Maybe you played the original Wrack. Maybe you noticed it had some sort of streak/combo/chain/whatever system - it's all pretty interchangeable (but maybe don't call it a "whatever system"). Chances are, you were able to ignore it for the most part, because well... it wasn't well-integrated into the game. It didn't matter.
Considering that was supposed to be one of the main selling points of the game... that wasn't good! A lot of the fun of Wrack is supposed to be about fast-paced combat, with a touch of strategy when it comes to how to take down the next thing before time runs out. In Wrack, kills are oxygen.
So, ever since the original, we've been enhancing the kill streak system to make it as good as it possibly could be. We started this process off in Wrack: Exoverse (that's right, I'm mentioning it), and have continued into Wrack Remake. Here are a few highlights from what we did in Exoverse:
More Time: First off, the timer in Wrack was way too harsh! Trying to get a single kill with the pistol would usually drop your streak. Starting in Exoverse, you now have not only more time overall, but your timer ticks much more slowly earlier in the streak - so you can at least build some momentum before it gets more difficult.
Overkills: Starting in Exoverse, it's not just about killing something - it's about how hard you kill them. We added the idea of doing more damage than what it takes to kill an enemy - an overkill. In this game, overkills would cause the enemies to gib into a nice, bloody mess of giblets - and (the kicker!) give you 50% more time to complete the next kill in your streak!
Timer Freezing: Exoverse introduced some ways to pause the streak timer - including freezing or stunning enemies. Wrack Remake has kept this going by pausing the timer when you deflect a missile, stun an enemy (pistol hyperblast, parry a melee, etc.), and keeping your streak paused while any hyperblasted missiles do their business.
Of course, we didn't stop there! We've also made a bunch of changes in Wrack Remake as well:
Speed: Everything gets more frenetic when your streak increases! Once your streak reaches 8, your movement speed increases by 20% (this affects your slide as well!); and once it reaches 16, your weapon speed increases by 25% as well - affecting firing, reloading, and more!
Power: In the original, there was a finisher system that was only usable while your streak was active (and only when above a certain level). We felt that was too limiting, and now you're able to use your hyperblast at any time. However, now it gets stronger as your streak gets longer - powering up when your streak reaches 8 and 16.
Ultrakills: Here, we decided that mere overkills aren't enough! Now, doing a little bit more damage than it takes to kill an enemy results in an overkill: the enemy becomes a ragdoll and goes flying; but, if you do a lot more damage, the result is an ultrakill, which causes the enemy to blow apart into giblets. Overkills still give 50% more streak time, but ultrakills give you a whopping 125% more time. Fun, and strategic!
Resets: The ability to kill corpses a second time is critical! You can kill enemies, and then kill their body a second time to reset your streak timer. Resets go hand-in-hand with your melee attack, which does a fantastic job of carving your enemies up again, and giving you lots of time to reload, get your next kill... whatever you'd like to do!
That should about cover it! All in all, all these changes have made Wrack Remake the best possible Wrack experience so far. Don't believe us? Give the demo a play for yourself!
One final thing I didn't mention - these have changes have led to the true way to play: Balderdash! The highest (selectable) difficulty uses the settings of Medium - however, dropping a streak will result in death! This forces you to play Wrack Remake the intended way - without being too overwhelming. I would heavily encourage you to give it a try!
Until next time!