Wreckfest 2 – Continuation of the heirs of a cult Flatout, which not only retained the most important benefits of the first part, but also repeated fate: the game came out in early access in the form of a rough sketch, where there is only a harvest engineer and a demonstration of the engine. Natural fans The first part will immediately evaluate the improved route design, physics, sounds and feelings of driving, but this will not be enough for ordinary players. The fact that the developers now offer on Steam is difficult to even mention demo – content is so scarce. In this review we will find out if it is worth buying Wreckfest 2 or it is better to wait for a full release, which will take place in a few years.
Paid technology
Bugbear Studio went through incredible difficulties and created a spiritual successor to a cult fluatout. In the beginning, no investor and publisher wanted to finance another game in the genre Demolition Derby, then the campaign did not succeed in Kickstarter. Subsequently, the sale of rough meeting on the official website followed to at least continue the development in one way or another. As a result, the game was released at Steam Early Access, received positive reviews and good sales, allowing it to complete it for 4 years – by a complete replacement of the physical engine and even the name.
Bugbear “achieved” not only on her shoulders “heirable flatout”, but also achieved commercial success. Wreckfest was transferred to all possible platforms, including smartphones and switch. Towards the end of 2018, the publish house of THQ Nordic took the studio under the wings, and it seemed that there would be no more financial problems. For unknown reasons, however, the sequel went out again in early access – and in an even more cut shape than the first part. The developers promise to complete the project for a year (instead of four, as the last time), but the practice shows that few games come out of early access on time.
We are used to seeing in early access to semi -voltage projects with rude shortcomings, but what Bugbear pretends to be a Wreckfest 2, looks more like a paid demo version. This is not a game in the usual sense and not even a vertical cut – only four cars, different tracks, a series of promises and a crooked multiplayer. If such a release was justified for the first part (players as investors act), then the second time to release ‘technology’ without content is a strange solution.
If, like us, you hoped that Bugbear will listen to the fans and make a modern analog of flatout 2 of Wreckfest 2 with crazy races at high speeds, and not with boring pseudo -regulating circles, where a collision makes the race to recover. A sequel is the first part with an improved engine. At least this impression is formed after a meeting with the early version. There are no radical changes in the game design. And we doubt that the game will somehow radically transform into the release version.
Do you know the Flatout series?
More remake than a sequel
The first that the eye draws after the launch of Wreckfest 2 is an improved visual. New routes have become more detailed and more developed. Yes, these are the same landfills with piles of tires and rusty cars, but now they have more landfills, plus they don’t look monotonous, as in the first part. The most important characteristic of Wreckfest 2 is the ability to ‘feel’ the environment. Cut into a rusty waste and see how pieces of conquered metal with dozens of tires fly in different directions – it is a pleasure.
The fleet in the early access is so bad that there is nothing to say about him. The choice of four “rusty troughs”, which do not differ from each other. Mascars go away from the least exposure, but at the same time are not impressive due to speed on straight lines. The front -Wheel drive cars fly from the highway of a light push, but they are better arranged on sharp turns. In any case, the choice of a wheelbarrow has almost no influence on gameplay – all cars are leveled in characteristics.
Only re -painting is available when adjusting. There are no coordination and upgrades, and it is not known whether it will appear in the release. The only noticeable change is the new physics of destruction: now dents remain in those places where the blow came.
In the lower part of the screen, the damage interface is displayed, which shows damage to different parts of the body. In theory, damage to certain parts of the car must somehow influence the gameplay and speed. But it doesn’t matter how much we fought about everything that is possible, we have not noticed any special differences, except visually. Yes, smoke can come from an outlet. And yes, after a serious collision, the machine turns into a “humpback quasimode”. But this is just a cosmetic effect and nothing more. No matter how your opponents ram, they will still fly ahead, so that all obstacles are demolished in the way. You will not get much benefit in the race for aggressive driving.
All available content of early access does not provide a clear insight that the game will be on the release, which is worth paying attention now. How will the coordination system work and set the engine? Will damage will always be pure cosmetic? Damage can the work of certain details influence? Now there are only ring races in which the smallest collision brings the cross to a triumphant place. Walking from time to time pending the content -update are the Lale loyal fans, but no ordinary players.
Finally, AI is not particularly smart compared to other racing games, but it doesn’t give you a chance to win. If you couldn’t get out of a leading position in the beginning, you can forget the pedestal and not even try to win somehow. You can build as many pods as you want, arrange accidents on a fork, ram and fly forward with a headhole – nothing good comes out. And in the Derby, AI likes to get stuck in the landscape and stick to other cars.
Graphics and performance
From the point of view of the Wreckfest 2 visual, it looks a head above the original. Largely because of lighting and increased details. The model of damage to transport is impressive and the updated physical engine makes the races spectacular and spectacular. Graphics is currently the only asset of the sequel.
It is also worth noting the updated sound system. The engines “growl” more realistic than in the predecessor. And due to the amount of damage, the sound of the engine changes clearly. Unfortunately there is no soundtrack and even more than licensed songs in early access. We doubt that they will be added to the nearest patches, so make a playlist for races in advance.
Wreckfest 2 works very well, even on non -powerful systems. Despite the abundance of physical objects and a detailed image, we have not noticed the drawings of staff and graphic artifacts. Critical bugs did not happen either, but there are reviews on the network about departure on the desktop and freezing, so we cannot say with complete confidence about the police officers of the project.
The multiplayer mode with random players works over time. It is not only almost unrealistic to collect the lobby with living people, but also with the servers there are constant problems. The developers promise to correct the matchmaking in the nearest patches.
Try your Early Access Wreckfest 2?
As a result, it is not entirely clear for who Wreckfest 2 has come in early access. The first part gives exactly the same gameplay, but with a much larger amount of content and modes. You can only evaluate new physics and images. In the current form, the game is a paid demo version for fans who really want to try themselves as an investor of a potentially good project. But based on what he saw, we probably wait for a remake, and no step forward, which at a certain moment became flat 2.
Source: VG Times
Christina Moncayo is a contributing writer for “Social Bites”. Her focus is on the gaming industry and she provides in-depth coverage of the latest news and trends in the world of gaming.