There’s something undeniably satisfying about racing cars and being rewarded for the destruction and chaos of a good demolition derby, and Wreckfest 2 delivers that in spades.
Recently launched in early access on Steam, this sequel to the cult-classic racing brawler is already shaping up to be a wild ride. As a fan of racing titles, I jumped at the chance to dive in, buying in, even in its unfinished state, it’s a blast worth talking about.
For this test drive, I jumped in my racing sim setup: the GT Track cockpit from Next Level Racing, paired with the Moza R12 wheelbase, matching pedals, a sequential shifter, and a handbrake. It’s a rig that’s built for precision but also rugged enough to handle the carnage Wreckfest 2 throws your way. Spoiler alert: it’s a match made in heaven.
First impressions: Controlled chaos
If you’ve played the original Wreckfest, you’ll feel right at home. The game retains that signature blend of high-octane racing and physics-driven destruction, but everything feels kicked up a notch.
The early access build already boasts improved visuals—think more detailed car damage and environments that beg to be torn apart—and a handling model that’s tight yet forgiving enough for the inevitable collisions.
The Moza R12’s force feedback was on point, rattling my hands and forearms and even had to dive out to Moza Studio to tone things down a little.
The handbrake came into its own here too, letting me slide into turns before plowing into the competition.
The sim setup advantage
While you can race with the keyboard, please don’t, at least grab an Xbox controller, but if you can, find your way to a racing sim for the ultimate experience.
The R12’s responsiveness made it easy to recover from spins—crucial when half the field is trying to ram you off the course. The pedals, with their solid weight, gave me fine control over throttle and braking, though I’ll admit I spent more time flooring it than feathering the brakes.
This kind of setup may not be cheap, but for a game like Wreckfest 2, it elevates the experience from fun to immersive.
Early Access: Rough edges, big potential
Being an early release, Wreckfest 2 isn’t flawless.
I did find a glitch in the controller setup screen that constantly reverts back to the keyboard as the default, despite defining the wheel and pedals, something I’m sure will be fixed in time. I also had to manually configure wheel parameters like degrees rotation, steering acceleration and reduce the minimum deadzone. Once I had this sorted, it was time to race.
The content is still limited, with a handful of modes, tracks, and vehicles to mess around with. That said, what’s here is polished enough to keep you entertained for hours.
Check out my session below for a taste of the action:
Overall
Wreckfest 2 in early access is already a riot, blending arcade thrills with just enough realism to make every crash feel earned.
Paired with a solid sim setup like mine, it’s a playground for chaos and is a nice break from the super serious racing of something like Assetto Corsa EVO.
The game will only get better with time, more tracks, cars, and stability tweaks and more.
You can grab Wreckfest 2 on Steam now and join the mayhem.
