Greetings Drivers!
Wreckage’s Early Access begins now, on the 30th anniversary of Twisted Metal.
Without the monumental impact that Twisted Metal I & II had on us, Wreckage simply would not exist today. We know there are many others out there like us who grew up with classic car combat games, and there are few titles that both capture the nostalgia and scratch the itch.
So that’s why we’re launching Wreckage today: we want to celebrate the shoulders we ride on! We would also love for you to take what we’ve got for a spin.
This game is currently in an ALPHA state. The edges are rough, but we’ve found the fun within the game and we’re ready to finish bringing this world to life. Despite being in Alpha, there are some fun little surprises in the game already — and we hope you enjoy smashing your way through the Tournament and Challenge Modes.
But enough preamble, let’s discuss what’s in Early Access and what you can expect as we blaze a trail to version 1.0.
What’s in the Early Access Build?
Early Access currently includes:
1995 Tournament Campaign. This is a work-in-progress mode housing campaigns for each playable character.
Currently just levels to play through, but we’re working on adding some intro cutscenes and light story beats to flesh out the world and characters.
We are also planning to amp up the presentation for each campaign, currently you’ll just begin each level and play through them.
Challenge Mode. This is Tony Hawk meets Twisted Metal. Each level has a handful of different challenges to meet (to create a perfect run) within the time limit.
Currently, all the challenges are the same. Over time we may adjust these based on player feedback.
Challenge Mode currently has a limited number of available maps, and this will increase over time.
Split Screen & Remote Play. 2-4 players can all beat the heck out of each other in a PvP game mode. This can happen on the same machine with multiple controllers, or via Steam Remote Play!
We are developing a dedicated co-op mode, but this will take some time.
We also need to retool Last Man Standing as a game mode. We may consider developing other multiplayer experiences if time allows.
What’s in Development?
Polishing Tournament Mode. This looks like mini-narratives for every playable character contained in Tournament Mode. Cutscenes, voice overs, the works.
Adding secrets to every level. In the spirit of the genre, we’re going to be adding secrets to every level, and also making sure they look (and feel) great.
AI behavior upgrade. Currently the AI behaves like a bag of rocks being swung around by a swarm of angry bees. It’s indiscriminate, bumps into a lot of things, and is more focused on damage than anything else.
We know there are a number of pathing issues that are likely to crop up (though we’ve solved the worst of them). We hope that by the time 1.0 launches, we can have a much smarter AI that feels strong, but fair.
I-95 Death Race. This is the mode we’re very excited for, but it also needs a lot of time in the oven. This is a dedicated rogue-lite mode that tasks you with surviving levels with increasingly more difficult enemies, mutators, and car builds for yourself. The characters, cars, and items you unlock in this mode are equipable in Challenge Mode.
Wreckage 1.0 Timeline
We are aiming to wrap development for Wreckage by the 30 year anniversary of Twisted Metal II (October 31st, 2026). We’ve spent a lot of time building the core systems and game feel of Wreckage over the last few years, so now we’re able to focus on getting it “content complete.”
If you’re someone who’s been itching for something like Twisted Metal and want to ride alongside us for the next year, we’d deeply appreciate your support. If you’d like to wait till further into development, then consider leaving us a Wishlist and joining our Discord.
This is a passion project through and through. We cannot wait to see it complete and in your hands.
Now, it’s time for us to get back into The Chop.
Talk soon,
- Jupiter Lighthouse Games