Next Car Game: Wreckfest | |
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Developer(s) | Bugbear Entertainment |
Publisher(s) | Bugbear Entertainment |
Designer(s) | Janne Suur-Näkki |
Engine | ROMU |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 |
Release | summer 2017 |
Genre(s) | Vehicular combat, racing |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Wreckfest (previously known by its working title Next Car Game and currently listed on Steam as Next Car Game: Wreckfest) is a racing video game in development by Bugbear Entertainment, creators of the well-known demolition derby-style racing series FlatOut. Wreckfest is described as the spiritual successor to the FlatOut series and a cross between FlatOut, Destruction Derby and cult 1989 PC racer Street Rod. A notable feature of the game engine is the use of soft-body damage modelling, which enables location-based damage that affects the driving dynamics of vehicles in a realistic fashion.
The final game is intended to include a variety of gameplay features, including traditional track racing and demolition derbies. 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 must choose a vehicle, select either manual or automatic transmission, and finally select either a dirt or tarmac track on which to race. Players will also be able to buy and sell vehicles, customise vehicles, and perform "research". The races themselves focus heavily on "vehicular combat" with the player having to find a balance between defensive tactics such as avoiding debris or opponents' vehicles and more aggressive tactics such as grinding against opponents and forcing them out of the way in order to overtake them or avoid harm. While Next Car Game'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, resulting in a more traditional racing gameplay experience than in comparable games.