For those that look for a bit of destruction in their lives, they might want to take a bit of a look at Destruction AllStars, a new offering for the PS5. In this article, we’ll give a review of the game and lay out what you can expect from playing it. Let’s begin dissecting this seemingly fun game.
What is Destruction AllStars?
Destruction AllStars is a vehicular combat game created by Lucid Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game was released on the PS5 on February 2, 2021.
If you’re someone that has a PlayStation Plus subscription, you should give Destruction AllStars a whirl. After all, you can’t argue with Free Game other than the subscription fee for PS Plus.
If you are looking for PS5 games to try this 2021, we have an article just for you.
Check out Destruction AllStars for the PS5 on Amazon today!
Destruction AllStars Gameplay Review
Let’s talk about Destruction AllStars and how the game plays for a bit, shall we?
Gameplay, Combat, and Controls
Smashing cars into each other and turning them to roadkill is something of a tradition in video games. There’s something awesome about watching your opponent’s car turned into a burning pile of wreckage. Back in the day, the Burnout and Twisted Metal games scratched that itch. Now, Destruction AllStars seeks to combine that vehicular combat with gameplay elements such as abilities from Overwatch. The result of this is a game with a lot of surface-level fun but eventually sputters out due to the lack of depth in its gameplay.
You only have one objective in the game. Get in a car, drive fast, hit hard, make sure your opponent’s car is wrecked, and stay alive. The harder you hit the car your opponent’s driving, the higher chance it’s not gonna get back up. This kind of gameplay is helped by the game’s scoring system. You get a point for dealing a light hit, two for medium hits, and three for heavy hits. This is usually found on the more battle royale versions of the game modes available in the game, and the gameplay is pretty nice.
In addition to that, you also have driver and vehicle abilities that you can use to get an advantage in a fight. Some of these abilities can be incredibly game-changing, while others are niche and only useful on specific game modes. This is something that we hope the developers change as it’s usually a good idea to make all characters viable in all game modes.
The game’s controls are incredibly responsive and slick, with the vehicles having appropriate maneuverability depending on their size. Larger vehicles are difficult to maneuver and vice versa. The controls in the game are great, which is essential in a driving game.
Story and Arena Design
There isn’t an in-depth story to Destruction AllStars, and it doesn’t need one if we’re being honest here. The game is a purely fun romp into the realm of vehicular destruction, and that’s all you need to know.
In terms of its arena design, all of the arenas in the game have their unique feel to them. One of them even has a huge wrecking ball-looking thing that swings around, hitting cars for max damage. Make sure to avoid that, by the way; that thing hurts to get hit by.
The gameplay depends on the arena you’re in, the game mode you’re playing, and what character you’re rocking on the game currently. This naturally leads the discussion to the game modes.
Game Modes
Currently, there are four game modes that players can romp around in the game. Two of these are Free-for-Alls while the other half is team-based. These are the following:
Mayhem
The game’s main attraction. All you need to do is deal maximum destruction to the other cars. The game mode’s a free-for-all, so expect no allies to save you if you’re being chased by three enemies. The only thing you can count on here is yourself. The one with the most points in the bunch wins.
Gridfall
This mode is similar to Mayhem but with a twist. The twist in question? Parts of the arena floor will eventually sink, restricting the play area of the game as the match continues. In addition to that, players have limited respawns, so once you’re out, you’re out. You get more respawns by knocking out other players. As for winning? Well, the best driver wins.
Carnado
Carnado is the start of the team-based modes in the game. The rules are simple: get gears by inflicting damage and destroying vehicles. After that, you need to drive through the tornado in the middle of the game arena to bank the gears and contribute to the team’s score. The first to 80 gears wins. Do note though that players can get accumulated gears from players with more of them banked. So if you have around 20 gears and you get wrecked by someone with five? They’ll get your 20 plus the gears for wrecking your car, so be careful when you have a lot of gears on you.
Stockpile
The last of the game modes plays similarly to Carnado. There are three banks scattered all over the arena. Your team’s job is to deposit gears into the banks to take control. The team that controls the most banks or controls all thre before the time runs out is the winner. However, getting gears is different when compared to Carnado. On Stockpile, you need to pick up the gears on foot after you wreck your enemy’s car.
Characters
Currently, players can choose 16 characters to play on Destruction AllStars. Each of these characters has its unique abilities and flair, so pick one that you like and go for it. However, do remember that some characters excel in specific game modes that we’ve discussed earlier.
The characters that you can play as on Destruction AllStars are the following:
Bluefang
Bluefang is what a lot of players consider as one of the most powerful characters in the game. Using his ability on foot will knock down other drivers. When on his Hero Vehicle, he can activate his shredder to turn enemy cars into mincemeat. He is someone you don’t want to encounter in the arena.
Angelo Avello
This one is more of a team player, but also has a lot of utility even on the Free-for-All modes. Angelo Avello can emit blinding bulbs that affect opponents as he jumps all around the arena. Now some people might say it’s not that useful, but blinding someone so that they crash into walls is a thing. His Hero Vehicle can lock into a specific enemy’s car and immediately hone in on them with high damage and speed. He is perfect for taking out cars with a lot of gears in team-based game modes.
Fuego
Fuego is a weird fellow. His on-foot ability makes him set the ground on fire while he’s trying to attack other drivers. This is pretty much useless when everyone else is inside their car. His Hero Vehicle, however, can set itself on fire, which means you get to deal extra damage when you hit other cars.
Boxtop
Yet another weird character and one that’s pretty much useful only on team play is Boxtop. He drops boxes that can knock down enemy drivers when he’s on foot. His Hero Vehicle attaches drones to cars that he slams into, dealing chip damage in the process. He is incredibly niche and one that we don’t recommend using until he gets reworked.
Hana
Hana is one of the more powerful characters despite being a new face in the Destruction AllStars arena. Her on-foot skill allows her to knock out other drivers in one hit while her Hero Vechicle attaches a blade on the front. This blade can then be used to slice other cars in twain, which is pretty terrifying to face in the arena.
Genesis
Genesis is yet another niche character with a pretty underwhelming ability set. Her on-foot ability makes her run and jump faster. It makes her reach objectives faster, sure. But why would you do so on foot when you have cars? Her Hero Vehicle is the same: it increases her car’s speed to the fastest that you can reach in the game. This means you deal increased damage, but also means that you’re pretty much on the whims of your driving skills at this point. If you’re unlucky, you’ll slam into a wall and be turned into nothing more than a smoldering wreck while using this ability.
Jian
In Jian’s case, you pretty much have the pick of the litter depending on what you use. If you’re on foot, you can deploy proximity mines. If you’re in your Hero Vhicle, you can cover it with spikes. Either of the two abilities is useful in the game due to their versatility and power.
Harmony
Harmony is a music-themed driver with a lot of spunk. Her on-foot ability makes her emit shockwaves when she’s attacking other drivers. Meanwhile, her Hero Vehicle has speakers on the sides as well as the rear, dealing damage to other cars that go near it.
Muna
In the game’s meta, Muna is a defensive driver. She can draw pickups and activate traps when on foot. However, when on her Hero Vehicle, she can draw scrap metal from other wrecked cars to surround her car. This creates a shield that makes her difficult to take down.
Lupita
Lupita’s a pretty similar driver to Fuego in that she uses A LOT of fire. Her on-foot and car skills set the ground ablaze behind her, which is pretty nuts since the flames cause damage to both people and cars. She’s a pretty solid pick in free-for-all and team modes.
Rescue
A proud husband and dad of two, expect this guy to throw a cringy dad joke while driving around. His skills are all about smoke, allowing him to blind opponents and cover areas. He is INCREDIBLY useful on Gridfall, where a single mistake can mean elimination.
Ratu
In Ratu’s case, her modus operandi is to concuss everyone to oblivion. Play her right, and she can cause big damage to everyone and everything, especially with her Car Ultimate. She also does this while on foot, which makes her a dangerous opponent to face in the arena.
Tw!nkleR10t
Tw!nkleR10t is a bit weird. Overall, her skills are pretty all over the place. Her on-foot skill allows her to attack in succession, making her incredibly aggressive. Meanwhile, her Car Ultimate puts bumpers all around her car that deal a pulse attack when they get hit. While the Car Ultimate looks good on paper, said car’s low HP makes it incredibly easy to take down.
Shyft
Shyft’s abilities center around one thing: Invisibility. He can turn himself and his car invisible, which is an incredible annoyance to his opponents. Watch out, because you probably won’t see him when he turns your car into a smoking wreck.
Xander
He’s quite honestly the ultimate influencer in the game’s story. Xander’s one you want to have on your team in the team-based games due to his abilities. His on-foot ability allows him to see through walls and smoke while also laying down traps. Meanwhile, his Hero Vehicle’s ultimate marks an enemy, making said enemy take more damage.
Ultimo Barricado
Last but not the least, Ultimo Barricado is exactly what his name says on the tin. On foot, he can’t be knocked out when he uses his ability. While on his Hero Vehicle, he puts a giant shield in front of his car, dealing damage to enemies in front of him while also protecting it from frontal attacks.
Sound
Sound-wise, the game’s pretty solid. The impacts sound incredibly weighty, and the personalities of the characters were shown pretty well. The game makes use of the PS5’s hardware so that the game’s sound feels incredibly good to hear. Other than that, there’s nothing else to say about the game’s sound design. Crashing cars, commentaries, and voice acting are all solid.
Graphics
The visuals that are on Destruction AllStars are pretty striking. The game’s graphics also live up to the aesthetic of the game being a televised event. The characters look incredibly unique and very over-the-top. Each of the characters has its own flair and swagger to them, making them incredibly distinct from the others.
Combine that with some pretty swanky arenas and a lot of pretty colors, and you can see why the graphics are highly rated. The game makes use of the PS5’s capabilities pretty well.
Replayability
The game’s pretty much great in terms of replayability. The maps are cool, and the characters have unique abilities that players can use to crush the opposition.
Destruction AllStars vs Other Car Combat Titles
Burnout
This franchise quickly comes to mind when you’re talking about vehicular destruction games. That and Twisted Metal, but that game’s latest release was back in 2012.
Overall, both Burnout and Destruction AllStars have similar concepts when it comes to vehicle destruction. Slam the opponent’s car until it’s wrecked. The difference between the two is the fact that Burnout doesn’t have hero abilities. Even then, the game still feels incredibly fun to play and is one of the best vehicular destruction games out there.
Destruction AllStars, on the other hand, is pretty much Overwatch combined with battle royale games and vehicular destruction. It’s fun, yes, but it can be a bit overwhelming for some people. There’s enjoyment to be had, sure. Unfortunately, the game lacks that bit of oomph to it. Maybe a new patch could fix this, but given that it’s available only on the PS5, we’ll have to wait and see.
Twisted Metal Series
The PlayStation consoles were once the home of the Twisted Metal franchise. Arguably, the most famous car combat IP of all time, the franchise pits you against CPU and player-controlled machines. The key of most Twisted Metal maps is for you to survive the enemies with you.
Like Destruction AllStars, Twisted Metal allows you to take control of a character-specific vehicle with its own special moves and personality. Also, the roster in the later games is also diverse and lets you chose the perfect character for your playstyle.
Take note however that the atmosphere and setting of the Twisted Metal games are much darker.
Is Destruction AllStars Worth It As A Game?
Looking at it from an objective standpoint, Destruction AllStars is a pretty good game to play with its myriad of characters and game modes. However, the fact that it’s on a next-gen console might sour players off it because not everyone has a PS5.
Couple that with the fact that some of the game modes and characters are limited in scope and abilities respectively? The game is pretty much gonna be written off, which is unfortunate as it’s a pretty solid game. If it had a few more game modes and was available on previous-gen consoles, it might have some potential.
