Don't expect Grand Turismo, but this game is worth the tag price for the online smashes alone

Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvVUB3xDD78

You might be here because Wreckfest, or Next Car Game, or whatever they decided to call it, has finally started to lollop it's way out of early access. You might be here, because this game looks like a bit of you. Whatever the reason, you're now looking whether to part with you hard earned money for this title.

I was one of the few that bought this quite early on in early access. I remember watching a video on 'Next Car Game' and thinking how it reminded me of a game I whiled away countless hours on when I was younger, Flat Out. I was pleasantly surprised when I learnt that a lot of the same people were involved in this game. So I paid whatever sum it ws back then for this little sprout of a game and eagerly awaited what I thought would be a few months before it released as a fully fledged successor to Flat Out, the game I held so nostaligically dear.

Then it seemed to get abandoned. Everytime I'd think, "Ah well that's it then", a few days later it'd pop up with an update. Usually minor, but hopeful signs nonetheless. My interest wained a bit, and at some point it got uninstalled and I forgot about it.

Then recently I saw how it was getting ready to leave Early Access, I re-downloaded and had a look at what we had. I've got to say, I'm impressed. As the tagline stated, don't expect Grand Turismo. After all, it's come from quite a small studio as far as I am aware (Are THQNordic the viking contingent of THQ?!) but what they have produced can definitely hold it's own amongst the racing/simulation section.

The game bases around soft-body physics, which are amazing. Some of the mangled monstrosities you finish a race in are masterpieces in themselves. These soft-body physics are then backed by a damage system with adjustable realism. The location of an impact will quite adeptly affect a realistic component of your car. Smash head on into something? Radiator is spewing. Launch off a tyre wall and body slam your car into the roof of another? Gearbox Failure, and a car stance that looks akin to an angry cat.

This damage system makes what is fairly arcadey racing quite in-depth and interesting. Play it clean and get ahead of the pack that way? Could work. Alternatively, do my favorite and just PIT manouvere anyone in your way. Preferably into another competitor. This damage system actually helps to balance online races too, especially the longer ones. You may see success in the early stages by smashing competitors out the way, but your car starts to stagger and suddenly you find vehicle damage is at critical and you get tapped out by a patient competitor in a more or less pristine car.

As stated, the actual racing is somewhat arcadey. The car does handle differently on different surfaces, and there is option to 'tune' the car prior to races, lock the diff, change the gear ratio etc. This all has an effect on handling, but it's not incredibly major or open to perfecting and fine-tuning like you might find in the Dirt Rally series. However, I think its this degree of arcadism that makes this title so enjoyable. It's not trying to be too serious, it's giving you the oppurtunity to T-Bone another player at 80MPH and wince as you see their car go spiralling away.

This game is trying to be a banger racing/demolition derby game, and it does a pretty good job of it, just remember to turn the AI difficulty up in career mode!


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