Wreckfest Is The Perfect Game To Bring Your Secret Demolition Fantasies To Life

Have you ever been racing in a game when you barely nudge another player, but your car gets flung wildly into a terrible wreck? Or have you ever bumped against opponents for position to then drive off without any drag from the damage? You might really enjoy these games, and you may have even found ways to take advantage of inaccurate feedback. Whether you love it or hate it, you have to admit these situations are so unrealistic.

When it comes to 3D simulators, there are two basic types of models, soft body and rigid body. There are variations of each, but we’re going to keep it simple today. Objects built using soft body dynamics are made up of malleable components like metal, that can bend or change shape when interacting with other objects. Rigid bodies may have a ‘skin’ that can change when interacting with other objects, but the structure of the object does not change.

When the team at Bugbear Entertainment began building Wreckfest, formerly known as Next Car Game, it set out to change the way gamers experience collisions. It spent countless hours studying real-world collisions and even visited a scrap yard to toy with junk cars in different crash scenarios. The formula for recreating real collisions in a video game was not an easy one. Developers had to account for several factors like vehicle weight, angle of collision, frame structure and speed. Over a decade ago, after realising that no physics engine could do quite what it wanted, the Bugbear team decided to build its own. The ROMU (Finnish for wreckage or scrap) engine delivers soft body damage modelling and physical behaviours that make crashes look real. See the glorious ROMU engine in action:

We were a little worried when the game’s Kickstarter campaign was cancelled last year after reaching just over 23 per cent of its goal, but with pre-order sales coming in steadily, the studio is moving along with development just fine. You can go here to download the technology demo before you decide to buy the full game through Steam Early Access. The game is currently available for PC players only, but Bugbear promises to consider building console versions if it raises enough money. Rest assured you don’t need a pricey computer to run Wreckfest. Check out the specs below:

The technology behind Wreckfest makes it a game changer, but the experience goes beyond the joys of crashing. You can start with an old banged up car and upgrade it with proper mechanical parts. Change the transmission, suspension and engine with parts bought and sold over the in-game classified ads system. The Wreckfest developers are petrolheads like us, so the future of upgradable parts and classified ads is limitless. It also recognises that not everyone is looking to make one massive pile-up of cars in the centre of a stadium. In addition to demolition derby areas, you can also race on dirt or paved tracks like the intense ‘Figure Eight’ and play against your friends in the online multiplayer mode.

Let us know what you think about the demo and the full version for those who have it. If you’re not laughing, yelling or cursing at the screen as you play, you’re doing it wrong.