody else. There are also optional secondary missions, which will help you unlock new cars and equipment. Although it's not as deep as something like Forza or Gran Turismo, Wreckfest does let you customize your car with a bunch of different parts and paintjobs.

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There's a messiness to the action that I really like, especially when it comes to the races. We end up competing on small tracks with two dozen racers, which is every bit as chaotic as it sounds. But what's nice is that you can usually catch up if you crash or get run off the road. The computer opponents are challenging, but the difficulty felt fair. It's not like a lot of these types of racing games where you have to drift around every corner and perfectly navigate every track. You can smash into the walls, get into tussles with other drivers, and even lose the entire side of your car and STILL come in first. You can't say that about most racing games.

And let me tell you, these cars smash up real good. You expect doors and bumpers to fall off, but these cars get crunched and destroyed in ways that left me giddy with delight. This is especially true in the demolition derby events, where every single hit makes your vehicle a little harder to look at (and drive). What's fun is how this translates to the races, which are fairly typical in every other way. There's just something cathartic about cutting one of your opponents in half while coming in first.

That said, I have a few issues with both the race and the demolition events. Like I said, a lot of the race tracks are a little too straight-forward. Sure, we get the exciting races where you have to navigate a giant loop, but there are far more events where all you're doing is going around in a circle. The problem is that we repeat a lot of the same tracks and locations while playing through the campaign, which gives off the impression that there isn't a lot of content. We'll swing wildly from a cool and inventive stage to something you could get in any other racing game. These events are fine, but they're a bit on the boring side.

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And then there are the demolition derby events, which I have to imagine will be the main draw for a lot of gamers. These are fun, but they sure do get repetitive after a while. The game tries its hardest to mix things up with different vehicles, obstacles and missions, but most of these events always play out the same way. You're rewarded for staying out of the fray as long as possible, waiting until everybody else has almost no life and you can swoop in and win the day. It doesn't help that the gameplay makes it hard to chase after vulnerable cars and even back up. While that's part of the strategy of a demolition derby, I found that these types of events got boring quickly.

Despite a few repetitive races, I was satisfied by both the variety and the destruction in Wreckfest. I like the look of these old junkers and how mangled they are by the end of the race. There's something about the simplicity and recklessness that not only helps the game stand out, but also left me satisfied time and time again. And while not every track is a winner, there are some truly memorable courses and match-ups that make the whole thing worthwhile. Wreckfest is a smashing good time.