REVIEW — Three Fields Entertainment (Dangerous Driving) knows its way around arcade racers, but this time the team veers a little closer to TrackMania — and not just figuratively. The title says it all: “wreck” plus “creation.” You really do get to build and tinker, which makes this a tempting sandbox for creative minds.

Those two words in the name fit Wreckreation to a tee — even if the phrasing echoes a certain 2000 Suzuki Wagon R+ ad line.

Chaos With a Nostalgic Aftertaste

In Wreckreation, you spin up your own world, so the arcade racing is genuinely up to you. You collect cars, assemble tracks, and decide where to take it from there. The game hands you a full island and says: do your thing. Chasing time trials? Go for it. Racing friends? That’s on the menu, too. The setup invites TrackMania comparisons, though the vehicle roster does skew differently. Ramps? Plenty.

You start with a basic license; as you clear challenges, the toolbox opens up — more options, more cars, more toys. Vibe-wise, it nails that early-2000s teen-room energy. Customization is the spine here: you can tweak your car (yes, even engine note) and roll your own tracks. You can literally build in mid-air — once you’ve earned the pieces. Early on, inventory is bare, so you’ll be scavenging the island for parts.

The catch: despite the big map, there isn’t much life in it. The world reads empty — not immersion-breaking, just conspicuously sparse. The same street corners become familiar fast, which isn’t necessarily a plus. The Burnout: Paradise parallels are real — that game hit consoles in 2008 (PC in early 2009). That alone wouldn’t be an issue, but when the visual bar feels stuck around that era — two-and-a-half console generations later, with a PS5 Pro in the mix — it stings. Textures are often bland, to put it kindly.

Performance is a bright spot: on a standard PlayStation 5, you get rock-solid 60 FPS at 4K. Options, though, are thin. A simple camera offset or, really, any deeper settings would have helped. In 2025, offering little more than a volume slider on console screams budget.

Is Gameplay Enough on Its Own?

For all of the above, the core can still be fun. If you want Burnout-style takedowns, you can absolutely punt rivals into guardrails — with camera work that occasionally channels Cobra 11. There are no difficulty tiers, so it often skews very easy. The one gotcha is when a car spawns right in front of you and nukes your lead — annoying, but avoidable with a little focus, so wins come fairly freely.

The real test is how good your tracks are. That’s where the creative crowd can shine — until the iffy handling rains on the parade. With no story to lean on, physics matters: it’s acceptable, but the sometimes mushy control takes the edge off. Which raises the broader question: if the game mostly hands you a framework, how much can you elevate it with your own concepts? From that angle, a dual score almost makes sense…

A Short, Durable Crush

Objectively, Wreckreation is fine, not great — a 6/10 feels right. If you love designing tracks and TrackMania isn’t your jam, this could be your playground; scored that way, it edges up to a 7/10. The pitch is strong, the follow-through fades: a good starting block that runs out of steam. Not bad, could be better; more fun with friends, unlikely to be a long-term staple.

-V-

Developer: Three Fields Entertainment
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Release: October 28, 2025
Genre: Open-World Racing, Track Building