Demolition Racer is a 1999 vehicular combat racing video game for the PlayStation, Dreamcast, and Microsoft Windows, developed by British studio Pitbull Syndicate and published by Infogrames North America.
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Gameplay
The game combines destruction and driving tactics in a fast-paced racing environment. It is very similar to the Destruction Derby series.
Races are won not solely by coming first in the race but by gaining the most points during the course of the event, with points being awarded for crashing into the competitors cars, breaking points boxes scattered on the track, and lastly by placing high, which delivers a points multiplier. The player must be careful of the condition of his own car as if it takes too much damage the race will end with a disqualification. Boxes are also scattered across the track that repair the players car when run over.
The PC version contained slightly better in-game graphics than the PlayStation version, and included varied weather and times of day. Drivers are given (optional) wacky portraits which displayed on the side of the screen in a race, showing who’s ahead of who.
Development
On 15 March 1999, the game was announced by Accolade. it was developed by UK company Pitbull Syndicate as a spiritual sequel to their earlier Destruction Derby series, a series which many of the Pitball staff had previously worked on when at their prior employment at Reflections.
Reception
Demolition Racer: No Exit received “generally favourable reviews” according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Jeff Lundrigan of NextGen said of the PlayStation version in its November 1999 issue, “Although this game has some ‘modern’ enhancements like shortcuts (which seem sort of pasted in), the game mechanics might as well have been transplanted whole and bleeding from Destruction Derby,” and warned the reader to “Steer clear of this smoking wreck.” A year later, however, he wrote that No Exit “still isn’t living up to its potential, but it’s a fun title nonetheless.”
Sequel
A sequel was released for the Dreamcast called Demolition Racer: No Exit, which featured updated graphics, new ambient sound effect, new tracks, new cars, unlockable mini games, and an additional mode called “No Exit”, which plays the same as Last Man Standing in earlier games.
References
External links
- Pitbull Syndicate page
- Demolition Racer at MobyGames
- Demolition Racer: No Exit at MobyGames
Gamer24h Editor's Take
Demolition Racer has made quite a name for itself in the gaming world, captivating us with its distinctive atmosphere and compelling gameplay dynamics. Thanks to Pitbull Syndicate's meticulous craftsmanship and Infogrames North America's strong presentation, the high production quality is evident in every moment of the game. Masterfully blending Vehicular combat, Racing mechanics with modern standards, the game's fluid gameplay makes hours fly by unnoticed. If you're looking for an absorbing world and satisfying mechanics that pull you right in, this game might be exactly what you've been searching for.