A vehicular combat game (or car combat game) is a
vehicle simulation video game where the primary gameplay objectives include
vehicles armed with weapons attempting to destroy vehicles controlled by the
CPU or by opposing players. The genre normally features a variety of different vehicles available for play, each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and special attack abilities. Players may also unlock hidden vehicles by completing certain in-game tasks. Games may include racing themes, but they are generally secondary to the action.
Gameplay
Vehicular combat games normally follow a simple play pattern; the player must defeat increasing numbers of not very skilled enemies before facing off against a final, super-powerful,
boss character. Vehicular combat games differ from traditional
racing game
Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a motor racing, racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more re ...
s both in the combat aspect and in the general lack of any set path for players to follow, instead allowing them to explore each level at their leisure.
The complexity and strategy required to complete games vary, from the careful resource maintenance and intense story-driven plotlines of the ''
Interstate '76'' series to straightforward smashups like ''
WWE Crush Hour''. Often, the primary plot will involve a contest or competition of some sort, encouraging the various characters to fight and destroy one another to obtain a reward. The ''
Twisted Metal
''Twisted Metal'' is a series of Vehicular combat game, vehicular combat video games originally developed by SingleTrac and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The series has appeared on the PlayStation (console), PlayStation, PlaySta ...
'' series has been attributed as the first "true" vehicular combat game, without cartoony graphics as seen in
kart racing game
A kart racing game, also known as cart racing game or go-kart racing game, is a subgenre of Racing game, racing games. Kart racing games have simplified driving mechanics while including unusual racetrack designs, obstacles, and Vehicular combat ...
s.
History
In the 1970s, several
arcade games reversed
racing game
Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a motor racing, racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more re ...
conventions by making
vehicle collisions the objective of the gameplay. The concept of ramming cars dates back to
Sega
is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises for arcade game, arcades and video game cons ...
's
electro-mechanical games ''Stunt Car'' (1970) and ''Dodgem Crazy'' (1972). The concept began appearing in
arcade video games several years later, such as
Atari
Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French holding company Atari SA (formerly Infogrames) and its focus is on "video games, consumer hardware, licensing and bl ...
's ''
Crash 'N Score'' (1975) and
Exidy's ''
Destruction Derby'' (1975) and ''
Death Race'' (1976).
Early examples of
pseudo-3D car combat games include Atari's ''
RoadBlasters'' (1987),
Taito
is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, Toy, toys, arcade cabinets, and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, Vending machine, vending machines, and Juk ...
's
''Chase H.Q''. (1988) and
Sculptured Software's
''Fatal Run'' (1990).
Vehicular combat games featuring cars were particularly well-represented on
PlayStation consoles, with
3D vehicle combat games such as ''
Destruction Derby'', ''Twisted Metal'', ''
Wipeout'' and ''
Rollcage''.
In the 2020s, vehicular combat games are largely considered a "dead" genre due to their lack of prominent entries, despite some games still being released in the modern day, such as ''
Destruction AllStars''.
See also
*
List of vehicular combat games
*
Car Wars
References
{{Video game genre
Video game genres