Destruction Derby

"Old fashioned car-wrecking fun"

Sooo... ever been to one of those Destruction Derbies? Fun, aren't they? Ever get bored of other racing games where you so much as dare to nudge into another car and it’s effectively race over? Of course you do. So making a game heavily based on smashing your cars into others would be a great idea, right? Well, sort of. Although Destruction Derby (henceforth DD) manages to be fun for a while, the fun is a little more short-lived than you might expect. Still, it’s good while it lasts...

The game offers a large selection of racing modes and options. First up, there is the “Destruction Derby” (of course!). Here, you and 15 other cars are positioned around an enclosed “ring”, if you will, and the basic objective is to be the last car moving under its own power. You gain points along the way for smashing other cars up, and gain a huge points bonus for eliminating other cars (which encourages aggression on your part, as opposed to sitting back and letting the other drivers eliminate each other), and for winning the event. You have to take care not to be too aggressive though, lest you end up doing more damage to your own car than to your opponents...

Next up is the championship mode. Seasons consist of races across five different tracks, followed by the season finisher, a Destruction Derby, where the same rules as above apply. Although the tracks are generally nicely laid out (a couple of them contain a “figure of 8” crossing, which raises the potential for damage dealing), I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed that there were only 5 tracks on offer – contrary to many other aspects of the game there is very little variety here. You can choose between two different modes of racing – “Stock Car Racing” and “Wreckin’ Racing”. The former is more racing-based, you are encouraged to be more concerned with finishing first than smashing up other cars (although of course you are allowed to do some damage if you wish...), whereas the latter encourages more “aggressive” racing as it has a more liberal points awarding system, whereby you gain championship points by damaging other cars or eliminating them altogether. You still also get points based on your finishing position though, so it’s important to compromise to some extent.

The championship is split into four separate sub-divisions - each occupied by increasingly able drivers. Your aim is to finish top of your sub-division in order to get promoted, and thus be in direct competition with better drivers. Therefore if you truly want to be the best of the lot, it will take you at least 4 seasons to do so. Other racing modes include your standard one-off race option and a “duel” option, whereby you face off against only one opponent on a track of your choice. This option is best played in multiplayer mode, as sometimes the computer-controlled cars can limit the enjoyment of direct competition with a friend. Multiplayer mode is okay, although to get a great deal of enjoyment out of it you need players with roughly equal ability – there is little in the game to compensate for a gulf in ability, and the game isn’t really fun if you rarely get to see your rival...

You also have a choice of 3 cars to race with, each catering for differing skill levels. There’s the typical “slow-but-handles-well” car for beginners, and the “faster-but-harder-to-control” one for more accomplished players, which can get you much faster lap times, but only if you have the skill to handle it. The third car lies somewhere between these two extremes. Finally, the game includes a replay viewer, including many available angles and several custom options, which can be great for viewing and saving your most memorable moments.

Okay, here’s the summary...

Graphics: 7/10

Nothing special, even considering the age of the game. However, car damage is displayed in a somewhat realistic manner, and the tracks each have individual styles, and look relatively nice. 3 racing views are offered, the customary selection between in-car, a little bit behind the car, and a bit further behind the car and higher up. The cars each have their own individual look, which is nice, but the graphics are a bit pixelly, so it can be hard to tell who is who at times.

Sound: 7/10

Strangely enough, for an aged racing game the music isn’t at all bad, quite nice actually, and the engine sounds are quite distant, so they won’t become so annoying so quickly. Still, the sounds are nothing to write home about...

Gameplay: 8/10

Fun, fun, fun! Lots of racing options to cater for your every need, the controls are easy enough to understand and use, and there’s nothing quite as satisfying as (legally) demolishing the car of that driver who’s annoyed you immensely throughout the race! Multiplayer is less fun than it could be, but still good for a laugh (especially in “Destruction Derby” mode), and especially so if you have friends with roughly similar skill to you.

Replay value: 7/10

An abundance of options, racing modes, and 3 different cars to master may draw you back for a while, as well as the 4-tier championship, but it’s hard for the game to hide the fact that it only has five tracks, and as you get to know them like the back of your hand you’ll also find yourself getting bored rigid of them. Still, Destruction Derby is fun while it lasts.

Overall (not an average): 7/10

Good clean (well, dirty actually...) fun, albeit only for a short while. Definitely worth buying, as if you can find it it’s bound to be cheap.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/18/02, Updated 05/20/02