sndfrddy's Full Review: Twisted Metal: Black for PlayStation 2
Overview:
Over at my local Gamestop, I was looking for a cheap but good quality game that was within the coupon's price limit. A salesperson runs over to a shelf and says "ohh, get this one, I played it at a friend's house." She usually has as good as taste in video games as I do.(We discuss games a lot) So I bring it home and we stick it in. Turns out it wasn't the game she played at her friend's house. But it was better. Twisted Metal: Black takes the TM feel and twists it into something better. Quickly coming to me, in my opinion, as the best TM out there. The game's mechanics are almost flawless, except for a few nit-picks here and there. Read on for further information.
Graphics:
For the Playstation 2's almost meager graphics processors compared to the next-gen consoles out there, the Team at Incog Inc. did a very good job of making the vehicles and the surrounding environment look very realistic. All of the landscape has enough texture on it to look like tires were kicking up dirt around it, without making them seem look falsely dirty, the kind dirty that makes you say "5 minutes of cars driving around it did that?" The cars themselves are nice and original, except for a few cars that all look like the General Lee. They also kept a good job of making them seem a little banged up, but not to the point that it's a miracle it can drive. They added I realistic touch that, if your health is low, the car will seem more damaged on the exterior. Overall, Good graphics
Audio:
The general audio in this game is fairly well done. The sound of missiles has a hissing sound that feels as though a rocket is really coming at you. All of the weapons have realistic noises that add to the war feel of this game. The engines sound about right to me. Minion's engine has that diesel growl that reminds me of school buses. Sweetooth's ice cream truck tune has that creepy kids tune that's half broken, so that some of the notes spiral out of tune. Hearing it sends shivers down my spine. The surrounding landscape has a good sound to it. In the junkyard, you can hear the noise of cars and other metal scraps being crushed into cubes. That always dull of car horns can be heard in a number of courses, including the freeway, and Downtown. The only flaw in their audio that I see is that when one character dies, all the Males are the same recording, and all the females are all the same recording. It would have brought the game to life more if they had different screams for each character.
Gameplay:
Most of the gameplay is flawless. The basic goal of the game is to drive around different courses, pick up weapons and shoot them at other cars (like Balloon Battle in Mario Kart, if you played it). Not too complex, and enough of vague explanations for a lot of diversity in the game. When I picked up the controller I expected that I had to press a bunch of buttons to execute moves and press lots buttons to drive skillfully, but I found the controls amazingly easy. The had the driving part in a different, but better method, instead of using a button like "X" to accelerate, the left analog stick was gas/brake, and the right analog stick is the steering. This made it so easy to whirl around on a dime to face an enemy chasing me. Only a small amount of moves require some tricky button sequences, but I never used them, and I still beat the game, so I suppose they're not important. The AI are very challenging, I had to learn about some tricks in driving to take down most of my opponents. They seem to have more ...determination than other AI's in games. I could be driving across half the course, when I turn around and there is the same truck that went after me from the beginning. But the challenge is fun. And is keeps you from mastering the game too quickly.
Story:
The Story on this game is very complex and keeps you guess throughout the whole game. It has a more darker and insane note than it's predeccesors. Now the characters have more of an uncontrolled insanity that adds to the story a lot. What is really is is that each character has it's own storyline. As you progress through each character, you learn more and more that each of the character's stories are intertwined with each other. Each story I found myself gasping from surprise. The team that wrote the story really had a sense on how to lead you in some prediction, and completely turn it around. Especially at the end if you can decode Minion's messages. (Don't worry, I'm not going to spoil it.) All in all, the story line is what's really great with this,, and it's what kept me up late at night playing for hours on end.
Online:
I can't tell too much about the online version (I have the special edition with the online disc included) I really have only played one round, you know, just to test out how good other people are, and wow, I got crushed. But I had so much fun! I found myself inches fro the screen and rocking on my heels with my fingers flying around the controller trying to execute turns and moves beyond anyone's comprehension. So once you get very good at single player, try out the online, you won't be disappointed!
Closing Comments: This is an almost flawless game that I can really find no major problem that affected gameplay. It's a game that anyone will like, even if the story makes you uncomfortable ( I don't recommend actually buying it if you can't stand some twisted material. If these things make you very uncomfortable, I suggest no more than playing it at a friend's house. But other than that, TM: Black is a masterful game that takes all the stuff great about the older games in the series, and makes them better.
Best of the twisted metal series created by the original producers great graphics for ps2, Platforms: PlayStation2, ESRB Rating: MatureMore at Amazon Marketplace
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