Destruction AllStars Critic Reviews

Destruction AllStars may not be a killer app that sells you on a PS5, but anyone who owns a PS5 will be happy to add it to their library. It is definitely one of the best perks of owning a PS5 yet.

It’s addictive, great fun and all about people playing online together. And it feels original, even if many of the individual elements are borrowed from other games. If you have a PS Plus subscription it’s a no brainer to download this free title at some point over the next two months before it becomes paid for. Destruction AllStars is a brilliant new addition to the PS5 roster and will brighten up dull February with some colourful car-smashing fun.

I had a good time behind the wheel in Destruction AllStars, even if I don’t know that it has enough to keep me around forever. That’s not to say there isn’t anything to do; there is a decent-enough selection of modes and activities between online and offline, with more on the way. And I appreciate the instantly satisfying action that’s as easy to drop in and out of as the cars themselves. Even if the novelty of vehicular mayhem isn’t enough to sustain my interest for many more long-haul sessions, I’m looking forward to taking it for a quick spin every now and again.

As far as gameshow/sporting event-style games go, Destruction AllStars is maybe some of the most fun I’ve had in a while. I love the pageantry when a match starts and my character does their intro before kicking things off. The visuals are smooth and pristine throughout the fast-paced action and the gameplay in different modes is absolutely delightful. I would like the foot game to be boosted a bit, and it desperately needs some better cosmetics and an easy-access Mute All function, but there’s an absolutely enthralling foundation here in Destruction AllStars. I want to see more characters, more arenas, events… I want to see where Destruction AllStars goes in the long run and I’ll be happy to keep playing as we work our way there.

I like Destruction AllStars. I really like it a lot. The anarchy of the gameplay reminds me of my endless PS1 evenings with Destruction Derby or Demolition Racer. Something happens all the time, there is always a crash somewhere - I never get bored.

Destruction AllStars is both new and familiar, but it’s a refreshing collection of cars, modes, and madcap driving that shows great promise for the future. A mental destruction derby with some admittedly annoying quirks, there’s plenty of charm under the hood of this game that respects your time and smashes into the competition with a gung-ho attitude and some novel ideas.

If Destruction AllStars was entirely focused on the driving and crashing aspects, this review would be a hands-down recommendation. I just wish it didn’t come to a complete stop as often as it does when you lose control of the car. It does interesting things with the DualSense’s adaptive triggers and has a satisfying loop but comes to a screeching halt in other areas. Lucid Games has promised at least a year of new content for the game following its release, so hopefully, things will be fixed over time. Waiting for a fix, however, isn’t how I like to enjoy games. Luckily, Destruction AllStars is one of the free PS+ games for February, so with an online subscription and a PS5, I would recommend downloading it to give it a spin.

This new PS5 exclusive offers some amusing ideas while taking advantage of the superior hardware, but it's too shallow in content and uses some greedy strategies. Future updates could change the situation, though.

Destruction AllStars is a game with good ideas that, sadly, lacks enough content to warrant a constant return to this title.

With slick and satisfying gameplay wrapped in a visually stunning package, AllStars has an almost limitless potential that will only go unrealised if a few irritating roadblocks stay unmoved.

Destruction AllStars is, above all, fun and enjoyable mayhem, supported by a very polished technical aspect and an undeniably cool stylistic approach. The choice to launch it as part of the Plus Collection will certainly give it a huge boost in terms of playerbase – certainly more than its 80,99€ launch price would have attracted otherwise – but, as usual, these kinds of games are a matter of endurance. And for how long Destruction AllStars manages to keep its audience engaged remains to be seen.

What is there, entertains only briefly - and the banishment of the other episodes behind a payment barrier is crap. The scope could also be more generous in general: If you deduct Stockpile, which is currently too haphazardly for me, only three modes remain in very similar arenas; The character skills and special attacks of the hero cars are too interchangeable for me. Ultimately, however, I'm curious to see where the journey with Destruction AllStars is going - both in terms of new content and the question of whether it might become a full-price title at the beginning of April.

Destruction AllStars is undoubtedly fun and has a very original concept, but its lack of content represents the biggest flaw of the combat racing developed by Lucid Games.

Although it features flashy visuals and initially intriguing gameplay, Destruction AllStars begins to get a bit tiresome after a while. It still offers plenty of entertainment but the fun factor doesn't quite have as much longevity as some similar titles do.

Destruction AllStars has many strong points to offer. Mainstream and approachable, the directing is quite good and the gameplay quick to learn — although it takes time to be truly mastered. We had a lot of fun throwing out violent bumper blows and jumping on platforms to change vehicles, as well as unleashing the powers of the many heroes available. However, it's hard to predict whether it will be successful in the long run, and the PS5's exclusivity and high purchase price may prevent it from reaching a large audience.

For now, the biggest selling point of Destruction AllStars is the fact that it's included in the PS Plus: at 80 euros we certainly wouldn't have recommended it.

Destruction AllStars delivers delightful carnage and non-stop mayhem, but issues with progression, monetization, and some poorly designed modes hold it back. Hopefully, Lucid Games and Sony will continue to build on this excellent foundation, because Destruction AllStars has the potential to be a special game with a little bit of work.

Big doubts remain about the durability of the product: in terms of content, Destruction AllStars did not seem ready to sustain the attention of the average player for more than a handful of hours, and despite its undoubted qualities it could easily end up in oblivion well before the arrival of any additions and corrective noteworthy. To this we must unfortunately also add the total impossibility of playing with friends in the individual modes, undoubtedly among the most effective of the package. A limitation that, in a game like this, could prove to be particularly disabling in the long run.

Shallow, but also attractive and a lot of fun. Take Destruction AllStars for a spin, and you’re guaranteed a good time whenever you slip into the driving seat.

Imagine a future where Volvo found a way to make car crashes absolutely harmless to humans and, consequently, built gigantic arenas where 16 cars were pitted against each other, looking for the most aggressive and skillful driver. Destruction AllStars is the latest trend on PS5, not because of the representation of this fantasy, but rather because it's accessible and fun. I don't know how long it will last without increasing the cooperative options or if it will be able to survive outside Plus offers. What I do know is that it needs a lot more to become entrenched in the habits of Sony players. When that happens, yes, they'll be able to dream of living and prospering from cosmetic microtransactions.