Test Drive: Eve of Destruction

The one thing that would have made this game a true gem would have been some online play, but the multiplayer is so entertaining that it’s easy to overlook.

The best budget game I've played on the PS2; it's so good it even gives "Burnout" a run for its money.

A great game to pull out if you have a few friends over, but online multiplayer would have made it worth keeping close to the console, to pop in for regular, online smash-'em-up racing. Even without online multiplayer, it's still worth checking out.

The game packs plenty of playability, with easily 30 hours of gameplay under the hood, along with the expected mass hysteria whenever a gaggle of players shows up at your doorstep.

One thing that’s subtle-yet-striking is that you can tell the difference when you hit someone and when you’re getting being hit by the way the screen shakes.

And while the whole demolition derby thing may have been done before, it has never been done this well – with this much care.

If you get three other players involved and a nice warm bottle of Mad Dog or a fifth of Ripple for the discerning 'neck, you’re looking at days of game play.

While it may not be for everybody, EoD provides a great wrecking racing experience that I personally think is better than any other one out to date.

The gameplay is tight and solid.

Bears the gift of immense replayability, lending itself to quick, low-commitment gameplay sessions.

Drivables—from hearses to school buses to muscle cars—all handle differently, but their arcade-style ease nicely compliments an overall dumb-ass experience that’s as fun as getting a bellyful of corn liquor and chasing a greased piglet.

The best part, however, is the career mode, which lets you work your way up from lowly demo derby wannabe to Czar of Demolition. Check this one out. [Dec 2004, p.90]

It's not "Burnout" by any means, but the way the whole experience revels in its country-boy demeanor oddly satisfies. [Oct 2004, p.100]

The racing genre has been loking for a new hook for a while now, and I htink that Monster has started its own fun method of mayhem. [Oct 2004, p.123]

The best game of its kind on the console, primarily due to its excellent free-roam career mode that adds extra realism and enjoyment, doing away with the standard menus that some other games still employ.

The career mode while a nice idea, is boring, the physics are questionable, and while there is multi-player, the lack of online support is sorely missed. If you can pick it up for a good price, and you know what you're getting into, then it could be worth a purchase.

It may be a little cheaper but its worth forking out the extra for "Flatout" unless the modes unique to this game really impress you.

While there is nothing particularly wrong with it, it just doesn’t do much beyond what is expected in terms of actual gameplay.

Impressively addictive, and manages a quiet grace about itself in presentation -- despite being about smashing the crap out of every moving thing in sight. It's just that without any online options, very little in the way customization and a set of races that towards the end of the game begin to feel a bit stale, it's hard to recommend this as a full-price option.

A somewhat entertaining diversion from the onslaught of current street racing games, but it does not take home any checked flags because of its lack of online play and questionable control.

The only thing lacking in the game is the gameplay. Sure the Actions mini-events are fun to play, but the fact is, the game is rather slow paced compared to "Burnout3" or "Gran Turismo."

The driving in Test Drive: Eve of Destruction is one that I think had the potential to be great but with the lack of fine tuning ended up just being average.

While it offers many unique race types that will provide short periods of fun the game fails to captivate you for long periods of time and as a result the it quickly loses its appeal despite the amount of variation it offers!

Some sluggish racing gameplay and a lack of any real depth beyond the game's offline multiplayer component and slightly taxing career mode mar the experience enough to prevent Eve of Destruction from living up to its potential.

The game's wide array of races runs the gamut from interesting to bizarre, but one constant factor lessens the overall impact - the racin' be slow. [Nov 2004, p.128]

The gameplay is incredibly slow, with weak controls and very sloppy technical facets that harms the enjoyment and eventual replayability of the title.

But the single-player experience is ultimately too limited to recommend it as anything other than a rental.

Surprisingly enough, TD: EOD not only satisfies these hedonistic tendencies, it also delivers an interestingly deep and accessible gameplay system.

Nothing in this attempt at an arcadey demolition derby stands out as unique or outstanding.

If you want destruction and racing get "Burnout 3." This feels as fun as throwing a Lego car around a bathtub while a bald man shouts in your ear about how pissed off he is. Oh, right, there's the music volume down switch. Damn.

To make things even worse, the soundtrack features a short list of songs that are guaranteed to make you reach for the mute button. It was funny to hear The Scorpions' "Rock You Like a Hurricane" the first time, but the 100th?

The action looks good, with real time damage but the sluggishness of the vehicles takes away any excitement the visuals may instill.