Gaming Trend

Gaming Trend Review

by Ron Burke

Shortly after Mickey Mania on the Super Nintendo, but long before God of War, David Jaffe was known for a little title called Twisted Metal (He was an Associate Producer at the time).  Launching on the PlayStation (yea, that’d be before there were numbers attached or strange commercials with plastic babies) on November 10th, 1995, Twisted Metal (originally called High Octane, and then Urban Assault before settling) has an incredibly simple plot thread – the psychopathic host of the Twisted Metal demolition derby, a man named Calypso, offers the winner of the tournament anything they could possibly desire, no matter how fantastic.  Given that sort of opportunity, players were encouraged to wreck their competition in any way possible; missiles, bombs, napalm, and more were provided and spread throughout the combat arenas. When the dust and debris cleared, the last man standing would be declared the victor.  Similar to what you see in fighting games, each racer had their own desires and goals which played themselves out in the ending of the game when their wish was granted.   Players flocked to the title to finish the game as Darkside, Hammerhead, Mr. Grimm, Spectre, Sweet Tooth, and the other 7 available characters across 6 stages.  It went on to sell 1.08 million copies in the United States alone.

Sony isn’t so foolish as to sit on a franchise that went platinum so quick and asked then-developer SingleTrac to make lightning strike twice.  Twisted Metal 2 hit shelves on October 31st, 1996 and it was an even bigger hit than its predecessor, netting 1.74 million copies.  This game again featured 12 characters (including many from the first game) but upped the ante with 11 stages and a few new combat effects including damage over time. 

Could lightning strike three times? After a lengthy contract battle with SingleTrac, Sony pulled the game internal and gave it to 989 Studios to find out.  Adding advanced physics and a new AI, and on October 31st, 1998 Sony released Twisted Metal III to the public.  The game wasn’t well received by fans but still managed a respectable 1.14 Million copies sold.  This time we saw 14 total playable characters and 8 stages for mayhem, but we were also treated to something relatively new – licensed music tracks from the likes of Rob Zombie, Gamma Ray, and even Metallica.

989 Studios swung again with Twisted Metal 4 on October 31, 1999, but once again fans of the original work from SingleTrac panned the game.  Despite expanding the game with a Create-A-Car system, 22 playable characters (13 playable at the start), 8 stages, all new weapons, and a far faster pace, the game was once again discarded by critics and fans alike.  It was time to try something new.

Thankfully Sony had something new up their sleeve – the Playstation 2.  Handing the development of the franchise to Incog Inc., David Jaffe and Scott Campbell (another long time alum of the series) went back to the drawing board to resurrect the franchise from the grave.  Not to tamper too heavily, Jaffe and Campbell retained the same “Calypso the twisted wish granter” storyline, but pushed the character profiles to a far darker place.  Fans and critics heaped mounds of praise on this title, citing the return of the series to its roots.  Scoring a one-two punch, they also followed up with an online version of Twisted Metal: Black that allowed users of the Internet Adapter for the PS2 to play against their friends across the world. 

On March 24th, 2005 Sony and Incognito Entertainment released the first Twisted Metal title for a portable platform – Twisted Metal: Head-On for the PSP.   Rather than rehash my review of that portable title, I’ll point you to my review from 2005.

So here we are, all caught up.   After all that history, it is time to finally take a look at the new Playstation 2 title, Twisted Metal: Head-On.  Wait, isn’t that the same name as the previous title?  Nope, this is the “Extra Twisted Edition”.  Let’s get behind the wheel and see what’s new.

Perhaps it is simply unfortunate timing that I review this title directly after reviewing God of War: Chains of Olympus.  I’ve seen how a great PS2 game can spawn a fantastic experience on the PSP, but in this case we are seeing the reverse – a PSP title translated to PS2.  The results are what you’d expect.   The game looks as if it uses a blend of textures from the PSP version mixed in with assets (and clipping problems) from Twisted Metal: Black.   It isn’t that there is anything wrong with the graphics per se, but the world has moved on a bit.  I have seen the PS2 perform better than this, and now I’ve seen the PSP perform better than this – hey, at least the framerate is smooth.

That isn’t to say that it is all bad – it seems that there are a few more environmental pieces that can be destroyed, and there is a bit more traffic this time around (although it is still pretty barren for a populated city) I will say that it is obvious that a great deal of time has been paid to lighting and smoke contrails as the missiles (and there are plenty) look pretty solid for a PS2 title. 

Twisted Metal: Head On Extra Twisted Edition does bring something new to the table…kinda.  There is a segment included called “The Lost Levels”.  In these lost levels we get a glimpse of some of the levels that didn’t quite make the cut to ship on previous titles like Black.  Since these aren’t quite finished, they are a tad dark and somewhat unfilled, but it is great for fans to be able to see what got left on the cutting room floor.   Additionally, there is a section called “The Lost Ending Movies”.  These movies are the horrific FMV that was supposed to ship with the original Twisted Metal over 10 years ago, so expect maximum cheese.  If you remember titles like Hell and Sewer Shark in the dawn of the FMV age, you’ll know what to expect.  What is funny is that they are some of my favorite parts of this package.  They are so bad that they transcend into something fun.  It is a lot like watching Barry Gordys “The Last Dragon” – the acting is horrific, but the content is bad comedy gold. 

There was something somewhat odd about this Extra Twisted Edition that made me scratch my head – the lack of widescreen options.  While the PSP is natively widescreen, somehow this didn’t translate to the PSP.  When coupled with two player split screen on a large TV, you’ll find that it really leaves a bit to be desired.

For everything negative I’ve said about the graphics in Twisted Metal: Head On: Extra Twisted Edition you can throw in one positive thing about the soundtrack.  While I don’t recognize a single person in the list of bands, their work is great.  Each track fits the arena you are in, and the sound effects fit very well.  Spectre still gets my vote for best attack sound as he launches his flaming skull.  Like the PSP version, the soundtrack has a few voice tracks, but again they are essentially filler.
 
Let’s not pretend that we are going to see anything but corny cutscenes in this game.  From the Lost Ending Movies to the cinematic movies in this version, the whole thing is very much popcorn.  Keep your expectations low and just laugh along. 

Have you played a Twisted Metal title on the PS2?  You know what you are getting.  Left analog handles steering, right analog throws you forward or reverse, Square, Circle, and X handle gas, tight turn, and brakes respectively.  The shoulder buttons handle weapon selection, guns, and special attacks.  If you were expecting rocket science you won’t find it here.  If you don’t like the default selection, there are two other configurations that you can use.  While it isn’t a full remap option, you’ll find something workable between the three.

As simple as controls are, the HUD is even simpler.  Since this is a demolition derby, you’ll need to know how many enemies there are remaining.  You’ll find this number in the upper left corner right next to a message detailing your closest enemy.  Below this is the very useful radar which lets you know where you are in relation to your targets.  In the opposite corner you can see which weapon you have selected, how close you are to overheating your machine guns, a turbo meter, your energy, and your remaining respawns.  It is relatively uncluttered and it works. 

Obviously with both analog sticks in use you won’t be controlling the camera.  With the game moving this fast you’ll occasionally find that the camera just isn’t where it needs to be.  During boss battles this can be rough – especially when that boss launches little quad runner bastards all over the place.

Since this is a near exact port of the PSP version of this title, I’ll plagiarize myself a little bit from that previous review.  As with the PSP version, the single player game is simple enough and for those who have played the previous games will know what to expect.  Drive around in varied environments fighting against other characters from the series using your basic guns and various power-ups until you are the last one standing.  After a few levels you'll face off against a boss of some type. As before the objective is to battle your way to the top for the ultimate prize - a single wish.  After several titles, this storyline is a tad on the stale side, but I don't think anyone is playing Twisted Metal for the story.

You'll pick your character and almost immediately begin chasing your opponents around the arena environments.  In my PSP review I commented that the environments are as varied as they are large with locations including Paris as it was introduced in Twisted Metal 2. After going back and playing those previous titles, I do have to admit that these arenas are slightly smaller than I thought.  This makes the game a bit more frantic and tight, which could be a plus or a minus depending on your personal preference.  There are 10 arenas to play in including L.A. Wood, Rome, Egypt, Tokyo, Greece, and the aforementioned Paris, as well as an exclusive Transylvania Castle level in the Extra Twisted edition.  Tack on the four extra Lost Levels and there is plenty to see in this port. You'll speed around in circles or through city streets to track down your enemies blasting them with machine guns, rockets, napalm, homing missiles, dumb-fire missiles, mines, dynamite, and more. As with the previous titles, some of the environments can be destroyed or used as weapons. It's not rocket-surgery, but it works until you meet the bosses.

The bosses in this game are obscenely difficult in relation to the rest of the game.  Those who have not played the previous titles can easily plow through to the first boss without an incredible amount of strategy or skill, but that is where your luck runs out.  This first boss drops four unfriendly fellows on Quad Runners to cause you grief.  The same run-and-gun methods will easily take them out, but the hillbilly bread-van is nigh-impossible to destroy.  The hillbillies fire from all sides and that truck moves almost as fast as any vehicle in the game.  This introduces some serious frustration factor to the game, but pales in comparison to the final boss. This game is pure deathmatch and the bosses are just damned hard - if you are easily frustrated, you may want to look at the rent option.

In the handheld version of the game I had some trouble with the speed.  I never really got the hang of the Napalm bomb, tending to drop it a bit early or late, but never on time.  In the console port I found that the larger screen helped my timing greatly.  Brush up your high-speed reflexes, you’ll need them.

The Twisted Metal: Lost sections play almost like a second separate game within the Head-On game.  Players can tour through four stages (Stadium Slaughter, Suburban Terror, Carnival of Darkness and the unlockable stage, Port of Death) using all of the characters from Twisted Metal: Black (and a few extra) that represent stuff left on the cutting room floor in previous games.  Some of these levels are a bit unbalanced, but it feels almost like the recently released Blade Runner workprint – something of a treat for true fans of the game, even if a bit rough. 

The game does support three modes – Story mode which I discussed above, Challenge mode which pits you against characters you select in a sort of arena showdown, and Endurance mode which is simply wave after wave until you can’t take any more.

How do you sum up a Twisted Metal title?  Does it bring anything new to the gameplay to which we’ve all become accustomed?  Not really.  Sure there are new levels, but there are no new conventions on how those are executed.  Simply put, Eat, Sleep, Play Inc. has taken what worked and simply replicated the magic.  If this is what you expected, you’ll find that this is money well spent.  If you were expecting something more, keep reading.

Normally a game is truly weighed and measured in the gameplay section.  Twisted Metal: Head-On: Extra Twisted is actually summed up best in the value section.  First off, the price is hard to resist at 20 bucks.  When you look at the impressive list of extras this game contains, it makes it a must-have for any fan.

The bonus items absolutely make this package.  We’ve already talked about the lost levels and full motion videos, but there is one more goodie that true fans of the series will truly appreciate.  Included on the disc is an on-foot section of the planned but never released title, Twisted Metal: Black Part II that the developer is calling “Sweet Tour”.  In this rough segment, characters can run around and check out little tidbits of information on this title by running up to floating clown heads and simply tapping X.  Again, it is rough by comparison, but it gives a glimpse into what might have been and provides a bit of insight into the production of a Twisted Metal title.  There are 29 of these factoids in all (most of which are text or pictures), but it is unlikely that you’ll visit this again after you get all the “Hmm, interesting” moments out of the way.

In addition to the Sweet Tour, there is a video segment called Twisted Metal: The Dark Past.  This documentary is relatively short but does give a bit of insight into the development process and the people behind it.  I imagine that there is a lot more behind the scenes that we don’t see in this video, but I’ll have to chalk that information void up to the musical chairs that has gone on with the development teams. 

One of the things that ended up being pretty cool was being able to play online with my PSP against friends.  Unfortunately all multiplayer has been cut with the exception of 2 player split screen.  Obviously the PS2 can handle an online game – it was a shame this feature didn’t make the cut.

There are four levels of difficulty available in the game, which provides a bit of challenge for veterans and a fighting chance for newcomers to the series.  Picking up this version also nets you a free digital download code to pick up the soundtrack.  Given how highly I’ve rated the soundtrack, it shouldn’t come as a shock to you that I’m listening to it as I write this review.

I thought that it was strange to be looking at another PS2 Twisted Metal title, but then it dawned on me – this isn’t a game.  Sure, it plays like a game and sounds like a game, but it really is more fan service than anything else.  It also serves another purpose – it gets the franchise name out in the world once again to prepare for Twisted Metal on the PS3.   Is that to say that this game isn’t worth the price of admission? Is it simply marketing materials stuffed into a box?  Hardly.  In fact, I highly recommend this title to every fan that has played a previous Twisted Metal title.  The Sweet Tour and bonus ending videos are worth the investment alone while we wait for the PS3 follow-up.

Gaming Trend Score

75

1. Graphics: 60
2. Audio: 90
3. Controls: 85
4. Gameplay: 70
5. Value/Replay: 75
6. OVERALL:75