
DESTRUCTION ALLSTARS STATE OF PLAY SERIES
They’re pretty fun, but there’s a disappointing rub – all but one of the Challenger Series is locked behind a premium paywall. Throwing down against bots isn’t quite as satisfying as online play though there are some bonus solo game modes to sample such as checkpoint races and Crazy Taxi style missions. Each one is its own series of challenges focusing on one of the sixteen characters, sandwiched between some light exposition. You’ll find more variety in what Destruction AllStars calls the Challenger Series. The vehicle handling is reliably smooth and the on-foot sections do help spice things up, though I couldn’t help but feel myself settling into the same groove after a dozen or so matches. Jumping into a vehicle, targeting a rival, then trying your best to wreck them, occasionally peeling off then trying again. It’s nice to have some variety, though each mode involves the same gameplay actions on a loop. When a player is wrecked they’ll dropped gears that need to be collected on-foot before being deposited at one of the three podiums. Finally, Stockpile has both teams warring over three control points.

Carnado will dish out points (or Gears) as you perform offensive actions, but you have to bank them for your team by binning your vehicle into the titular vortex occupying the centre of the map. Where Mayhem is your typical free-for-all deathmatch, Gridfall has a battle royale slant with the last AllStar standing being crowned the winner, the arena floor gradually falling away.Ĭarnado and Stockpile are the two team-based modes in Destruction AllStars, designed for 8 versus 8. As mentioned before there are four available on day one: Mayhem, Gridfall, Carnado, and Stockpile. The impact these have will largely depends on the game mode. For example, Ultimo’s chunky truck will pop an impenetrable front shield whereas Lupita will leave a flame trail, Harmony shunting nearby foes with a bass overload. In terms of handling, they act the same as normal cars (there are three weight classes of varying speed and control), but these ones come tagged with a special power.

It’s the Hero Vehicles that really set the contestants apart, however. Breakers triggers unique on-foot moves such as a stampede rush or invisibility while also making your AllStars more mobile with a handy speed boost and double jump. You’ll find that each arena has its own network of walkways and platforms that can be navigated using smooth yet simple parkour manoeuvres.Īs you do so you’ll gather energy drops to fill your character’s Breaker and Hero Vehicle gauges. This introduces an unfamiliar sense of expendability when playing Destruction AllStarsl whether your car is on its last legs or you simply fancy a different class of vehicle, you can take your hands off the steering wheel at any moment. This is where the game breaks away from your typical car combat mould with vehicles spawning around the map at regular intervals, allowing you leap from one to the other. After a cinematic, gameshow-like intro, you and the other players will descend into the arena below… on foot.

DESTRUCTION ALLSTARS STATE OF PLAY OFFLINE
At launch, Destruction AllStars offers four competitive online modes which can also be accessed offline against AI-controlled bots. Before we elaborate, let’s take a step back.
