PlayStation 5 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.