Wreckfest Review

When Wreckfest first released on PC in June of 2018, it was the end of an extensive and turbulent development period. Wreckfest spent four years in early access and arrived to fanfare from wannabe racers around the world. With the PC version sat at a favourable 81 on Metacritic, it’s no wonder it subsequently released on both Xbox and PlayStation.

It’s been quite the wait though for Switch fans to get the chance to play the spiritual successor to FlatOut and Destruction Derby, and it was feared that the wait was representative of the difficulties in getting Wreckfest to run on Switch hardware.

Fear no more. Wreckfest on the Nintendo Switch is an absolute banger. From its game modes to its handling and its racing mechanics, Wreckfest delivers a racing experience to rival anything on the Switch to date. Where it matters most, Bugbear Entertainment and THQ Nordic have delivered.

The expert delivery begins with the handling. I’m a firm believer that the success of a racing game starts here because all other aspects are inconsequential if the car doesn’t handle as it should. No matter what vehicle you are racing in Wreckfest, be it RWD, FWD, a school bus, or a three-wheeler, the team has successfully captured the feel behind the wheel. Better still, there are a small but impactful selection of settings that can be tweaked to tailor the ride to your liking.

Words such as differential, gear ratio, brake balance, and suspension conjure different emotions for different people. Bugbear have made all of these both accessible and understandable, with the four receiving a brief explanation on the tuning screen. You can then use the sliders to determine the result you are looking for, and there is a direct and immediate impact on the racing experience as soon as you hit accept.

Second on my list of racing requirements is an eclectic or interesting set of race modes. So when the opening race has you speeding round on a lawnmower smashing other lawnmower racers to the ground, you know you’re in for a treat. There’s Destruction Derby events, Elimination races, Banger races…you name it. On occasion, these race types can feel a little repetitive as the catalogue of cars isn’t as expansive as I’d hoped — they are on the surface, but delving into each of the car classes highlights a distinct lack of variety. There are cars to be purchased as part of small DLC bundles, but this shouldn’t be needed for a port that has come out four years after its initial release.

There’s one other concern with Wreckfest and, unfortunately, it contradicts the very reason to purchase it on the Switch: handheld mode. The performance — particularly visually — isn’t as good in handheld. It’s playable, most definitely, but could and should have been better. It does let it down somewhat and is one of the very few blights on an otherwise excellent experience.

The racing fun can be enjoyed either alone or with friends online. The multiplayer modes are very smooth and easy to use, and there’s a cracking community being created. It really is a joy to see such a well-revered game release on the Switch in such a good state.