By Jon Scarr
Wreckreation brings back a style of racing that’s been missing for a while, and it doesn’t waste time easing you in. You start on a huge island with the freedom to drive wherever you want, chase events, or just see what strange things you might find sitting off the side of the road. It feels simple at first, but it doesn’t take long before the game shows you how much room you have to mess around.
One of my early moments set the tone. I spotted a billboard sitting halfway up a hill, almost daring me to hit it. The angle looked rough, and the run-up didn’t make much sense, but I tried anyway. I drifted a bit too early, clipped the boost at the wrong time and somehow cleared it with a sideways landing that didn’t look right at all. I still laughed. It told me a lot about what this game expects. Try things. Miss the mark. Try again. Have fun even when it looks messy.
Driving across the island feels loose and fast, and you notice how the game pushes you to stay in motion. Events sit at the edges of roads, collectibles nudge you toward detours and takedowns send you off in new directions. You can jump into a race or just explore until something catches your eye. Either way, the game keeps you moving, and that steady pace helps the world feel alive.
Wreckreation Details
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Developer: Three Fields Entertainment
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Genre: Arcade racing
Available game modes: Single player, Online multiplayer
ESRB Rating: Teen
Racing the Island Your Way
Wreckreation keeps its focus on fast racing and simple controls, and that’s what makes the island fun to explore. You can drive almost anywhere, and the game gives you reasons to move in different directions without stopping. Events sit close to the roadside, gates are tucked into small gaps and billboards wait in odd spots that sometimes need a strange angle or a risky setup. It all fits together in a way that keeps you jumping into something new without much planning. It feels loose in a good way.
The cars stick to an arcade style that makes every class feel different but easy to learn. Race Cars and Hyper Cars work well for sprints, while Bruisers soak up hits during Road Rage events. Off-road trucks hold steady on dirt routes. Switching them around changes how you look at the next event, especially when a route pushes you toward uneven terrain or tighter corners. The simple boost system also adds a steady push forward. You build it through drifts, near misses or takedowns, and the speed bump you get from a full boost meter makes even a short ride feel busy.
One Road Rage run gave me one of those small moments that stick with you. I picked a car that wasn’t the best choice, but I tried anyway. I hit boost at the wrong time, clipped a van in traffic and spun sideways into a guardrail. The respawn dropped me right back into the pack, and the next takedown came from a light tap I didn’t really plan. It wasn’t pretty. It still worked, though, and that quick shift from mistake to progress matches how the game plays most of the time.
Outside the events, the island has more to do than the usual races. Each road tracks Wrekords like drifting or air time, and beating them gives you something small to chase even when you’re not aiming for a full run. Cars also show up around the map. When one spawns, you can chase it down and knock it out to add it to your garage, which breaks up long drives and adds a bit of surprise to a casual cruise. Fast travel helps too, especially when you only have time for a short session.
Live Mix is the feature that changes how you approach the world. You can drop ramps, loops, pipes or other pieces anywhere with a quick tap, and the world updates instantly. You can also shift the weather or time of day without leaving the road, which makes the island feel like something you’re shaping rather than something you’re only exploring. The creative side opens up more once you gather more pieces, but even the early moments give you enough tools to try things and see what happens.
The Island in Motion
Wreckreation looks clean enough on PS5 to keep the driving easy to follow, especially during daytime runs. Roads stay sharp, landmarks are clear from a distance and the island has enough visual variety that it never feels flat. You get open stretches, tighter routes and small clusters of scenery that break things up. It’s simple, but it works.
I noticed the rain more than I expected. While driving toward an event, a light shower hit and the reflections across the road looked better than I thought they would at that speed. The headlights caught the wet pavement in a way that made the next corner easier to read. It was a small thing, but it stood out and made that part of the drive feel smoother than usual.
Time-of-day shifts also help the island feel different without getting in the way. Evening lighting changes the mood a bit, and the world stays readable when you’re moving fast. Live Mix pieces you drop into the map show up as landmarks too, which makes them handy when you’re trying to find your way back to a spot you were testing a few minutes earlier.
Audio is solid most of the time, with clear engine noise and sharp tire sounds that match the arcade feel. The radio stations give you enough variety to settle into something that fits your pace. I did run into a few moments where the audio became muffled before popping back to normal, and it felt jarring when it happened, but it wasn’t constant.
Load times stay short and help you get into events quickly. I also had one hard crash during my time with the game. It pushed me back to the menu, but everything ran normally once I restarted. Outside of that, the game held steady and kept the momentum moving.
Racing Together Across the Island
Looking Back at Wreckreation
Wreckreation reminded me why I still reach for arcade racers after all these years. There’s something about the speed, the noise and the quick resets that pulls you in without asking much from you. This game hits that feeling pretty fast. It gives you a wide island, simple controls and a loop that encourages you to keep moving. It feels honest about what it wants to be.
The freedom to build ramps, loops and routes on the fly sets it apart from most modern racers. I liked how easy it was to place something, test it and tweak it again without slowing everything down. It gave the island a casual workshop vibe where nothing felt too serious. That kind of creativity is rare in racing games, and seeing it work in real time kept me experimenting more than I expected. It feels good.
What surprised me most is how well the chaos blends with the relaxed structure. You can drive for a few minutes or an entire night, and it still feels natural. I had a few technical bumps along the way, but none of it really stopped the fun. The core driving still feels right, and the island is big enough to keep you pushing into new areas when you want something different. It moves well.
If you miss the days of arcade racers that didn’t bury you in menus or tuning, Wreckreation finds that sweet spot. It’s fast, loose and easy to slip into whenever you feel like dropping into a race. I walked away liking how it focused on fun first. Sometimes that’s all you need.
Wreckreation Review Summary
Liked
- Fast, responsive driving that feels great right away
- Live Mix tools that let you build routes and ramps quickly
- Lots of events, Wreckords and side challenges to chase
- Multiplayer sessions stay fun and unpredictable with friends
Didn't Like
- - Visuals and readability dip during certain races
- - Occasional audio muffling and one hard crash
- - Some difficulty spikes tied to car unlock pace
- - No crossplay limits multiplayer groups
Overall Assessment of Wreckreation
Gameplay: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4 / 5)
Graphics: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3 / 5)
Sound: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4 / 5)
Replayability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4 / 5)