Almost a decade later this game is still a PS2 classic; a dark masterpiece of destructive proponent
This is what Twisted Metal was supposed to be. Wipe the sour taste of the previous two sequels because this game blows those away. Finally, Incognito and Sony finally recognize that only a group of psychopaths would get in a car and drive around and blow each other to bits.
The tale of the car battle now centers on Sweet Tooth, whose psychotic mind imagines the perfect Twisted Metal tournament setting: a group of nutcases escape from the Asylum and wage war on each other for Calypso’s ultimate prize.
The Incognito crew must have been huge Se7en fans because every bit about this game mimics one of the all-time best cult favourites. The transition is smooth and the dark and sinister yet oddly appealing atmosphere of the film lives on with this game.
The characters were some of the most memorable bunch not only in TM history but in gaming history. How could you beat over a dozen wicked nuts ranging from a homicidal clown with a flaming head to the vengeful boxer without a face to the doll-mask wearing lunatic to Bloody Mary, straight from the wedding from hell.
Gameplay stays the same pretty much. Drive a car around an open-ended environment, pick up weapons and shoot down your targets. Gameplay mode varies from story to co-op to death matches.
The environments appear to be even more interactive. Floors and walls can be blown off. In one stage, a giant Ferris wheel can be unhinged to wreck everything in its path. Sweet destruction, it is!
The animations are more fluid and the game engine runs smoothly making the advancement from the PS to the PS2 apparent. Graphics are a huge leap from Twisted Metal 4 and the cut scenes are close to cinematic quality.
There are tons of unlockable characters, levels and funny Easter eggs. But even after completing everything you’ll still find time to pick the game up and spend a good hour or so just blowing random crap up. This game is just that much fun either by yourself or with someone.
I know I still go crazy playing it.