Twisted Metal: Black

Twisted Metal: Black is one of the best-looking games on the market. The character design, animations, particle effects, and lighting effects are all topnotch, yet the game still runs at a speedy frame rate--even in multiplayer modes. The game isn't all about looks though, as gameplay is very deep and contains several modes. You'll want to play single-player story mode several times just to see how the game ends for its numerous compelling characters. Each character has a story line that's simple yet captivating. More importantly, each of the characters' vehicles has meaningful differences, so players are bound to find a rig that fits their playing styles.

With its slick gameplay, interesting characters, wide variety of modes, and breathtaking graphics, Twisted Metal: Black is the best vehicular combat game yet, and, so far, the best PlayStation2 game of the year. --Raymond M. Padilla

Pros:

• Incredible graphics
• Deep gameplay
• Strong replay value

• Controls can be tricky at first
• Boss fights can be frustrating

Twisted Metal: Black is one of the best-looking games on the market. The character design, animations, particle effects, and lighting effects are all topnotch, yet the game still runs at a speedy frame rate--even in multiplayer modes. The game isn't all about looks though, as gameplay is very deep and contains several modes. You'll want to play single-player story mode several times just to see how the game ends for its numerous compelling characters. Each character has a story line that's simple yet captivating. More importantly, each of the characters' vehicles has meaningful differences, so players are bound to find a rig that fits their playing styles.

With its slick gameplay, interesting characters, wide variety of modes, and breathtaking graphics, Twisted Metal: Black is the best vehicular combat game yet, and, so far, the best PlayStation2 game of the year. --Raymond M. Padilla

Pros:

• Incredible graphics
• Deep gameplay
• Strong replay value

• Controls can be tricky at first
• Boss fights can be frustrating

I'm going to divide this review into 5 categories: Story, Gameplay, Graphics, Sound, and Replayability. And just so you know, I'll abreviate the game name by saying TMB. So let's get started...

Gameplay Rating: 5/5

TMB has 10 unlocked characters and 5 locked characters. And I'm going to start out by explaining all the modes of gameplay.

One Player

-Story Mode: In story mode you pick one character and play through 8 levels with that character including two bosses. There will be an intro cutscene, and then a middle cutscene later, and an epilogue cutscene at the end. Besides the 2 boss levels, you have to defeat 8 enemies in the other 6 levels and they'll be killing each other and you. In each level you have 3 lives but unlimited continues, and you can save after each level. After you beat level eight you can save all of your unlocks (I'll explain in replayability). More details in Story and Graphics later in this review.
-Endurance Mode: In endurance mode you pick one character and one battleground and you get one life. With this one life you have to kill as many enemies as you can. You will be killing them one by one, not in a group like in story mode.
-Challenge Mode: In challenge mode you pick one character and one battleground and you pick up to 8 enemies to battle against (or you can make it random). You battle these enemies in a group like in story mode.

Multiplayer

-Two to Four Player Deathmatch: In this mode you and 1 to 3 of your friends can battle each other in an all out war on the battlefield of your choice (NOTE: Multitap required for more than 2 players). If you play with more than 2 players you can form teams to duke it out. By the way, you get 3 lives. This is always a favorite, and you can have your own tournaments based on this!
-Two Player Co-op Story: In this mode you and another player can advance as a team through the 8 levels in story mode. Pretty fun though, it reminds me of Final Fight 3 and the cooperative play there.
-Two Player Last Man Standing: In this mode you and another player select an identical list of players (picking alternates player 1 picks first car, player 2 picks second, player 1 picks third, and so on) and fight on a battleground of choice. As each of your vehicles are destroyed you battle with the next vehicle on your list and you go on until one player runs out of vehicles. This is probably adopted from the classic lineup of fighters in fighting games like Dead or Alive 2 and Mortal Kombat.

As you can see, Incog went to great lengths to feed your hunger for fun. There is an options menu where you can choose your control scheme and level of difficulty, and this game is rather hard even on easy mode. The main argument by most people for why not to get this game is that it is sooooo hard. Well they really are just whiny because this game is not impossible to beat. I had barely even played a car combat game before TMB and I beat TMB through a story in easy mode. The reason it's hard is because the controls take some getting use to and the battle is just crazy because you have to constantly move and dodge attacks and use energy attacks and stuff like that. If you play in challenge mode for a while and practice, it won't be so bad in story mode, which is really the heart of the single player modes. I don't know about you but I like a challenge in a game, too many new games barely pose any kind of learning curve and in some ways take out the fun of getting better at the game. The gameplay is really great in my opinion and once you get use to it it's really great. So let me move on to the weapons and attacks because some people may wonder what the game has to offer in this.

Normal Weapons/Pickups

-Machine Gun: The machine gun is always available to you by hitting R2 (in classic controls) and your supply of bullets is unlimited, but the firepower and speed differs vehicle-to-vehicle. It generally isn't very powerful though. If you use it too much at one time it will overheat (there's an indicator on your HUD for that) and you have to wait for it to cool down, but you have to use it a lot for that to happen. The gun can get pretty powerful if you pick up an upgrade, but the upgrades only have a limited amount of bullets.
-Homing Missile: This missile is the equivalent of a heat seeking missile and it will hunt you down to the ends of the earth unless you use a shield (energy attack, explained later) or dodge it miraculously. The damage is pretty minimal but I think upon closer impact it may inflict a bit more damage (this is unconfirmed though).
-Fire Missile: This is like a powerful homing missile, but its tracking abilities aren't as extravagant as the homing missile. It's really useful.
-Power Missile: Just when you thought they couldn't think of another missile;) This is a super powerful missile that travels in a straight line, no tracking ability whatsoever. This thing can take down buildings too!
-Gas Can: I didn't like this thing at first, but I loved it later. It's basically a gas can you can eject and there's a reticle on the ground and when you're ready for it to come down you can press L2 (the launch weapon button in classic controls) again. The neat thing about hitting someone with this is that they're on fire now (you have to love the fire effects here) and as they burn their health goes down so they have to turbo to put out the flames. This weapon has an alternate use though because by pressing certain buttons you can lay this thing on the ground and it'll power up until it's fully powered and when someone drives on it they're in deep @#$% because this blast is among the most powerful, if not the most powerful, in the game!
-Rico[chet]: This is a disc thing that launches from a side of your vehicle and will bounce off the walls a few times until it hits someone or it'll dissipate if it hits the wall more than a few times. If you successfully ricochet it and hit someone, you get a bank shot award with enhanced damage.
-Env[ironmental]: Each battleground has it's own special environmental attack that will devastate your enemies and even you in some cases. In one level it'll spark a bomber attack or in another a lightning attack. Each level has its own special environmental attack though.
-Special: Ah yes, the mother of all awesome attacks, the special. Each character has its own special attack with its own range of firepower. You can't really pick this up though, you'll just get it over time. Just to name a few the preacher will send out a guy with a bomb strapped to his chest as his special and Sweet Tooth will turn into a rocket launching robot. These things can be fatal if you use it properly to get the bonus damage.
-Health: There are health things you can pick up in addition to repair bays to aid your health.
-Turbo: You can do turbo and you have a meter for it rechargable by this pickup.

Skill-Based Weapons: This pickup will be random between one of the following three weapons. They're skill-based because they take experience to use them and inflict maximum damage.

-Reticle: When you select this weapon it'll create a reticle on your screen and target the nearest enemy and a 5 second timer will start (the seconds seem really long though). You must follow this guy until about 4 seconds pass because the longer you can keep him in your reticle the more missiles you can deliver for enhanced damage. You can launch in a second if you want but it'll only be one missile. By the way, this guy you target will know that you're targeting him because he can see the reticle on himself.
-Sat[ellite]: When you select the SAT it will create a targeting reticle on the ground visible by all and once you press L2 you'll send a barrage of missiles in the air and the reticle will change colors. Once it turns red it'll automatically hit the ground. Before it turns red you can press L2 again and bring them down early, but the damage won't be as great.
-Zoomy: When you use the zoomy it'll send out 10 semi-guided missiles at an opponent and if you can get a hit with all 10 you get a damage bonus.

Energy Attacks: Incog has figured out another way to enhance battle and that's with these energy attacks. You'll have an energy bar that will automatically regenerate and as long as you have the energy you can do any of these things by pressing the proper keys (shown in the instruction manual).

-Shield: Creates an unpenetrable shield around you temporarily.
-Invisibility: Grants you complete invisibility from vision and radar for a limited amount of time, but any attack launched on you will hurt you.
-Landmine: Lays a landmine on the ground behind you that will be triggered when touched by anyone (even you).
-Jump: Allows you to jump.
-Rear Fire: Doesn't require energy, but you can fire a weapon behind you.

The cool thing about these weapons are that each car has a different way of setting them up. Like the launch might come out of the roof or something and it's neat how each weapon has it's own way to get ready. Another cool thing is that levels literally have hundreds of interactive objects


Best Twisted Metal on the market, a must have for ps2   July 13, 2001
Chance Farley (MO USA)
16 out of 17 found this review helpful

Let me start off by saying that Twisted Metal: Black isn't for every PS2 gamer out there. The game received a mature rating (17 or older to play) from ESRB and it more then lives up to the mature theme. Twisted Metal has revived itself with just 1 game.. and that game is Twisted Metal: Black, I would more then have to say that this is the best Twisted Metal game ever to be sold. The series went downhill after being adopted by 989 studios for the last two games (Twisted Metal 3 and 4), but the original developers are back and better then ever.

Twisted Metal: Black should keep you busy for hours straight, it's a very challenging game even when set on easy. The graphics in the game are simply breath-taking, the weather effects are amazing, all of this and more running at a smooth 60 fps. I've completely beaten the game with all of the characters and even hidden characters in story mode, I would more then say that I got my [price]worth. Each of the 10 as well as the 5 hidden characters that you will have to unlock in story mode, by the way which will be quite a challenging task, have their own deep and compelling story line. My personal favorite of the game is Sweet Tooth, he has a great story as well as great control, and in my opinion the best special attack in the game. You may have a different fav. character in the game that suits you better. All vehicles have their own pros and cons, such as one may not have as much speed but stronger armor and a more devasting special attack. it will all depend on which vehicle makes you feel right at home. All vehicles have their own special attack and each one is different from the other, just try out all characters and see which one is for you.

The control scheme for this game will be a little hard to get used to at first, but don't let this get to you. You will get used to it in no time. Twisted Metal: Black is 1-4 players and you most likely won't want to pick up this game without a memory card to save all of your character's endings, hidden characters, as well as hidden stages. Twisted Metal takes up 82kb of your memory card space. It comes packages with both digital and analog control, whichever suits you better. Don't leave the game without trying out the multi-player mode, to feel the complete experience of twisted metal pick up a multi-tap for Playstation 2 as well as 4 friends and battle it out in the 2-4 player deathmatch. Or battle it out with a friend against the other drivers in 2 player co-op tournament, or play 2 player last man standing.

All-in-all Twisted Metal: Black for the Playstation 2 computer entertainment system gets a 5 out of 5 star rating from me. A must-have for your ps2. Once again, the game isn't for people who are of the younger ages, or just plain can't handle the violence, but I would say that people 13 or older should do fine with it. The younger kids won't be left out in the cold for too long. A new Twisted Metal named "Twisted Metal: Small Brawl" will be due out this fall on psone, a game for the younger players. You will still be able to play this game due to the handy backwards compatibility on your Playstation 2. ps2 owners, do yourself a favor, go out and pick up Twisted Metal: Black and have a blast.


C9 Magazine Review - Twisted Metal Black   July 15, 2001
Wil (Savannah, GA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Being a virgin to the Twisted Metal series, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the latest (5th) installment in it. All my information came second hand from friends. They all said the same thing. The first two Twisted Metal games were awesome, but the last two were awful. This might be do in part to the fact that the development team that made the first two, didn't make the 3rd and 4th ones. However, the original team came back and made Twisted Metal Black. This must explain why it's the best Playstation 2 game I've played. Not only is it fun, dark, smooth, and fast, but it is also very challenging.

Altogether you start out with ten different characters, with their own vehicles, that you can play as. However there are four more characters and one boss that you can unlock. The story of the game goes like this. This guy named Calypso breaks into this asylum and individually confronts some of the patients. He promises them the one thing they most desire, if they enter and win his little contest. All the opening stories for the characters are rather vague, yet intriguing in a gruesome way. Each player has a story mode where you advance through different battlegrounds and unlock parts of that characters story. The cut scene are wonderfully animated I might add.

The graphics in the game are tight. The details in the game don't come from the tiny things, but the big ones. Like some of the massive levels you can compete in. There's this one level in particular called "Prison Passage". In this level you start out in the cargo bay of a ship. After you take out a few opponents the bay doors will open and you can drive up on the ship. The splashing water over the sides is an excellent effect. Within a few minutes the ship docks at a prison. At this point you can drive all over the prison entrance grounds, on top of the ship, and inside of the ship. Very nice. I haven't experienced any lag at all while playing the game, and amazingly enough, the load time between levels is minimal at best.

It takes a serious gamer to master this game. You have to learn how to use your characters special attacks, your energy attacks, the power ups, you to steer, and where things are in the levels. If you can't use you weapons effectively in this game, you will be horribly lost if you ever plan to get anywhere in it. Even on the "Easy" level of difficulty, it can be rather hard at times. Learning how to run from other players and pick up the health packs is a needed survival tactic. The helicopters that fly through the levels with changing power ups hanging from a rope will sometimes be the only thing that keep you alive.

One really nice feature about this game is that just about the only thing you unlock in story mode is the characters story. You have to unlock some of the levels through the Endurance mode. This mode is where you have to kill a certain number of characters in a level, in a row, with only one life. Other levels and characters are unlocked by either finding floating black cubes in the levels, or finding the characters themselves in the levels.

The only bad things about the game are the difficulty of it at times, and the fact they didn't make it i.link cable compatible. However, the difficulty of it can also be a good thing because it makes victory that much sweeter, and I personally think games have gotten too easy over the past few years. All in all Twisted Metal Black is one of those "Grade A" games that us Playstation 2 owners have been waiting for. It's the only PS2 game that I still own, and will be one I hang on to for quite a while....


Notice the negative reviews are whiney?   September 9, 2001
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Some spoilers in this review.

Yes, this game has a learning curve, and the bosses are a challenge. Isn't that the point? As I read over the reviews, it was clear that the negative ones quite often had that whining tone that says, "Mommy, this game is too hard!" ;-) This game will divide the men and the boys. It will make you sweat. It's the only real physical workout you can get sitting down.

Some of the levels in this game are breathtaking, with the standouts for me being the Suburbs and the Prison levels. In the latter, the way the ship docks and sequentially opens up more of the level and exposing you to more enemies is a brilliant example of game level design. Abandoned Skyscrapers is also great fun when you finally learn to avoid driving off 100 story ledges. :-) The linear regularity of Downtown is also a hoot. Try launching a gas can at the three spherical tanks in the chemical plant.

Some complained about the cars not having individual personalities, but they do if you play long enough. Crazy 8, for example, loves to drop those mines when you chase him.

This is coming from someone who favors games like Final Fantasy Tactics and the upcoming Ico. I like moody puzzle games and generally don't get attracted to the fast action titles. I bought TM:B after some rave reviews from sources I trust, and because I was in a rare mood for something action oriented, and I completely love this game. I have unlocked all the vehicles and all the hidden levels.

You *can* beat the final boss. Just take a break and let the sweat dry off the controller, and think about what a large gas tank truck can do to a helicopter if you time something just right.


Finally -- A Game For Grown-ups (And It's Painted Black)   July 10, 2001
Sid 6.7 (Appleton, WI)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

I was so glad to hear that the crew from SingleTrak, the ones who brought us Twisted Metal 1 & 2 for the PSX, were collaborating to make this masterpiece of destruction. If you remember 3 & 4, you'll also remember 989 Studios did a wonderful job of driving the TM name straight into the ground. This game has been said to be something between a NIN video and the movie "SE7EN." Yes kiddies, this one is dark and disturbing, so make sure you prove to your parents you know the difference between reality and fantasy and won't go on a shooting spree because of a video game if you want them to buy it for you. In all actuality, you won't see a drop of blood during gameplay (FMV sequences are a different matter entirely, however). You can destroy practically everything in the game, from jumbo jets flying overhead to ferris wheels at the carnival to entire buildings. There are plenty of secrets abound, which only add to the already enormous replay value. I've beaten the game with every character, and I have to say that between special attack, armor, and speed, all the characters are evened out nicely (with the exception of the final secret character, Minion, of course). You can do just as well with the fastest character as with the slowest, as long as you change your stategies. The graphics are great and smooth, the control is tighter than tight (it may take a bit to get used to dual-analog control, but in the end you'll wonder why more racing games don't make use of it), the sound effects are awesome (hearing the gears of Minion's truck shift as he goes forward and back comes to mind), and the music totally adds to the depressing atmosphere of the game. The game is a challenge on the easiest level, so be prepared to lose a few in the beginning. The bosses are tough and intimidating -- the way they should be. Remember the old bosses from DOOM? Remember how you would run and cower, and were actually afraid to fight these guys? That same tension will take ahold of you yet again. Can't say enough about this game, one of the few quality titles to grace the PS2 so far.