PS Plus Free Play ends April 5! The pinnacle of car destruction gaming! In-depth review of PS5 exclusive title Destruction All Stars!

Destruction All Stars," released in February of this year, is an interesting game. In a nutshell, it is an extremely simple car action game in which players attack rival cars in an arena without thinking, and do their utmost to destroy them.

This time, writer Iona Kaze reviewed such a destructive action game!

The car destruction game genre has existed since the dawn of video games.

When it comes to the exhilaration of destroying cars, several titles will come to mind for those who have been familiar with games since the dawn of the video game era. For example, "Burnin' Rubber" (retitled "Buggy Popper" for the NES version), released by Data East in 1982, is set on a race track where players aim for the goal with rival cars. The gimmick of crashing into a wall and destroying a rival car by hitting it with your body gave players a sense of exhilaration, and the game became a longtime hit.

Yellow Cab," also released by Data East in 1984, was another destruction-oriented game in which players controlled a cab and carried passengers to their destinations by hitting and destroying ordinary cars in the city.

Later, Taito's "Chase HQ" was a game in which the player chased after the criminal's car, repeatedly crashing into it and forcing it to stop, while Sega's "Crazy Taxi" became popular for its exhilarating control of an anything-goes cab that was influenced by the "Yellow Cab" game.

One game that deserves special mention is "Destruction Derby," released on the original PlayStation by SCE. This game, in which car-action battles take place in an arena, was a strong influence on this title. It seems that "games and car destruction" have always been synonymous with the exhilaration of an inseparable relationship.

↑"Destruction All Stars" title screen. Destruction battles are about to unfold in the arena.

Destruction All Stars" is the latest in the line of car-destroying games. This game can be played for free with a PS Plus subscription (until April 5, 2021), and is one of the games you should definitely play if you get a PS5.

Destroy and Destroy!　Attack rival cars with your own accelerated car!

Players select their own character from a cast of 16 unique all-stars to begin play. The game features a masked professional wrestler Ultimo Barrigado, a cardboard box top that makes you wonder if it is safe to participate in such a race, and a cute female character named Twinkle Riot, all of whom seem to have their own unique characteristics. The author's favorite is Lupita, who wears a wolf headdress. I also like the rock band "MAN WITH A MISSION," but I don't think that has anything to do with this. ...... probably.

↑The game starts with the player character being controlled right at the start of the game. Let's run to the place where the car is and get in!

The game starts with the player controlling a character of his/her choice. The player gets into a car placed in the arena where the game takes place, and is plunged into car racing and action. From this point on, the player is to crash into rival cars and wreak as much havoc as possible.

Even though the arena is a racetrack, there is no racing element, such as "how far you can go in how many seconds". The point of running is to increase the damage you can inflict on rival cars. It is a great feeling when you decide to attack a rival car with your car accelerated at the right moment. In addition to simply attacking while driving, there is also a slam attack using the right (R) stick (where the car is instantly pulled over), and the pleasure of a well-timed one-shot destruction is enough to make your body tremble. Once you get a taste of this, you will never want to leave this game.

↑There is no racing element, but the fun of controlling the car is the same as in driving and racing games. You can even drift!

It is a big game, but you can enjoy it more if you keep the presentation and detailed specifications in mind when playing. When the damage to the car becomes too severe, it is necessary to get out of the car and replace it with a new one, and by effectively using drifting techniques, you can learn to enjoy driving itself.

↑There are a large number of rival cars crowded in front of you. It is a moment when the player's energy is fired up, wondering where to start destroying the rival cars.

The player character who gets out of the car also has his or her own moves, including taking over a rival car, evading an oncoming rival car, and using normal action moves such as jumps and attacks. In addition, each character can use special techniques with different abilities by using the "All-Star Breaker. In addition, the "Hero Machine," the most powerful machine different from the normal car, can be called up only when the player is out of the car. Just learning how to operate a car is probably only half of the game in this title.

↑The hero machines that become available in the latter half of the game are all very rugged and cool. Get into this machine and push hard in the final stages of the game!

Hone your skills in the hellish online battles!

There are three game modes in this title, each with its own rules and regulations, with "Mayhem" being the simplest. The "MAYHEM" mode is the simplest. Points awarded for each destruction affect the ranking, and the ranking is determined by how much you destroy. In the "CARNAD" mode, the objective is to accumulate gears, and in "STOCKPILE," the ranking is determined by collecting gears and storing them in the bank. The latter two types of modes are modes that require more skill at the point than destruction. However, if you are going to enjoy this work, I recommend that you first master "MAYHEM" to the fullest. All you have to do is destroy without thinking.

↑The moment when "OVERKILL" (one-shot destruction) is decided. It is the best moment when you play this game!

Incidentally, online battles with up to 16 players are also available, where you can enjoy a fierce battle with destruction-hungry destructive players from all over the world. I used to play "Lost Planet" for the Xbox360 online every night, and it brought back memories of those days, as well as the nightmare of being beaten up by highly skilled players. Online competitions, you should be afraid of them. ...... It is possible to challenge online matches after gaining confidence through offline play, but it may also be possible to "learn on the spot" and improve your own skills by stealing techniques from skilled players in online matches. I would like to mention that I have given up trying to learn in the field.

I have talked about the appeal of "Destruction All Stars" at length, but if you have a PS5, there is no way you can avoid playing it. After all, PS5 is the only home hardware in Japan where you can play it. We hope that many players will enjoy this exhilarating and easy-to-destroy game.

↑When you are up, you may find yourself in a battle with multiple cars crashing into each other. It's too much of a hassle to destroy them all at once!

The free-to-play distribution on PS Plus will continue until April 5, 2021. Details on what will happen after that will be announced at a later date, so you should give it a try before the distribution ends!

(Text by Iona Kaze no Iona)

Game Information

Destruction All Stars

Compatibility: PlayStation 5

Free-to-Play distribution period: Until April 5, 2021 (Monday)

Genre: Driving / Racing

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

CERO: B (for ages 12 and up)

This content can be downloaded and played anytime on the main PS5 registered to your account ("Content Sharing and Offline Play" setting), or on any other PS5 after logging in with the same account.