Twisted Metal Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

System: PS3
Dev: Eat Sleep Play
Pub: Sony
Release: February 14, 2012
Players: 1-4 (Local), 1-16 (Online)
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p	Violence

The maps in the game are absolutely humongous, and they will satisfy anyone who has played a Twisted Metal game in the past. There are secret areas everywhere and, after a few matches, you'll find yourself driving through buildings or subway tunnels to get the drop on your opponent. If your match is too small to warrant such a huge and expansive map, you can actually just limit the play area to tiny sections of the map in order to keep the action high. This is especially helpful for the four-player competitive split-screen mode that the game has, which plays just as well as it did back in the PlayStation One days.

Twisted Metal Screenshot

The game looks good, but it's plagued by more than a few bugs. Many times you'll find the camera glitching out in ways that seriously impede your progress. On more than one occasion I found myself accidentally clipping through walls, or interacting with enemy cars in funny ways. Adding this to the already difficult A.I. can make for some frustrating experiences.

However, the sheer premise of the game keeps me coming back. At the end of the day, vehicular combat is fun. Unlike all the kart racing games we have played over the years, Twisted Metal is just about blowing your opponents up, and that's simply an enjoyable pastime. The power-up management and vehicle selection give the game a sort of arcade feel that you just don't get in modern shooter games. Despite all its flaws, this game feels, at its core, like a true Twisted Metal title, and, to this day, Twisted Metal is pretty much the only franchise to get excessively violent vehicle combat right.

By
Angelo M. D'Argenio
Contributing Writer
Date: February 14, 2012

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.6

Graphics
If it weren't for the camera angles, this would have a higher score. It's pretty, but it's glitchy.

2.9

Control
The controls are far too complicated for the game's own good. It's still fun, but there's no excuse for controls like "shake the controller to boost."

3.2

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Rock, metal, explosions. Yeah, it works.

4.5

Play Value
The best thing about Twisted Metal is that it continues to be fun despite all its flaws.

3.8

Overall Rating - Good
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

In single-player, fight for the prize of one wish fulfilled by winning the Twisted Metal tournament.

Choose from over a dozen new and series favorite vehicles, each outfitted with weapons of Twisted destruction to strategically dismantle your opponents.

In multiplayer, become a Twisted Disciple and destroy everything online as a devoted follower of one of the all-star Twisted cast of characters. Team up with up to 16 online and 2-4 player split-screen.

Discover psychotic power-ups in levels covering over a dozen high-octane battlegrounds. Pair up different vehicles and maximize your firepower.