Scrap Metal is a top-down car-combat game similar to Death Rally that extensively uses weapons. It includes a story mode (60 missions), including boss battles and local multiplayer and Xbox Live online matches for up to four players. You can unlock new cars and weapons throughout the story mode by wrecking opponents. This adds their vehicles to the junkyard of the player. The user can then choose up to four vehicles in a carpool. Cars can be customized cosmetically and technically through upgrades purchased with points earned during races. Cars are classified into multiple classes based on their statistics, and a particular type of car may be required for a race. It is possible to return an automobile to the junkyard and exchange it for another previously collected vehicle.
The tracks include shortcuts, leaps, power-ups like nitro boosts, health, repairs, and extreme firepower. All vehicles are equipped with primary weapons such as a machine gun, rocket launcher, shotgun, or energy ray, and melee weapons such as knives or guns intended to force other vehicles out of the way. There are a total of 20 automobiles to pick from. Regular races, elimination races, derbies, and small venues akin to Destruction Derby are among the mission types. In addition, there are tracks where the player must accompany another vehicle or target a specific enemy in a race.
The cars in the game can be controlled in two ways. The first is directional steering, which sends the car in the direction indicated by the analog stick, and the second is typical left/right steering, as seen in regular racing games.
