History Main / EverythingIsSmashableArea

Sometimes game makers want to show how epic a battle is by having the arena you're fighting in slowly fall apart as enemies (or you) launch attacks or get tossed around. Sometimes they want to [[WreakingHavok show off their awesome physics engine]], and sometimes... sometimes they just think being able to blow everything up is [[RuleOfcool really, really cool]].

Enter the [[TitleDrop Everything-Is-Smashable Area]], a location where environmental and structural objects can be shot, smashed or blown apart just as easily as the {{mooks}} guarding them. Usually this is done for the purposes of collecting points or items, but occasionally destroying objects or walls ''en masse'' is necessary to progress or, in more cathartic instances, the whole point of the game.

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* Many games that advertise themselves as featuring destructible scenery will have a few of these and make sure they're prominently featured in the trailer. The rest of the game? [[NeverTrustATrailer Not so much.]]
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* The main way of getting studs in almost every ''VideoGame/LEGOAdaptationGame'' is to attack stuff made of LEGO bricks. It's also the best way of handling puzzles. When in doubt, attack the scenery! Gets turned UpToEleven with the bonus levels, which are made entirely of LEGO and thus almost entirely destructible.
* The Japanese game ''Hakaioh - King of Crusher'' is based on this trope. Your character usually has violent rampages in which he smashes everything in the room, brought on by some kind of a weird talking flying demonic beetle with bat wings. Taken UpToEleven in later levels when the main character is turned into a werewolf of some kind, a dinosaur, a Godzilla expy and finally a dragon, just so you can destroy bigger stuff.

* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' supplies a large amount of environmental objects per map that serve no purpose other than to look pretty and get destroyed by being shot at. On almost every attack/defense map, the first attack-side spawn rooms contain plenty of destructibles since players have to wait for the 60-second setup time and won't really have much to do anyway. Special examples include Hanamura (an arcade with plenty of machines to smash up) and Junkertown (which includes [[CoolBike Roadhog's bike]], which you can blast apart to pieces like the a ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' bonus level).

* The boss fight against the King of Toys in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartIII'' takes place in a "city" of buildings made from blocks. The tallest will tip over just from Sora running up the sides while the boss's tendency to stay low to the ground as it moves causes blocks to fly everywhere. The boss's TornadoMove even sends all the blocks flying off the edges of the battlefield, after which they reset to an intact state so they can be flung about all over again.

* The main way of getting studs in almost every ''VideoGame/LEGOAdaptationGame''. And the best way of handling puzzles. When in doubt, attack the scenery.

* ''Franchise/RedFaction: Guerrilla'' ups the ante even further than its FPS predecessors by setting the game on an Everything Is Smashable ''Planet.''

* ''Franchise/RedFaction'' and ''Red Faction 2'' live on this trope, such that it shocks you when you finally come across a surface that you can't blast your way through.

Enter the EverythingIsSmashableArea, a location where environmental and structural objects can be shot, smashed or blown apart just as easily as the {{mooks}} guarding them. Usually this is done for the purposes of collecting points or items, but occasionally destroying objects or walls ''en masse'' is necessary to progress or, in more cathartic instances, the whole point of the game.

* More or less the entire point of ''SpaceInvaders Get Even'': Every destroyed building and enemy increases your timer by varying amounts, which also doubles as your lifebar. As might be expected, abducting cows and visiting Stonehenges (yes, it's a plural, for whatever reason there's one in pretty much single level) increase it the most.

* ''NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'' has the room where you fight Matt Helms. In it, almost literally the only things you can't break are the floors and the walls. There is, however, ''one'' wall in the corner that's indestructible, creating a pocket. Helms is smart enough to herd you into this pocket, so be careful.

* Later on in the game, in ''[[SeriousSam Serious Sam III BFE]]'', you go through some Egyptian ruins where all the pillars, archways and most of the walls are destructable. Very fun with [[StuffBlowingUp crates full of infinite rocket launcher ammo and C4.]]

* The main way of getting studs in almost every VideoGame/LEGOAdaptationGame. And the best way of handling puzzles. When in doubt, attack the scenery.

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* ''IncredibleHulkUltimateDestruction'' lives up to the name: if you can see it, you can destroy it. If you can't destroy it, you can pick it up and use it to destroy other things.
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