Destruction Derby Arenas Review (PS 2)
Game play is exactly what you would expect from a title like this. You basically speed around the tracks as fast as possible, trying to maintain 1st place in both the race and in points for dealing out damage.
There is not a lot of depth here. Most tracks are simple to navigate, and the car handling was definitely designed to have the arcade racer feel.
Each race also delivers a plethora of power ups that are scattered along the track to increase your score, repair your car, or give you a nitrous boost. With these power ups, the game really doesn’t offer a tremendous challenge. Even novice racers will be able to master most courses within a weekend.
The car physics are a little on the light side, but the collisions offer a very satisfying feeling for a game of this type. The sense of acceleration is much better than I originally anticipated, and hitting other cars or track hazards will make the vehicle respond accordingly.
The true fun of Destruction Derby Arenas is unlocked when you compete with 19 others online. There is just a different quality that comes with fender banging live human beings versus the games AI.
A lot of other sites and publications have really reamed this game out, and some of the comments are just unnecessary. Is this game rough around the edges? Yes. Do the physics need to be worked on? Yes. Is the single player experience thin? Yes. But, you need to keep in mind that this game was not designed for the Gran Turismo or Ridge Racer fan.
This is a simple game that a group of friends can get together and play online using several video game consoles. Designing a game of this type doesn’t require much depth because it’s pretty much mindless fun.
Ok, the bottom line on Destruction Derby Arenas is simple. If you are a diehard fan of the old destruction derbies, then you should definitely rent this game and see if it warrants a purchase. Fans of realistic racers may also want to rent just so they can play online with their friends at least once, but they will probably not want to buy.
All things considered, Destruction Derby Arenas is not bad for what it is, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.
