DEVELOPER: Thinice Games
PUBLISHER: Ratalaika Games S.L., GrabTheGames
Platforms: Steam, PS4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Price: $4.99
There was a time when destruction was the main theme of many games. The original PlayStation was home to games like Destruction Derby and Twisted Metal, providing players with endless vehicular mayhem for all to enjoy. Presently, there has been very little in the ways of mindless mayhem. Wreckfest is, essentially, the only racing game with a clear focus on vehicular destruction on the market, but big things can come in small sizes. Concept Destruction from Thinice Games and Ratalaika introduces the premise that big destruction can come in the smallest of sizes.
Concept Destruction puts players in a hand-made world of cardboard-cutout cars, powered by a single battery and some cardboard. Concept Destruction is a game focused purely on destruction and wildly-designed arenas. There is a single-player campaign, but it focuses on going through each arena and surviving each round Players hop in their vehicle and proceed to smash each other to pieces, using their speed, and the environment, to their advantage.
Concept Destruction is a game about speed, chance, and competition. There are no weapons of any kind. No missiles, shells, or any kind of offensive weaponry. Concept Destruction is all about speed and aggression, though there is a small degree of fluid strategy. As you may have seen, Concept Destruction is a game consisting of cardboard cards. Hitting a card headlong can cause catastrophic damage to yourself, but it can also absolutely annihilate an opposing player. As damage is taken and delivered, cars take visible damage, affecting your overall performance. The most successful players will use every part of their car to survive. TO assist in their survival, Concept Destruction features a plethora of arenas to play in, each unique from the next. Some arenas are shaped like football stadiums awhile others feature buildings to jump off of. Concept Destruction is simple, designed to be played by players of all ages, but its simplicity yields a strong gameplay mechanics that make Concept Destruction incredibly rewarding.
Concept Destruction is fierce, loud, and tremendous fun. Powering the gameplay is a heavy-metal soundtrack that heightens the enjoyment and frenzied chaos of Concept Destruction. Concept Destruction is a game about fun in the purest of ways, and that is driving hard and crashing harder. Concept Destruction is a game purely built for fun, which can seem like a rarity these days. Most racing games have multiple systems to consider before racing, but Concept Destruction is all about taking cardboard cars and smashing them together in all-out white-knuckle destruction derbies. it's fierce, quick, and fun and immensely enjoyable.
Outside of the main mode, Championship Mode, there is a quick play mode to jump into a quick game. Players can play Concept Destruction locally with up to four friends for sharp competitive multiplayer action, though outside of that, there is nothing else to give Concept Destruction staying power. There are no online modes or additional pieces of content to speak of, but for the price of $4.99, Concept Destruction delivers on its premise with fun and kinetic energy at just the right price.
It can be difficult finding a vehicular combat game that isn't Mario Kart or Wreckfest, which makes Concept Destruction such as welcome sight. Its distinguished visual presentation is reminiscent of the imaginations of Micromachines and the game's overall gameplay is strong and endlessly replayable. The strongest gas can come in the smallest of ways, and for Concept Destruction, it's a strong game in a small package.
Concept Destruction was reviewed on the PlayStation 4 thanks to a key generously supplied to Stack Up by Ratalaika Games