We investigate every console version of this exceptional destruction derby game.
Wreckfest is an all-out brawl of a racing game.
Made by Flatout dev Bugbear Entertainment, Wreckfest represents a long-awaited return to form for demolition derby games.
Just how well can this game scale from Nintendo’s hybrid console all the way to PS5?
Wreckfest’s claim to fame is its destruction.
Vehicle damage is fully simulated here, with cars that realistically crumple and disintegrate as they collide.
Technically speaking Wreckfest is a good-looking but not especially ambitious title, outside of its superb car damage model.
There seem to be some tweaks to post processing too, with motion blur entirely absent.
Performance is quite solid as well.
Just like the last-gen releases, 30fps is the target frame-rate, and it’s mostly achieved.
It looks like Wreckfest is using double-buffered v-sync, so drops are very noticeable when they do occur.
Thankfully though, frame-rates are surprisingly consistent overall.
Portable play yields some surprises.
Visual parameters are essentially untouched, while resolution falls from 1600x900 to 960x540.
Broadly speaking however, this is a skillful conversion.
Let’s move up the performance ladder then, and take a look at the last-gen console versions.
The Xbox One release is representative of the last-gen console releases in terms of underlying visual parameters.
One X offers a simple 4K toggle, offering much-improved fidelty, although shimmer is still an issue.
Xbox One is the odd one out, dropping frames and tearing occasionally but largely hitting the 30fps target.
The game looks cooler overall - less sepia, more blue - with greater vibrance and contrast.
Some incidental details are improved as well.
Finally, shadow draw distance is pushed out considerably, which helps ground distant vehicles.
Replays suffer as well, with extended bouts in the 50-60fps range.
It’s a breath of fresh air given the compromises in other recent Switch conversions.
Side-by-side with current-gen consoles there is a solid degree of scalability in the game too.
This is a worthy successor to games like Flatout and Test Drive: Eve of Destruction.
Cars handle well, races are dynamic and most importantly, the destruction is extremely well-realised.
Few other modern games can deliver the same catastrophic thrills.
