The 8 Best Destructible Video Game Objects

[JCRCrasyz]

From gamepro.com:

• By Ivy Yup and Dave Rudden

All gamers crave interactivity. Nothing is more interactive than smashing, right? Here's the eight items we love to break the most.

As consumers, we've all heard the term "you break it, you bought it" repeated ad nauseum. As gamers, we've adapted that mantra--we buy games so we can break shit. Below are the eight items that all gamers love to break, blow up, and smash to smithereens.

8- Surveillance Cameras


As Seen in: Metal Gear Solid, Portal
Is it any wonder that evil organizations can never follow through on their nefarious plans when everything in their lairs works so terribly? On top of the incompetent and easily-defeated cronies keeping guard over the final boss and his precious plans, there are the worst security cameras known to man. One bullet is all it takes to destroy these failed anti-stealth devices. Of course, a bulletproof glass casing would be all it takes to keep a tabs on these wall-hugging heroes, but we're guessing mobile nuclear robots sap most of the yearly budget.
7- Bricks


As Seen in: Super Mario Bros., Breakout
The seminal hit Super Mario Bros taught us more than what makes a perfect game. Sure, we also learned that mushrooms and plants are the key to becoming huge and spitting fire. But the key conceit to take away from the NES classic one's head against bricks will bring you great fortune and unprecedented power (a fact corroborated by Breakout). Even if it was just a pile of bricks, you got to smash them to bits and earn fifty points int the process. And in 1985, 50 points was worth a hell of a lot.
6- Walls


As Seen In: Bomberman, The Legend of Zelda, Red Faction
Let no wall come between me and victory. This is especially true when I can simply blow-up the obstruction, paving the way to treasures, enemies, and special items. The conspicuously discolored-looking wall is the perfect place to hide secret chambers as demonstrated by Link's first encounter with a crack in the wall. In fact, some of the best kept secrets are hidden behind flimsy walls and barricades that discourage players from getting to the goal. Clearly, the only sensible thing to do is to break down these barriers to see what lies beyond those walls. In some cases, demolishing walls can give you a strategic advantage, altering the environment in games such as in the classic top-down view of Bomberman or the first-person action of Red Faction II.
5- Pottery/Bottles


As Seen In: Light gun games, The Legend of Zelda, Counterstrike: Source
The sweet cacophonous sound of glass-shattering goodness is but one of the many joys of vicariously destroying property without the repercussions of getting in trouble with the authorities. One of the very first arcade shooters began with a 1995 DOS game that is aptly named Shooting Gallery, which allowed players to make as much noise and destroy as many objects as a DOS game would allow. Bottles, mugs, and other targets rested on a conveyor belt, testing your reaction and the quickness of your mouse-pointer. Nowadays, the focus of what now qualifies as a shooter game involves shooting at targets who shoot back, not just inanimate objects. Still, you'll often find some of the original destructible objects featured in today's shooters as props, usually obeying the laws of physics but are sometimes inexplicably shatter-proof to ammunition.

[JCRCrasyz]

4- Vehicles


As Seen In: Burnout, Grand Theft Auto
Car crashes may look amazing but pulling off the practice in real life is far from fun. Besides the fact that you're putting your health in serious danger, massively damaging an extremely expensive machine isn't easy on the wallet either. Perhaps that's why we love crashing cars in video games. Burnout has made a franchise out of it, while GTA allows such easy access to new cars that overturning a Ferrari is little more than a momentary inconvenience-turned explosion festival. The fact that people want to see dents and damage in games like Gran Turismo speak volumes about how much the car crash is beloved in gaming.
3- Windows


As Seen in: Crysis, TimeSplitters
In real life, a broken window is bad news. If you're a kid, it's the result of an errant throw and it incurs the wrath of a parent. If you're an adult, it means your car or home is now subject to the elements of the cruel outside world. In gaming, however, windows are not only fun to smash, but they often stand between you and the thing you need to shoot in the brains.
2- Barrels


As Seen In: Donkey Kong, Street Fighter II, Shooters
As the ubiquitous cousin to the cubic crate, these cylindrical barrels are the lazy game-developer's alternative to mayhem. Contained within these seemingly innocuous barrels are sometimes weapons, ammo, coins, and... bananas. The most iconic of all barrels undoubtedly belongs to Donkey Kong, but the average barrel has ways of finding itself in more exciting endeavors, such as exploding oil rigs containing bio hazardous waste and other delightful disasters, reinforcing the old adage that it's a "barrel of fun".
1- Crates


As Seen In: Too many games to mention...
You'll find it in nearly every action/adventure game: the crate. The most prevalent and age-old game asset has become the obligatory destructible object. Hundreds upon thousands of crates containing hidden power-ups or highly explosive material have become the prop of all props in video games. The omnipresent cube makes its appearance as the "filler" object in just about every video game genre imaginable. We dare you to find any sort of action or adventure game without crates.

[Darth Alec]

THe cameras should be mentioned in Goldeneye as well, it's actually an objective in a couple of mission.

I was thinking the glass in perfect dark actually

[Red-Blue]

Originally Posted by JCRCrasyz

3- Windows

ololololololol

[Romanc]

re crates; I don't remember the crates in Doom being destructible? Not Unreal Tournament either? Crates are everywhere, but not everywere are they destructible.

[Red-Blue]

Originally Posted by Romanc

re crates; I don't remember the crates in Doom being destructible? Not Unreal Tournament either? Crates are everywhere, but not everywere are they destructible.

Stop ruining it.

[Darth Alec]

Originally Posted by Romanc

re crates; I don't remember the crates in Doom being destructible? Not Unreal Tournament either? Crates are everywhere, but not everywere are they destructible.

They were in Goldeneye

[Romanc]

Originally Posted by Red-Blue

Stop destroying it.

Keeping in line with the topic, that's what you meant?

[cyclone87]

Originally Posted by Darth Alec

They were in Goldeneye

When you shoot stuff in GoldenEye it doesn't just break, it explodes with fire and smoke