Destruction Derby 2
Sony PlayStation
£44.99
DESTRUCTION Derby wasn't a bad a name for this games predecessor but Absolute Mayhem Derby would have been closer to the mark. If your twisted mind was more concerned with wrecking yours, and everybody else's stock car, rather than actually trying to win races, then that action packed game should have satisfied your insane urges.
If it didn't then DD2 may be exactly what you've been waiting for more madness. Destruction Derby had two gameplay modes whereby speed rather than destruction was the key to winning. One of these was a straight stock car race and the other a simple time trial. But the destruction derby option was what the game was all about and even in the straight stock car mode the urge to bang up your opponents invariably proved too strong.
In Destruction Derby 2 you have wrecking racing, stock car and - the scrapyard owner's favourite - destruction derby, and while the emphasis is still on total destruction, this sequel does seem to have been watered down a little on the carnage front.
This is probably due to the fact that the tracks have been made longer and wider thus reducing the chances of meeting your opponents by accident. The new pit stop option also increases your chances of finishing a race with your car intact.
But the destruction derby mode is still, by far, the most riotous option. Here you will find your car being hunted down by all the other competitors. There is no escape, for the track is just one big enclosed oval. The object is to keep your car in one piece for as long as possible. This might sound quite easy but, in fact, to last 30 seconds or so will take some doing. Although it's more a matter of luck than anything else.
With the comprehensive replay feature you can sit back and marvel at your handy work and admire just how you managed to escape certain destruction, after only five seconds, thanks to some lightning reflexes.
Besides all the excellent gameplay, Destruction Derby 2 also treats you to some fantastic graphics. Not alone will you be able to smash up everything within sight but you will also lock good while doing it, as the cars have more than twice the number of polygons. As your car progresses from being a showroom sparkler to a junker you will be able to witness the effects of the carnage as it happens.
Destruction Derby 2 is one of those few games which you just can't put down. If you have played conventional racing games and found yourself racing the wrong way around the track, just for a bit of fun, then Destruction Derby 2 is the game you have been waiting for. But for serious racing fans this might just become a little tedious after a while.
Graphics: 92%
Sound: 90%
Gameplay: 81%