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Twisted Metal Part I: A New Genre

  • Writer: Cassie McKeever
    Cassie McKeever
  • Aug 5, 2019
  • 6 min read

Updated: Aug 5, 2019


Note: Had to repost due to glitch. For my 30th birthday, I'll be covering my top five most nostalgic games this August. I'm kicking it off with the first 3D game I ever played; Twisted Metal! When it first came out, I would go to my friend's house everyday to play it. We spent so many fun hours blowing up and shooting each other. As it was also the first PlayStation game I played, I ended up begging my parents for one (they eventually caved in). Honestly, if it wasn't for this game, I don't know if I would be as obsessed with video games as I am now. I'm clearly not alone on this either, as this series went on to become one of the most recognizable on the original PlayStation. Basics Twisted Metal is a car combat game developed by SingleTrac for Sony Studios, and was one of the earliest exclusives for the PlayStation. It, strangely, was released semi-backwards; North America got it 11/05/1995, Europe on 01/13/1996, then Japan on 03/03/1996. It has seen additional releases over the years for the PlayStation 3, PSP, PS Vita, and Windows.

The story takes place in a Battle Royale style tournament, with the winner being granted one wish after defeating their opponents. It's a simple story, but it works for the game that invented the vehicular combat genre. Other recognizable games in this genre include Carmageddon, Roll Cage, Vigitalte 8, and Road Rash. Now, let's talk about some interesting folks who worked on this legendary game.

Development There is a serious dearth of video game history sources out there. I did, however, take a look at the credits and found some remarkable people. For example, Allen Becker oversaw the business and production side of many different games, including Twisted Metal. Some recognizable titles are The Last Guardian, Ratchet & Clank, Little Big Planet series, God of War, Bloodborne, Crash Bandicoot, and Gran Turismo 4, just to name a few. Scott Campbell was another on the team that helped production through SingleTrac. After heading up Incognito Entertainment, in 2007 he left to found Eat Sleep Play with David Jaffe.

And speak of the devil; David Jaffe was the creator and executive producer of not only Twisted Metal, but God of War as well. After forming Eat sleep Play, they released two Twisted Metal games. After that they switched over to developing mobile games, eventually signing a contract with Zynga.

Normally this would be where I move on to previews about the game. However, as previously stated, time has not been kind to video game sources. I'll instead move onto a couple of reviews. Reviews The first review I found was in CVG's December 1995 issue.The unamed author felt the single player was far too short and the graphics too glitchy. Luckily, it was the multi-player to the rescue. Overall they found it to be a "...fun and fairly simple game." They give the game a score of 81%. IGN's staff also reviewed Twisted Metal, where they gave the game a 7/10. They shared CVG's opinion that the game was too short and mainly held up by the multiplayer. They also note that, at the time, the game was an "anomaly" due to it featuring cars but no racing. Modern Reception A couple of critics have reviewed this game recently, and the reviews are mainly positive. Even though Twisted Metal 2 and Twisted Metal: Black perfected the series, Defunct Games' article notes that many games launched on new systems don't hold up as well as Twisted Metal. Game Complaint Department agrees. Though the game has tarnished slightly with age, it has "...held up over the years." If you have any affinity for the series or genre, you will enjoy the first entry to this series. Judging by Metacritic and GameSpot user reviews, others feel similarly. These critics are right. It may not be the most polished game by 2019 standards, but it is still a ton of fun. Reboot The Twisted Metal reboot was released in February of 2012, for the PlayStation 3. It was created by Eat Sleep Play, David Jaffe's former studio. The gameplay is slightly different than other games in the series, as the campaign is split into three parts. Therefore your options are Sweet Tooth, Mr. Grimm, and Doll Face. They have their own teams as well. Of the gameplay, IGN describes it as old-school, yet having an updating "arcade flavor" about it. There are plenty of power ups and weapon variations. The campaign only takes about a day to complete, so the multiplayer is what makes this game fun. Kotaku, on the other hand, didn't feel that Twisted Metal was connected to the original. Part of this was due to the control scheme, gameplay, and the lack of a large cast of characters. That said, the game still has hints of retro and was fun nonetheless.

GameSpot agreed that the game was a welcome entry in the classic franchise. They state: "This brand of vehicular combat is every bit as thrilling today as it ever was, and you may be left wondering why it stayed away for so long." Several critics had more tempered reviews. In that vein, Destructiod thought the series was better off sticking to what it knows best. Despite the lack of depth and jarring changes, the game was "difficult to hate" and is a solid entry overall.

Venture Beat, on the other hand, absolutely couldn't stand the game. They assert that they "can barely recommend" Twisted Metal to longtime fans. They called the game's graphics "outdated" and the gameplay "obsolete." Overall, they gave the game a 60%. Not long after, sadly, Eat Sleep Play went under and Bartlet Jones, the company that owned the IP underwent massive layoffs last year. I'm unsure who's in charge of the Twisted Metal IP at this point, but it seems it is going to be a while before another Twisted Metal makes an appearance, if it ever does. Twisted Metal Movie and TV Show In February 2012 a Twisted Metal movie was announced. Brian Taylor, co-director for Ghost Rider 2 and the Crank films, was set to write and direct it. It was to be produced by Avi and Ari Arad, two well known producers at Marvel Studios. Sweet Tooth and Doll Face were set to make appearances in the film.

While IGN seemed enthusiastic for the film, Kotaku was ready and prepared for the movie to be a critical failure. Of the series and the film: Twisted Metal "... is a chair standing on two legs: Action and a thin story." To be fair to the author, the writer/director was not as experienced as one would want, especially considering that the story would need so much fleshing out. Additionally, video game movies tend to be notoriously bad, although a large portion of that has to with the differences in narrative pacing and, of course, Uwe Boll. All this speculation is for naught, though, as the movie's production has fallen through.

Back in 2017, Brian Taylor was interviewed by Collider. When asked why the movie fell through, he says it was due to the reboot's lack of success. Sony was only willing to give them $15 million for a movie that would likely cost three time that. Shame, because I honestly think this movie would have been a fun time, good or bad.

While we may not be getting a Twisted Metal movie, a TV show is currently in the works. It was announced during Sony's reveal of PlayStation Productions, a new studio that will be adapting Sony owned IPs into films and TV shows. David Jaffe says although he isn't involved, he wants to be. Time will only tell if this ever sees the light of day. Conclusion While the original Twisted Metal isn't the best entry in the series, it is pretty damn good for a PlayStation (near) launch title. Moreover, it began one of the most recognizable series' in not only PlayStation's history, but in video game history as a whole. It is worth giving a play, even if you don't have the nostalgia for it.

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