Destruction Derby

"This is definite mayhem, but it has some problems."

Destruction Derby was a game that i was really looking forward to. What can be more fun than totally wrecking loads of cars? I was hooked on the game, and anticipated the release so badly. Despite my hype for the game, no one was actually interested. Want to know how it draws? Find out in my review of Destruction Derby.

Graphics
Pretty basic graphics, nothing too special. The cars don't look extremely ugly, but there is a few problems with the graphical features. Yes, it won't put you off being addicted to the fun of the game, but the graphics could be better in my opinion. While playing the 'Destruction Derby' mode (as well as the other races), the crowd doesn't look at all too well, and can put you off looking at them. The cars are pretty basic, with them just being painted in red, etc etc. No fancy patterns, with a nice looking flame on the car or anything. But i'm guessing you will be too addicted to your race that you won't really be interested in how the game draws, graphically. The scenery is okay. For example, all of the trees, woods and other scenery around your races all look pretty okay, so it's not too bad at all. The graphics could be better, though.

Sound
Once again, pretty basic, nothing too special. The announcer while in-game gets way repeative, and you could get sick of hearing him all the time saying, ''Whoa!'' and the such. But seeing as you will be too addicted to wrecking some cars, i don't think it will annoy you too much. There is a lot of music featured in the game, about 15 different tracks. You can choose what track you wish to play, which is a good addition. Although, i would say that the music is way annoying, but we all have different tastes for music. As it's a racing game, you will hear the occasional bumping and your engine starting off while in-game. As i said, nothing too special with the sound, but it won't put you off playing and having some Destruction Derby fun :).

Gameplay
I'll start off with my only complaint for this; Loading time. You'll click on an Option and it will take way long to load it, i just don't see the point. There is loads of Loading time in the game, and it could (possibly definitely will) get you ultra-annoyed after playing the game for a long time. Other than that, the Gameplay is probably the only positive for the game. It's what counts, right? There is a good option for different kinds of races, so you can play different modes. There is Destruction Derby (total mayhem), Wreckin' Racing and Stock Car Racing. The races are pretty cool, especially on the track called 'Crossroads'. It's total mayhem, as you can bump into loads of cars coming the other way (you can probably guess that due to the name of the track). So, you won't get bored very easily, there is a lot of different races to play. The Destruction Derby mode is probably the most enjoyable, as there will be loads of different cars in a bowl-type small arena, and you have to cause as much destruction as possible. Very cool. You will also get points for how well you are Destructive, which is also pretty neat. The races speak for themself, it's just your normal racing. But you can still smash up cars, and also get your car wrecked, so be careful.

The controls are pretty basic, too. Which is also good. There isn't tons of buttons which need to be learnt, just your basic ''Driving'' buttons. For example, X to accelerate and Square to Brake. But this game focuses on total mayhem, not an ultra-Racing type game like Gran Turismo.

When you first start playing, the game is kind of hard. But after a few attempts at playing the Destruction Derby mode, you'll soon get the hand of the game and be playing it for quite some time. No, you won't get bored of it. Especially if you're a fan of Vehicle Combat games, you will love this one.

Replayability
Pretty nice. You will play the game again, mainly in the Destruction Derby mode. Once you've unlocked everything there is to unblock, you can still have the odd Race and play the DD mode again. You won't just put it away and never play it again. If you want the occasional time of fun, just put in Destruction Derby, and enjoy yourself. The Replayability is good, and you will play it again.

Buy or Rent?
It depends, really. If you like top Racing games like Gran Turismo, definitely rent it, as Destruction Derby doesn't really focus on Driving, just total car mayhem :). But, i would buy it if i was you. It's a nice addition to your collection, and a good game if you want a good 20 minutes of fun (maybe even more).

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Destruction Derby is a pretty okay, fun game. It's not really one for ultra-Driving type fans, though, so you should think about it before buying it. It's extremely fun though, fan of Driving games or not. So, it's pretty okay, but not ten out of ten material.
Overall: 6/10

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 09/07/03