Concept Destruction

Developed by Thinice Games, Concept Destruction is a fun, destruction derby game where you take concept cars - no, not actual ones, just simple cardboard vehicles - and smash them into each other repeatedly. It’s a quirky twist on the vehicular combat format, and one that works surprisingly well.

With a couple of different game modes across multiple arenas (up to a total of eight as you progress) and a variety of unlockable cars to choose from, each with their own advantages (or disadvantages) in terms of handling, weight and speed, there’s plenty of content to keep you busy and entertained. It’s easy to get to grips with too, and whilst some of the levels are a bit more challenging, they are all fun to play. With the aim being to be the last car standing, you have to be wary of how much force you utilise against other competitors. Some cars don’t take much to destroy, so you’ll notice enemies quickly wiping each other out - but others are a bit more tank-like, and will take quite a bit of work to break them down (without destroying yourself in the process).

While the destruction derby aspect is very much the core focus, with you trying desperately to destroy other vehicles without damaging yourself too much, there’s also a time aspect in that you must take out all the other cars quickly - and you can’t go too long without contact from other vehicles. This is one of those mechanics that I can understand despite my frustrations with it, since taking a backseat and waiting for the enemies to do all the hard work while you watch from the sidelines is essentially cheating so naturally the developers have tried to prevent that. But what they’ve also done, is made it that you end up playing a panicked game of cat and mouse when you get down to the final few enemies - particularly on the larger maps. This really sucks some of the fun out of the game when this happens (and it happens a lot!), so I really wish this would be tweaked somewhat to maybe give you more time between contacts, or something along that line.

Visually, Concept Destruction looks very unique compared to many other vehicle-based games, whether they are destruction derby-style or just simply racing. Everything takes place within paper craft arenas, with the ‘real world’ visible in the background, with sunshine coming in through the windows, and concept sketches on whiteboards. It’s a really interesting visual, and one that makes it stand out in a unique way. The music is surprisingly well suited here too, with a very rock/metal sound to it all that really encourages you to just annihilate everything in your path.

Destroying all of the other cars is a lot of fun, and the more damage you do, the more money you’ll earn - which can be used to purchase other vehicles and upgrades from the main menu. There’s lots of achievements tied to doing certain tasks with specific vehicles, so it’s good to make sure you get the feel for all of them.

Controls are straightforward, and driving each of the varied vehicles feels different, which is always a good sign. Some vehicles are a bit clunkier than others, but overall they feel decent enough to drive. It doesn’t feel like a totally fleshed out title, but it’s definitely one I’ve been enjoying during my time with it. And at just £4.99 on the Xbox Store, it’s a brilliant price for if you’re looking for something new to try out.

In the end, we decided to give Concept Destruction the Collecting Asylum rating of 7/10.

Have you played Concept Destruction yet? What did you think of it?
Let us know in the comments below!

- V x

Thank you to Ratalaika for the Concept Destruction Xbox review code!