(AfroGamers.com) I don’t know what it was about the PlayStation 2 but you’ll often find either the start of a lot of great franchises, the start of a particular development direction in Sony, or the best game in a franchise. We’re going behind door three to look at the best in the Sony’s Twisted Metal franchise: Twisted Metal Black.
I’ve mentioned this game before but didn’t dive deeply into it. Before Twisted Metal Black, the series was a basic demolition derby-type game. You had two or several cars in an arena of some sort and they clashed until one player was left with a burning heap.
Twisted Metal Black
It was a simple approach but super basic. It needed more and had a lot to work with. Even though those first three games from the PSX were basic, they introduced interesting characters for development teams to work with. I mean who’s better than Sweet Tooth, the mascot of the franchise.
Initially, he was just an evil clown who escaped an asylum. By the time Twisted Metal Black dropped, Sweet Tooth was mass murdering evil clown. The series was already pretty dark but Black took the series super dark. It was the grimdark 2000s, it was going to happen.
New characters were introduced and others were given expanded stories. Some of these stories are pretty good and you’ll probably end up playing them all just see more about the characters. This was a good thing since it meant replay value towards the game.
If there was nothing special about each character and they didn’t each have their own story, there would’ve been little reason to keep playing the game. They’re all basically the same, their vehicles just do different stuff.
Another thing that rocked about Twisted Metal Black was how open the combat arenas were. There was definitely a wall you could end up hitting but these arenas had space to breath. That isn’t to say there weren’t any close, smaller ones that could lead to hectic gameplay but arenas in this game were varied.
If you needed to create distance between you and an opponent, it was possible. There was plenty of debris and other stuff laying around as well.
Chances For A Sequel
In a way, 2012’s Twisted Metal is a successor to Black’s darker style. Also, it serves as a reboot to the series—which hasn’t seen a game for PlayStation 4. I think it’s safe to say that it won’t and not lament on that. Twisted Metal 2012 focuses on a few main characters across the main story—the main one being Sweet Tooth and the second generation of the demented clown.
Eat Sleep Play added some multiplayer features but I’m bigger on single player campaigns. I have to say: I actually enjoyed this one. As I said, it’s the successor to Twisted Metal Black. That’s really what fans wanted. Black’s direction is how the game should’ve ended the 2000s and went through the 2010s.
Then again, it looks as though the 2012 game didn’t do as hot as it was expected to. Sometimes, nostalgia doesn’t pan out for studios and you end up sinking three years’ worth of time, talent, and treasure into a game that isn’t going to make all of that back.
When that happens, you end up with a series that is going to be thrown back in the vault. Here’s hoping that 2012 wasn’t the last ride for Twisted Metal.
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.