Skip to main content

Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Destruction AllStars is a PS5 exclusive from some of the key people behind WipEout

Liverpool echo.

One of the PlayStation 5 exclusives announced during Sony's reveal has an interesting heritage: it's from some of the key people behind WipEout.

Destruction AllStars is a sort of Rocket League without the ball experience - with a splash of Destruction Derby thrown in. There's vehicle-based in arenas set across the globe.

Watch on YouTube

It's the work of Liverpool-based studio Lucid Games, which was formed out of the ashes of Metropolis Street Racer, Project Gotham Racing and Blur developer Bizarre Creations. Lucid is perhaps best-known for developing Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, but the team behind Destruction AllStars has many of the key people who worked on WipEout before Sony shut its developer Sony Liverpool down in August 2012.

For example, lead designer Karl Jones was lead designer of the WipEout franchise during his seven-year stint at Sony Liverpool in the Naughties. After a year with Bizarre Creations, Jones rejoined Sony Liverpool to lead the design of PlayStation Vita launch title WipEout 2048.

Game director Colin Berry worked on a raft of WipEout titles, including WipEout Fusion (2002), WipEout Pure (2005) and WipEout Pulse (2007). And tech lead Martin Linklater was technical director at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (now known as Sony Interactive Entertainment Network Europe) during the 2000s, working on WipEout Pure, WipEout HD for the PS3 (2008), and MotorStorm: Pacific Rift for the PS3.

Watch on YouTube

Clearly, Lucid knows its vehicles. WipEout, MotorStorm, Blur, Metropolis Street Racer and Project Gotham Racing are all titles worked on by various members of its team over the years. And there's a clear Sony association, too, with staff having worked at various Sony-owned, but sadly closed studios, such as Sony Liverpool and Evolution Studios.

One to watch!