Destruction Derby

Destruction Derby is one of the first games to fully embrace the idea of demolition derby racing on PlayStation — car battles where the goal isn't just to finish first, but above all to survive and damage your opponents. The game offers classic circuit races as well as a standalone demolition arena mode, where the only goal is to be the last car still running on the field while the other wrecks are gradually eliminated collision by collision. The physics model of body damage was among the most impressive things to be seen on consoles at the time of release and became the main asset the game offered its players.

Visually, the game relied on simple but functional environments, with the main attention directed precisely at the deformation of vehicles, whose bodywork visibly crumpled and got damaged during the race according to the force and direction of impacts, until the cars eventually stopped being drivable or literally caught fire. The controls were straightforward, with the game emphasizing tactics of avoiding or seeking out collisions rather than fine work with the throttle and brake as in simulation racing games. Sound effects of crashes and screeching metal rounded out the raw, adrenaline-filled atmosphere typical of the genre, giving players a sense of real danger on the track.

Reviews received the game very positively, praising in particular its innovative game concept and technically advanced damage system, thanks to which Destruction Derby became one of the recognizable titles of the early PlayStation and founded its own series of sequels. The game showed that the racing genre didn't have to rest solely on speed and precision, but could also thrive on the chaotic fun of destruction, and this approach influenced a number of later arcade racing titles. It is still remembered today as a pioneering and timelessly entertaining title that proved destruction alone could be a fully valid game goal, one that inspired a range of later games built on a similar principle.

Why play it: For the chaotic fun of wrecking cars and a technically advanced damage system that still proves today that destruction alone can be a fully valid game goal.