Wrack: Reclamation News

[p][/p][p]The big day is nearly here! Wrack: Reclamation has been completed, and will be available tomorrow at about 2PM CST.[/p][p][/p][p]We're thrilled with how everything has turned out. We've finished everything we set out to do, and it's by far the best Wrack ever - and that's largely thanks to your help. Your feedback on the demo has been incredibly helpful. So, thank you to everyone who left feedback in the forums, Discord, the feedback form, and so on - this game is so much better because of you![/p][p][/p][p]If you haven't yet, make sure to wishlist it! Doing so will really help with some last minute visibility.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Quick pricing note: If you own the original Wrack, you can get Wrack: Reclamation for an extra 25% off! Just make sure to select the "Original Owners" bundle on the store page once it's available.[/p][p][/p][p]We look forward to seeing what you think. WRACK! IS! BACK![/p]

[p]Hey there![/p][p][/p][p]Just wanted to document the last (planned) demo update for Wrack: Reclamation. Unless something major comes up, we'll be entirely focusing on the full release from this point on.[/p][p][/p][p]Here's what's changed:[/p][p][/p][h3]New/Improved[/h3]

• [p]Wrack Remake is now Wrack: Reclamation![/p]
• [p]New VFX for headshots (flesh/metal versions).[/p]
• [p]Switching weapons now instantly draws the next weapon. (Your current weapon no longer needs to be holstered.)[/p]
• [p]The name of the weapon you're switching to is now shown during the dry fire sequence.[/p]
• [p]Switches now fade out when pressed (rather than snapping to their new lighting amount).[/p]
• [p]Camera animation now defaults to 0.5 (was 1.0).[/p]
• [p]Punchier E1L1 checkpoint cutscene.[/p]
• [p]Moved a couple of crawlers on E1L1 so they don't sneak up on you while pressing a switch.[/p]
• [p]Music (temporary?) for the E1L2 storyboard.[/p]
• [p]Added missing fire speed VFX (the pink glow) for the gloogun.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed (hopefully) newly added settings defaulting to 0, instead of their intended value (ex. bloom).[/p]
• [p]Fixed weirdness by stunning minibosses/bosses with a stun attack (pistol hyperblast).[/p]
• [p]Fixed objective marker arrows not disappearing sometimes on E1L2.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Thank you![/p][p][/p]

[p]We're officially coming down the home stretch! With... checks title screen 18 days left until launch, bugs are all getting fixed, the last bits of content are being developed, and the last of the polish is being applied. Things are shaping up great, and we're all very proud![/p][p][/p][p]With everything wrapping up, it's naturally got us looking towards the future. What are we going to do next? More importantly, what do you want us to do next? It's something we pay a lot of attention to - after all, ultimately you all are the ones who are in charge.[/p][p][/p][h2]The Old Plan[/h2][p][/p][p]First, allow me to be honest for a moment. When we first announced that two Wrack projects were in development (the Wrack remake, as well as Wrack: Reclamation), I honestly thought everyone would be way more excited for Reclamation. To my surprise, this was not the case at all: the overwhelming amount of interest has been in the Wrack remake - will we make new maps for it, will we make more content, more episodes... etc.[/p][p][/p][p]Maybe it was too hard of a sell. A remake of a remake?! Sounds confusing. In any case, it doesn't really seem to make much sense for us to go down this road. Why totally reboot the game again - especially when things seem to be in such a good spot?! Why not just... continue forward? As it turns out, there's a very clear way to do that.[/p][p][/p][h2]The New Plan[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]The original Wrack was conceived as a three episode game. As a new studio, we ended up stretching ourselves way too thin trying to produce that much content. Hell, I would still be worried about producing that much content right now ... but one or two more episodes?! Sign me up![/p][p][/p][p]So that's the new plan: We're beginning production of Wrack episode 2!! We still have the original Wrack episode 2 as a base (I played through it recently - it is janky), as well as a bunch of content already made for the old Reclamation - enemies, weapons, etc. We will start figuring out what works, and go from there.[/p][p][/p][p]... but, if we're expanding Wrack Remake to go beyond the scope of what the original Wrack was... it's not really a remake anymore, is it? In fact, it's truly a reclamation project seeking to reclaim what the original Wrack was supposed to be - a three episode, action sci-fi adventure.[/p][p][/p][p]That's why I'm pleased to announce that Wrack Remake is now...[/p][h2]Questions![/h2][p][/p][p]I'm sure there will be questions - and I certainly don't have all the answers. But I'll preemptively answer a few things:[/p][p][/p]

• [p]We're starting with episode 2. No plans on episode 3 right now.[/p]
• [p]I don't know how it will be distributed (DLC, standalone game, free expansion).[/p]
• [p]There is no release date on the new content.[/p]
• [p]It will be primarily set in space with groovy, gravity fun![/p]

[p][/p][p]Haven't wishlisted it yet? Do it while it's hot![/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Thank you!![/p]

[p]When can we finally declare that Wrack is back?! We finally have an answer for you: in one month![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]That's right! Wrack Remake will release on Saturday, November 22nd, 2025![/p][p][/p][p]Why a Saturday, though? That's kind of weird, isn't it? The reason is because we were lucky enough to make it into the Winter OTK Games Expo - which was no easy feat. We're very fortunate! It's going to be a fun time, where we'll get showcased alongside many other fantastic indie games. So, be sure to check it out one month from today![/p][p][/p][p]See you then![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Of course, that's not all we have to share! To properly begin the countdown, we've updated the demo which now includes the countdown to the true release date. Of course, that's not all, so here's what it includes:[/p][p][/p][h3]New/Changed[/h3]

• [p]The Bravestar now has a functioning hyperblast! It deals damaged based on how much energy it has, and then consumes all of it at the end of the swing.[/p]
• [p]The title screen now contains the proper full release countdown.[/p]
• [p]Enemies now spawn in alerted.[/p]
• [p]After depleting the sword in the tutorial, it now stays depleted until the cutscene explaining its "ammo" finishes (then begins recharging normally).[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Quality of Life[/h3]

• [p]Energy is no longer depleted when striking non-enemies with the Bravestar (barrels, crates, etc.).[/p]
• [p]Gloogun grenades no longer come out of the gun at an angle.[/p]
• [p]Crusher bodies no longer block grenades/rockets.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed glowing on textures not working at all if settings were turned down to "low".[/p]
• [p]Fixed aim not lining up with the crosshair while sliding.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug causing you to become a zombie.[/p]

[p][/p][p]If for whatever reason you haven't wishlisted the game yet (you know you want to feed the algorithm!), you can do so here:[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]See you in one month!![/p]

[p]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.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]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.[/p][p][/p][p]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:[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

• [p]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.[/p]
• [p]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![/p]
• [p]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.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Of course, we didn't stop there! We've also made a bunch of changes in Wrack Remake as well:[/p][p][/p]

• [p]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![/p]
• [p]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.[/p]
• [p]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![/p]
• [p]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![/p]

[p][/p][p]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![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]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![/p][p][/p][p]Until next time![/p]