Twisted Metal: Small Brawl Preview

If Incog were to take the first two installments in the Twisted Metal franchise and drop them in a centrifuge, thereby separating all the elements of the game that were good and evil, chances are they would be left with something akin to Twisted Metal: Black in one hand and Twisted Metal: Small Brawl in the other. While Twisted Metal: Black shed most of the light humor and took a turn toward the macabre, Twisted Metal: Small Brawl heads in an entirely new direction.

The game opens with a CG cinema that introduces players to the completely new designs of the characters. In it, Calypso, the longtime purveyor of all things Twisted Metal, is a schoolyard bully, doing the things a bully would, like throwing the chubby child version of the Twisted Metal 2 Warthog into a trash can, among other schoolyard atrocities. Calypso challenges all the downtrodden characters to the remote control equivalent of his Twisted Metal contest, in which the player characters control RC versions of the vehicles they use in other games.

In the build we played, there were only two levels available: the Sand Box and the Meat Locker. Both levels were much more focused on varying planes of elevation than the levels in Twisted Metal 2. The Sand Box has wooden castle-type structure in the middle of it, complete with ramps and such, just like those found in real playgrounds. The Meat Locker level is centered on a worktable. It sports a conveyor belt that leads to a row of environmental hazards, like bone saws and a meat grinder, all of which can be triggered by shooting switches on the lower levels below the table.

There were a total of six playable characters available for immediate use. The list includes such returning favorites as Warthog, and Mr. Grimm, all of which made an appearance in Twisted Metal: Black, as well as cast members from Twisted Metal and Twisted Metal 2, such as Crimson Fury, Mr. Slam, and Thumper. Some characters remain virtually unchanged, while others have had a face-lift. Mr. Grimm, the motorcycle who has sported a sidecar since Twisted Metal 2, has now gone solo, throwing jack-o'-lanterns instead of skulls or scythes. Thumper has dropped his napalm attack in favor of a large green-blob projectile, and Warthog has become a much more lightweight SUV.

According to Sony reps, the game utilizes physics based on those last used in Twisted Metal 2. While this may be the case, fans of series will note that they have been modified a bit--the most drastic of the changes is in the steering. Cars turn in such a way that it seems the tight turn button has been locked down permanently. Some of the faster vehicles have gained even more speed, making them more difficult to master. It should also be noted that this build did not support analog control.

The game isn't pushing any new boundaries on the PlayStation, if there are any left to push, but it moves quickly and the visuals are clean. As each vehicle absorbs damage, it reflects that damage to the right degree. If your health bar is still hanging around three-quarters full, your car will only show some dents and bullet holes. If you're close to death, it become more drastic-- Crimson Fury will lose his hood and side panels, and Grimm, in one of the more amusing quirks of the game, will lose his rider entirely, leaving only an unmanned motorcycle driving around.

Twisted Metal: Small Brawl is slated for release on November 27. Check back with us at that time for a full review.