Deep down (deep deep down), all of us secretly feel that meteorologists are messing with us. Those meteorologists out there reading this - they know it's true. In Elements of Destruction you play Marty, the crazed meteorologist. His boss, Miss Burns, has just fired him for too accurately predicting bad weather. Drew McCoy, who sees nothing but sunny days ahead, is his saccharine replacement. Marty does what any self-respecting meteorologist with a hobby in mad science would do in that situation: he uses his evil machine to control the weather and wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world.
WorthPlaying Writes:
One of the coolest figures in all literature, film and gaming is the mad scientist. This diabolical genius, gifted with a brain the size of a Buick and the propensity to use his abilities for destruction and chaos, makes the cackling crackpot a very worthy character indeed. In most instances, the madman must be stopped, and it is up to some dashing and brave hero to save the day. Elements of Destruction flips the script, though, casting you as the brainiac scorned, swearing to get your revenge on those who have wronged you. The result is a madcap adventure in weather manipulation that will leave you feeling like a total badass.
CheatCC writes: "Everyone knows the story of the mad scientist. One day he's working happily for a giant corporation and then something happens and he snaps. Then it's off to the cave/lair/secret lab to wreak havoc on the entire world. Sure, the mad scientist plot device may be old and tired, but somehow it still has some lasting appeal. I mean, who doesn't love watching crazy, smart people blow things up? Elements of Destruction taps this vintage theme and weaves in some weather-related elements to create an action packed title that's all about sticking it to the proverbial man by leveling cities, towns, and of course, research facilities owned by the company that started it all."
Ricky Tucker reports:
''About a year or so ago, I heard a TV interview where it was suggested that the world's slowest James Bond villain, President George W. Bush, was somehow able to control the weather and caused Hurricane Katrina to hit the Louisiana coast. I'm not sure if the guys at Frozen Codebase heard the same interview, but it seems like we both came to the same conclusion - a game where you control the weather would be awesome.
As XBLA games go, Elements of Destruction doesn't look that bad. Some of the environments are a little too sparse and flat, but once the destruction starts, that doesn't matter. The size and power of the explosions that erupt as you tear through each area are satisfying and lend some real power to your abilities. Sometimes you'll set off massive chain reactions of explosions which can make it really hard to see what's going on. Also, it isn't always readily apparent if a building is completely destroyed. It may look in ruins, but many times a smoldering mess is still considered "alive", which can hurt gameplay. There are also some minor framerate issues, mostly during boss sequences.
Audio isn't that great. Some of the voicework is funny, but nature's fury sounds more like a whimper and doesn't always back up what you're seeing on the screen.''
