Not quite a paradise
We have finally come full circle. Most people remember the Burnout series. It came and went with a fury that has resonated with gamers for years. Eventually developer Criterion disbanded and the remnants went on to work on other EA franchises, but a splinter of that team went on to create Three Fields Entertainment. Some people likely remember their first outings, which were low-budget Burnout-inspired racing titles like Dangers Zone 1 and 2 as well as Dangerous Driving, but nothing they made ever really captured that original Burnout charm.
Wreckreation is their Burnout Paradise, and the similarities are evident the minute I booted it up. From the boost meter to the race design, this game feels like a spiritual successor in every facet. This is an open-world game where the idea is to explore, create, and of course race. What is different here is the focus on creation. Hence the name, the idea is that players are the developers of their own sandbox racing world. They can control every aspect of their instance including weather, time of day, names of streets and cars, and even create their own events. Invite players into your sandbox and have a good time. That is the idea, but in execution it has a few drawbacks that I hope are ironed out over time.
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $34.99
The opening sequence of the game is a bit misleading, but it does telegraph some aspects of the game. The game kicks off with a race high in the sky full of big jumps and attempts to make a solid impression. This is where we get used to the handling and mechanics of the game. The cars feel very heavy and sliding around corners takes some time to adjust to. Drifting is not quite Burnout and more Wreckfest, which is wild as I got a lot of vibes of Bugbear’s games in the way the cars feel.
This is Wreckreation’s biggest flaw. The game is just not impressive in how it looks and feels. The physics are wonky and there are definitely issues with the tech. Framerates drop and some of the world is just bland to look at. Controlling the car also just doesn’t feel great at times. It helps as you get better cars, but it takes too long to feel ‘good’ when compared to other racers.
Once you land on the ground after the initial race, the real roots of Wreckreation are exposed. This is a massive open-world that feels very empty at first. There are coastlines and open roads, but the lack of interesting locations are apparent right from the get-go. The world just feels empty at first. As I explored more things opened up and as the map filled out, it made it more lively, but it still shows its warts often.
As I mentioned this game focuses on creation. Players are given the tools to customize just about everything. There are billboards to smash and new cars to unlock, but you can only switch between them at parking lots. Luckily these can be used for fast travel. I spent the first few hours just exploring and the lack of landmarks and areas of interest are disappointing. Open-world games live and die by, well the world itself, and Wreckreation’s feels more like a genetic sandbox as opposed to a living city.
The heart and soul of the game though is Live Mix. This is basically a free-form editor that players can open up at any point and customize their experience. The term sandbox is perfect for this game. Your instance of Wreckreation is entirely unique, and what is even more impressive is that everything you do stays forever. If you want to create a looping track in the sky with dinosaurs, you can do that. Exploring the world and picking up these tools to expand your ability to create. This is extremely impressive and what sets this game apart from its peers. Being able to mix the weather, the traffic, and the design of the world makes it Minecraft on wheels. It is truly wild.
All of these creations can be shared by inviting people into your world. You can also collaborate with other players to build the ultimate races and stunt tracks. The game is ambitious to say the least and I hope it flourishes. We are still early though, so who knows how long it will last. I imagine I will continue to revisit this game for the next few months to see how it is evolved. There isn’t much like this and that is exciting. I love a good arcade racing game, and mixing elements of Burnout, Trackmania, and Forza Horizon is a recipe for fun. Just how long that fun lasts though remains to be seen.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
