BugBear Entertainment’s in-development title, The Next Car Game, has a rather interesting name. It also seems to be trying to do something other racing games haven’t attempted in years: create a bare bones destruction-focused racing experience. Bugbear’s previous work includes the Flatout franchise, a series that focused on launching car drivers through vehicle windshields.

As a child, I loved the Destruction Derby franchise. I spent hours circling derby bowls in my beat up car, hoping to nail one of my opponents on a perfect angle, in order to gain a ton of points and be the last car standing

Destruction Derby doesn’t look like much today, but I picked it up again recently and it’s still surprisingly fun.

The Next Car Game is currently available on Steam in a pre-Alpha state. This means that, as of right now, it isn’t much of a game and instead is more of an impressive tech demo. After spending just a few hours with Bug Bear’s latest title, I can’t wait for the game’s full version.

The game’s physics, although a little wonky, are extremely impressive, even on the lower visual settings. My Windows Ultrabook isn’t exactly a gaming powerhouse thanks to its outdated integrated graphics card, yet The Next Car Game still runs smoothly and looks decent on the ageing device.

I also opted to use an Xbox 360 controller hooked up to my PC via Microsoft’s ridiculous wireless controller dongle. Right now there isn’t any way to custom map button input, but the feature is supposedly on its way. On the bright side, the default controls are great, although slightly unresponsive, causing frustrating control difficulties especially in The Next Car Game’s destruction racing modes. Hopefully this issues is resolved as the game continues to be developed.

What makes The Next Car Game unique is its focus on destruction. Sure, games like the Burnout franchise, Flatout and to a lesser extent, newer entries in the Need For Speed series, are focused on destruction and powerups, but in a much more arcade-focused way. I’m not saying The Next Car Game is completely realistic, but there does seem to be a level of authenticity not present in other games when it comes to vehicle destruction.

Also, it’s one of the first games in years to feature the simplicity of a bowl-based destruction derby. It’s just you and 24 other vehicles, all trying to survive for the longest period of time. The game’s race mode, while a little difficult to control right now, is very reminiscent of the more circuit-focused Destruction Derby 2. Even your car’s heads up display (HUD) has a Destruction Derby-like vehicle damage indicator in the bottom left corner. Also, the more damage your car takes to specific areas, the harder it is to drive.

Unfortunately, The Next Car Game is still glitchy and very incomplete, offering only one track with different road conditions (either pavement or dirt) and one bowl race, all with varying numbers of AI opponents. Multiplayer and a smoother game engine are two elements that definitely need to be added and improved in the game.

There’s also a cool free technology demo for The Next Car Game featuring simple obstacles to show off the game’s physics.The early access build currently costs $25 and is available on BugBear’s website and Steam.

BugBear initially launched a Kickstarter campaign for The Next Car game but cancelled it due to lack of support. Instead, the company is focused on getting more funding for the title by selling its pre-alpha build.

Follow me on Twitter: @Patrick_ORourke.