After a four-year long early access phase during which the game was called Next Car Game, the Windows version was released in June 2018, with PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions released in August 2019 after multiple delays.[2][3]PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions were released in 2021, while a Nintendo Switch version was released in 2022.[4] A mobile port was released 14 November 2022.
Gameplay
The game includes a variety of gameplay features, namely banger racing and demolition derby. The racing gameplay follows the same fundamental rules as most modern racing games, such as Need for Speed or Gran Turismo. The player controls a car in a race or demolition derby, the goal being to win the race or be the sole survivor of the derby respectively. Before participating in an event, the player is allowed to choose a vehicle, select from a variety of assist levels (whether to use a manual or automatic transmission, ABS, AI difficulty, etc.). Players are also able to buy vehicles, customise vehicles, and perform upgrades.[5] The game features three modes: career, multiplayer and custom events.
The races themselves focus heavily on "vehicular combat", where players have to find a balance between defensive tactics such as avoiding or blocking opponents and more aggressive tactics such as ramming opponents and shunting them into barriers to put them out of the race and earn points.[6] While Wreckfest's focus on physics and vehicular damage is similar to previous destruction-based racing games such as Criterion's Burnout, it follows a somewhat slower and more strategic approach,[6] resulting in a more traditional racing gameplay experience than in comparable games.[7]
Development
Development on Wreckfest began in 2012 under the working title Next Car Game, and was first announced by Bugbear Entertainment on the Next Car Game blog in August 2013.[8] In an interview with IGN, lead game designer Janne Suur-Näkki stated that the game should reach a "feature-complete state" in 2014, with all key features implemented.[1] In a press release published by Eurogamer, Next Car Game was officially announced for PC.[9]
Due to the lack of publisher support, the development team provided early access to the game via pre-orders on the official Next Car Game website as well as Steam Early Access and also created a Kickstarter campaign as alternate means of raising revenue in order to develop the game.[1] The overhaul of the physics engine has caused updates to the game to slow significantly.[10] The game now receives regular monthly updates from April 2020 with a focus on tournaments and cosmetic DLC content.[11]
Failed Kickstarter campaign
Bugbear launched a Kickstarter campaign on November 1, 2013[12] in an effort to fund the development of Next Car Game, with a goal of $350,000 to complete the game, and a stretch goal of $1.5 million to create PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game.[13] The campaign was cancelled on November 22, after it became "obvious" that the game would not reach its funding goal, having only raised $81,772.[14] Lead game designer Janne Suur-Näkki described the Kickstarter campaign as a bewildering and disappointing experience, as Bugbear had to go to "great lengths" to make the campaign happen due to Kickstarter and Finnish legislation imposing "considerable challenges" on the project.[1]
After failing to meet the $350,000 goal of the Kickstarter campaign, Bugbear concentrated efforts on a pre-order campaign being run via the Next Car Game official website. A playable "technology sneak peek" was made available for download to supporters who had pre-ordered the game, the sneak peek featured 24 vehicles and a single level which the developers used internally to test the game's damage engine.[15] Following a highly positive response from players regarding the sneak peek, Bugbear released an extended version called Sneak Peek v2.0 to all pre-order supporters. This extended sneak peek included additional features such as new destructive machinery, more dynamic destructible objects, and a "physics cannon".[16]
Early access
Following the success of the Technology Sneak Peek, an early access version of the game was released shortly before Christmas in 2013.[17] The early access release featured two playable vehicles and three tracks, two of which were traditional racetracks while the other was a demolition derby arena.[18]
The early access release was highly successful and received great feedback from sim racers.[19] By the end of the Christmas week the game had already sold for more than Bugbear's initial funding goal of $350,000 on Kickstarter.[20]Next Car Game was subsequently released on Steam Early Access on January 15, 2014, with special discount prices offered until January 29.[21] The game found tremendous success on the Steam Early Access platform, earning over $1 million in sales during a single week.[22]
On October 3, 2014, Bugbear made an announcement on the game's blog entry for the game's sixth build that Next Car Game was now officially titled Wreckfest.[23][24] The announcement came with a definition of the term "wreck fest" written on Urban Dictionary.[23][25] In the same announcement, Bugbear also announced an eighteen-player online multiplayer has been introduced with new deathmatch and team deathmatch game modes, as well as a new track and a new car.[23][24] The developer also said that they were aiming for twenty-four-player multiplayer for the final release, but will need to spend more time optimizing the game's network code.[23][24]
Official releases
The Windows version of the game was officially released out of early access on June 14, 2018. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were originally scheduled for release on November 20, 2018,[26] but were delayed to 2019.[2] On July 2, 2019, THQ Nordic announced that the game will be released on console in August 2019.[3]
^"Wreck fest". Urban Dictionary. Retrieved October 4, 2014. Mostly common in racing series such as NASCAR and Formula 1 (a.k.a. F1). This happens on some tracks during races where the cars are close together and drivers misjudge how close the cars are. Thus, resulting in one big wreck after another. It can also result in only a few cars being taken out of the race instead of seven cars at once.
^"Nominee List for 2018". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. February 11, 2019. Archived from the original on February 13, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
