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Videogame
Source : PlayStation 2 |
Twisted
Metal: Black |
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9.0 |
| Sounds |
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9.3 |
| Replay |
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7.5 |
| Gameplay |
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8.0 |
| Overall |
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8.3 |
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Review
by JR Clone |
The Return of Twisted Metal
Having never seriously played a Twisted Metal game, I can neither personally comment on
the quality of any of the previous games, nor can I compare Twisted Metal: Black to its
predecessors. What I can say is that Twisted Metal: Black is a great game, possibly the
best game for PlayStation 2, and that Incog Inc. has done a fantastic job in creating a
fully satisfying gaming experience. Right from the refined opening sequence, I was
impressed.
The sound of the Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black” fills your ears as you
are greeted with the scene of a huge explosion, frozen in time Matrix style. The
camera quickly makes its way through the flaming pedestrians, airborne cars, and
ramshackle buildings, closing in what appears to be a clown driving a heavily armed ice
cream truck, and finally rests on said clown’s face, revealing bloodshot eyes,
cracked teeth, and singed tufts of bright red hair. Welcome to Twisted Metal: Black, where
even the menu system is an adventure. What this game lacks in innovation, it makes up for
in polish and sheer fun.
“Psycho Killer…qu’est-ce que c’est ?” (story)
One new thing that TM: B brings to the table as far as car combat games go is a decidedly
disturbing milieu. When I heard that a car combat game would be pursuing a dark, morbid,
complex plot, my first reaction was something to the effect of “Ugh…”
Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised upon discovering the truly warped, perverse world of
Twisted Metal: Black.
Like previous Twisted Metal games, the suspicious figure Calypso is holding a tournament,
and the last man (or woman) standing can have their wishes fulfilled. Only this time
Calypso has decided on raiding an asylum in order to find his contestants. Most of the
characters are clichéd psychos (the insanely jealous woman, the morose teen Goth, the
serial killer who loves the attention), but each storyline is implemented with efficiency.
Some of the characters are more interesting than others, and it appears Incog Inc. may
have run out of ideas (three of the characters follow the “scarred face/hiding behind
a mask” idea), but this is certainly good stuff. American McGee*, eat your heart out!
“Here in my car, I feel safest of all” (gameplay)
There is really nothing new or original that stands out in terms of gameplay in Twisted
Metal: Black, so gamers looking for some sort of revolution will be disappointed. With
that out of the way, this is the most well executed car combat game in history, so fans of
the Twisted Metal (or any other car combat games) series looking for a good fix of the
same old tricks will be in heaven.
The level design varies from being merely good to excellent, with fairly destructible
environments to boot. The stage Abandoned Skyscrapers stands out especially in its
quality; jumping from rooftop to rooftop, crossing perilous bridges, and ramming enemies
off the edge to their untimely deaths is a blast. The weapons are the same generic stuff
seen over and over, but each car has a special attack, as well as other special moves that
break up the monotony of missiles, homing missiles, cluster missiles, power missiles, and
clustered homing missiles. With a blazing framerate and virtually no slowdown (at least in
single player modes), cars in TM: B handle like a dream, and have refreshingly unrealistic
physics. After playing Gran Turismo 3, where taking a turn at over 40 mph is like
trying to move a brick, pulling off 180s on a dime in a dump truck is oddly satisfying.
Now, before you start thinking that TM: B is perfect, with a lack of originality as its
only flaw, I am here to tell you there are some things that could be improved. The first
is the initially steep learning curve. Although this levels out nicely soon, even on easy,
the other cars will probably make mincemeat of Twisted Metal newcomers (i.e. me), perhaps
alienating a few people from reaching their full potential. After a few hours of playing,
hopefully most gamers will become slightly more adept at defeating the competition, and
this will be a non-issue.
Another issue is the strange actions of the AI. If each character in Twisted Metal: Black
is going solo, in the tournament to fulfill their own desires, why do the computer
controlled cars rarely attack other computer controlled cars, even if they are side by
side, and instead gang up on you like its nobody’s business? Perhaps it would take
away from the challenge if your artificial opponents unmercifully destroyed each other,
leaving you the victor without a struggle, but it still seems a bit odd watching two
adversaries who are supposed to be facing off against one another standing motionless, not
doing a thing.
Finally, the multiplayer mode ends up rather lackluster, with only three basic modes
(deathmatch, 2-player co-op, and last man standing), none of which offer any new spin on
one simple strategy: KILL! KILL! KILL!
Still, TM:B is rock solid in the gameplay department, and the whole “KILL! KILL!
KILL!” premise offers much more fun than I might have led on. Car combat titles might
not offer much depth, but Twisted Metal: Black is jam packed with more destructive
goodness than any of its predecessors.
“I see a line of cars, and they are painted black…” (graphics)
I was extremely wary of what Twisted Metal: Black might look like after examining some
still pictures that looked drab and jagged. I’m happy to report, however, that this
game is poetry in motion, and is definitely one of the finer looking titles on the
PlayStation 2. The distinctly dank, decrepit look of TM: B is perfectly suited to the
twisted world.
Every level takes place in either a dilapidated industrial setting or a desolate, rural
wasteland. Each car looks nice, and the effects produced by the ammunition issuing forth
from the cars look even nicer. Environments are often surrounded in darkness and rain; in
fact there is not one stage that takes place in the daytime or in good weather, which adds
to the whole experience. TM: B may not be the best-looking PlayStation 2 title, but its
individual visual style and undeniably good graphics are nothing to scoff at.
“…engines pumping and thumping in time…” (sound)
Several fine actors have lent their voices to Twisted Metal: Black, actors that can
actually convey a wide range of emotions (gasp!). Even in games with mostly enjoyable
voices, there are almost always a few piss poor performances, but in TM:B, all the voices
are at least tolerable, if not convincing or moving. A special mention goes out to actor
J.S. Gilbert, who provided great voices for No Face, Axel, Agent Stone, and, the hallmark
character of Twisted Metal, Sweettooth.
The other sounds in Twisted Metal: Black are somewhat lacking. Weapons and explosions
don’t sound as loud or distinct as they should, and besides “Paint It
Black” by the Stones, there is little music to be found (except for the eerie sounds
of Sweettooth’s ice cream truck). To summarize, audio in Twisted Metal: Black is
quite the mixed bag.
“And she’ll have fun, fun, fun ‘till her daddy takes her T-Bird
away” (replay)
There is plenty to uncover in Twisted Metal: Black, and this is one experience that is
worth seeing through to the end. With over a dozen characters, each with their own quest
in story mode, as well as the mysterious, well-hidden black boxes that unlock some extra
goodies, single-player gaming alone could take up a few dozen hours.
Although each multiplayer mode ultimately revolves around the same concept (missiles,
missiles, and more missiles into the hood of your opponent’s car), that should in no
way deter a few friends from sharing in the obliteration. Twisted Metal: Black is not a
title that can be fully experienced in a rental, and gamers who are willing to put in the
time will find their skills steadily increasing.
The Bottom Line
In the end, Twisted Metal: Black does not add anything new to the gaming world, but
instead builds on its ancestors to provide some damn good fun. Although just falling short
of excellence in basically every aspect, TM: B certainly belongs in the upper echelon of
PlayStation 2 titles. Perhaps not a must-buy on other platforms, Twisted Metal: Black
provides plenty of entertainment on a console starved for AAA titles. So, anyone looking
for a solid, enjoyable title to tide them over until a true killer app comes along, look
no further. |
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