Next Car Game: Wreckfest Update Released

Paul Jeffrey · Dec 19, 2015

Bugbear Entertainment, developers of popular smash 'n' crash title Next Car Game: Wreckfest have released their latest update to the Steam title, bringing the game a number of tweaks and optimizations as well as adding a new Work in Progress Rally Cross track for racers to enjoy.

The titles growing online fanbase will be particularly pleased to hear that the developers have responded to community requests and provided a dedicated server performance optimisation as well as further improvements to grass and shadow rendering performance, increased usability of settings features and numerous improvements and fixes to back end game engine features.

Running in 64 bit has historically caused performance issues with a number of users and the developers seem to have gone some way to alleviating the problems with further enhancements to "effect level-of-detail models to improve performance" alongside other optimizations.

Founded in 2000, Bugbear Entertainment are an independent developer responsible for such titles as FlatOut series (FlatOut, FlatOut 2, FlatOut Ultimate Carnage), Sega Rally PSP, Glimmerati, Tough Trucks, Rally Trophy, Ridge Racer Unbounded.

Next Car Game: Wreakfest is a demolition derby themed racing game with soft-body damage featuring realistic handling and fully up gradable (and smashable!) vehicles. Currently in Early Access the title is available to purchase through the Steam platform.

Full update changelog can be found below:

Added Mixed 2, a new rally-cross type track.
Optimized dedicated server CPU usage.
Improved visual damage scaling with network lag.
Improved tyre model and suspension setups.
Tweaked gamepad and keyboard controller.
Added effect level-of-detail models to improve performance.
Laps are no longer count when driving in the center of Speedway 2 Inner Oval.
Improved Racing 2 environment and art.
Added additional sound effects to user interface.
Added two new tabs to options (Graphics and Gameplay) with settings split from the previous Display tab.
Added volume sliders for garage ambient sounds and interface sound effects.
Grass setting now affects density too, and all quality levels perform faster.
Optimized shadow quality settings and added one more level.
Fixed a bug in the particle quality setting.
Made low quality cubemap slightly faster.
Made some more settings changeable on-the-fly.

Do you enjoy crashing into your fellow racers in Wreckfest? Let us know what you think of this latest update in the comments section below!

xnorb · Dec 21, 2015

FlyGasm said:
This game had a great start, but then it just kind of fizzled, so I'm glad to see the devs are at it again.

They screwed up big time tying everything to their physics overhaul and then being forced to delay absolutely all patches until they sorted out the desastrous physics issues.

Still a very barebone game, but the basics are very promising.

Paul Bennett · Dec 21, 2015

RD races were talked about before but did n't get going, maybe worth a try out now.

ears · Dec 21, 2015

I need to get back into this game. Long time since I played it. Happy to host a server as a little try-out if enough people want it.

TTupsi · Dec 21, 2015

I'll certainly be in some RD Weeckfest fun

Not until ajanuary though..

Ryan Soucy · Dec 21, 2015

Maybe I need to try the MP. The single player is super frustrating. It seems if any AI touches your rear 1/4 panel you go round. But if you dive into a corner and ram an opponent, you round, not the AI. It takes a lot of effort and force to turn a car around. Even if I'm in the "Ford Capri" and I'm trying to eliminate the Fiat 500 looking thing. Its as if the mass of the AI cars are much higher than the player. Probably did that on purpose so we wouldn't just turn people non-stop and win every race. (A cheat breaker like "wall glue" for ovals and "sticky grass" on rally games).

Paul Jeffrey · Dec 21, 2015

Ryan, try the MP... its great fun mate

I'd go so far as to say it the only game I would consider racing online outside of a club event (long gone are the days of dropping in a random lobby for me

).

xnorb · Dec 22, 2015

Ryan, when was the last time you played?
There was a time after the new physics update where it was basically impossible to spin AI cars, that was adjusted and it's again possible to spin them out.

William Levesque · Dec 22, 2015

I quite like the physics (when I played before this last update), doesn't feel bad at all. Some people claim that it's difficult to hold slides (especially in the Ford Escort I heard, which is what I usually drive), but I don't think so at all. Feels pretty good. Cars should probably have a bit less grip, especially on power, but yeah, I like it.

xnorb · Dec 22, 2015

Ya, most people say that they stuggle badly with controlling those cars.
Guess most of them use keyboard or gamepad without any aids, because with wheel it's pretty easy IMO (and i'm a really bad driver)

Michael Hornbuckle · Dec 22, 2015

Not being able to map a clutch when the game recognizes my Fanatic pedals is maddening; why even bother being able to map an H-pattern if you can't use a clutch?
I bought this within day of it becoming available on Steam yet I have only amassed 8 hours of playtime, and the vast majority of it was spent setting up controls, setting up graphics, etc.
I tested it for the first time in months a couple weeks ago, and there were moments of brilliance for sure, but then I would load another combo and it was nothing but a stuttery mess.
It is nice to see that this game isn't the abandonware that it was certainly looking like, but at this rate it will be years before it is a fully functioning polished game IMO. (and I doubt they have plans to work on it that much longer)

William Levesque · Dec 22, 2015

Oh yeah, lack of clutch is a massive downer... I play in sequential mode for the sole reason, H-Shifting is unplayable due to the enormous lag between shifts.

Andy_J · Dec 22, 2015

I think auto gears or paddle shift is suitable for a fun game like this. Jesus, you'll be smashing your head through the screen to simulate demolition derby next.