While it may not have stood the test of time in its own right, it's still a decent launch for some very good sequels.
The story (such as it is) revolves around your participation in the Twisted Metal contest, held each Christmas Eve by the shadowy Calypso, with the prize being whatever you wish it to be. Choosing amongst a dozen very different automobiles, each with their own handling characteristics and special attack, you set off across different sections of town to do battle. From the ice cream truck and semi-cab, to the taxi and motorcycle, there's a vehicle to suit all tastes. And the fun of fighting across all sections of a town, from the placid suburbs to the bustling business district, shows the developers were anxious to test just what this new PlayStation system would let them accomplish. There's a nice variety of weaponry laying around the arenas, from several missile types to dropped mines and oil, to suit all vehicles and fighting tastes. The driving physics are fairly tight (perhaps more tight than reality), given the raucous fantasy element of the game. Assuming you survive, the game culminates in a wild, fun skyscraper rooftop battle against the previous year's champion.
It's tough to beat the game for someone looking for some quick, pick-up-and-play, non-thinking action. It's simple, and there's really not a giant learning curve. The controls are impressively tight, and you can nearly turn on a dime when you need. The soundtrack is decently metal, though people with sharp ears will hear the occasional tinkle of Christmas music gracing the aural landscape. No one's special weapon seems to be overly cheap, often a flaw of games like this; the fighting is pretty fair and balanced both for and against you.
Graphically, the game has really not held up well over time. Jaggies are everywhere, and when vehicles get too close they look like they're made of toy blocks. Not having any control mapping is a bit of a let down, though there are four layouts to choose from. In some parts, the difficulty, even on the default medium mode, can be frighteningly fierce, though it can be mitigated a bit on levels where there's safe spots to lay low and let your competitors whale on each other a bit before you join the fray. Really terrible is that the password to start at the next level stays on screen for almost too short to grab a pen and jot it down; it does display if you pause on the next level, but since they never tell you that, you may be stuck replaying a level you barely got past until you discover this quirk.
Whether it was a conscious decision or simply not yet knowing how to do realistic driving physics on a new system, you generally have fantastic control over your vehicle. It responds to your needs, though whether that's enough to save you may be another question altogether. The graphics aren't that impressive from afar, and degenerate the closer you get. The sounds are fair, with the music outshining the effects (I'd rather the other way around); there seem to be grunts and such when you use you special effect, which sound neither impressive or even appropriate. You'll have no choice but to get nearly 20 hours just finishing the game with one vehicle due to the nastiness of later levels; completists who have to win with every car will get super bang for the buck. There have been some much better (and much worse) sequels since this game, but if you find it for $5, it's not a bad deal to see how it all started.