Hitting harder than Mike Tyson on a weekend
Power-ups are scattershot in Cel Damage. Some of the distant ones, like the rockets, don't pack much punch. However, getting your hands on a good melee weapon, such as a sword, an axe or a pair of boxing gloves, is the ticket, mainly because you can do massive damage to anyone who's nearby. Nothing beats the almighty chaingun, but these toys are a pretty close second. You'll be picking these up often.
The gameplay is responsive enough, but hardly as smooth as what Twisted Metal. Your car physics can go out of control in a hurry, even to the point where you go careening off into a fire lake or get mauled by hungry piranha. However, the inclusion of a defensive "jolt" tactic, which flips your car forward, backward or to the sides using the right analog stick, is a sweet way to get back in the action.
Cel Damage's variety of maps are interesting, even though there are only 13 of them. Each one has something fun to offer, whether it's a runaway train in the Western track or a boiling lake of lava (as previously mentioned) in the backwoods. They don't make a whole lot of sense, but they utilize the same charming cel-shaded style as the characters. The car physics look a bit weird at times, but overall they're true to the tone of the game.
Even though it's only local, the multiplayer is pretty good
Where Cel Damage HD loses major points is in its lack of online connectivity. Everything in the game is handled offline, meaning those who want to take on their friends in battle will have to invite them over for a couch session. That aside, the local split-screen multiplayer is pretty good, and a nice way to spend the evening after doing something like, for instance, partaking a monster truck rally. There are certainly worse multiplayer sessions you can have than this.
Considering little has changed from the original offering, Cel Damage HD still notches below other superior car battling efforts. However, since the PS4 and Vita don't have too many of those, it's a quick way to scratch the itch. It's worth a few goofy rounds with your friends--even if that means referring to them as "numbskulls."