As video games began to grow and advance in their capabilities, competitive multiplayer became the next inevitable phase. However, competitive gaming has been around for much longer than online gaming. Initially, it began in arcades across the country, where it would test two players' skills and help foster friendships and rivalries. Fighting games like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter dominated the era until home gaming came around. As more console titles implemented co-op, the next stage became online multiplayer. It has since become a staple in most games and allowed for titles like Fortnite and Call of Duty to thrive almost exclusively through a multiplayer format. The medium has since helped introduce players to more genres, thanks to DLCs, and created friendships worldwide.

For now, the medium has been largely focused on two forms of multiplayer. One form, Battle Royale, utilizes the last man standing approach in a large arena or elimination-style format like in Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. The other is standard Team Deathmatch multiplayer games. That typically entails players eliminating one after another to earn points and expanding to other game modes like capture the flag. The format is best used in the Call of Duty franchise. However, a new perspective in competitive gaming has emerged thanks to Sony Interactive Entertainment's Destruction AllStars.

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Released through PS Plus on the PlayStation 5, Destruction AllStars is a unique spin on multiplayer games that offers a two-tier approach to victory that has rarely been seen in other games. The game is a meld of third-person mechanics and driving games to create an incredibly outrageous demolition derby on the surface. The goal is to earn the most points by eliminating players. However, the only way to eliminate them is to take a car and destroy theirs.

Destroying an opponent's car isn't as easy as it sounds. Each vehicle comes with particular stats and skills that for the player to strategize which vehicle they should try to take out first. Should their vehicle be eliminated, that isn't an automatic loss. Instead, the player is left without a car and forced to run through the deadly arena to obtain another. the only device left to the player is the ability to dodge vehicles and either hijack or destroy another's car. That is easier said than done and relies on timing to succeed.

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Akin to other multiplayer titles, Destruction AllStars features game modes that begin with Mayhem, the core game mode. Gridfall operates as a free-for-all/last-man-standing game where the arena gets smaller until only one survives. Finally, Carnado and Stockpile are the two team-based modes that require each other for speedy success. Most of these game modes are ideas from similar competitive games rolled into one. However, rather than being carbon copies, the game mode is reformatted to fit the title and made it feel fresh.

What tied the game together is the diverse characters that players choose from. Each came from a different part of the world, and their stories are told through snippets of dialogue in-game. When the round starts, the character is plunged into a scene straight out of an '80s action movie where they compete for the top spot. The game's creativity is exemplified through each character and makes the player want to choose their favorite allstar.

Not all games need a multiplayer component. However, titles like Destruction AllStars showcase how diverse competitive gaming can be. The attention to detail in the title only added to its popularity. It pushed similar titles to take things even farther than being able to switch from walking to driving at a moment's notice. Destruction AllStars has offered a fresh perspective on the bright future of competitive gaming.

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