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Twisted Metal (2012) is based on a great franchise with excellent core gameplay. However, this newest release tries to apply an assortment of mode variations (taken from FPS and racing games) with questionable results.
Instead of being able to choose from a macabre cast of characters (as in past titles) you find yourself tied to (3) players: Sweettooth, Mr.Grimm, and Dollface (which are unlocked in that order). Each character has (3) 2-3 min movies that blend live-action and CGI to great effect, even though the middle cinematic is partially relegated to flashbacks from the original video.
Combat and vehicle handling are tight. Weapons are varied and mostly balanced, and the helicopter Talon is actually pretty fun to use. As a result, online play can be enjoyable if you select the right matches and modes. However, in an attempt to add variety, the modes too often stray from what is fun.
Once vehicles have been unlocked by a character's gang they can be used during other matches. It seems kind of odd to use Sweettooth on Mr.Grimm's motorcycle, or to drive Shadow with Dollface but that's what you'll find. (Axel is only playable as DLC). The good part is that you can use your favorite car in almost every level. However, the PROBLEM is that the new level designs almost force you to select certain cars to proceed in single player or be competitive online.
Ultimately, you end up choosing what works best for certain scenarios and less of who you would LIKE to play as. Twisted Metal was always a car combat game built around single elimination death matches. The new game changes that, and not necessarily for the better. On the rooftops there will be an inordinate number of people using the helicopter Talon.
Likewise, in checkpoint races everyone will choose Kamikaze or Crimson Fury (paint variations of the fastest vehicle). Here you must beat your opponents to certain destinations without missing too many gates. The problem is that this is NOT Mario Kart, or Blur where weapons will knock people off the track. In those games, any vehicle has a CHANCE to win. In this game Crimson Fury or Kamikaze will ALWAYS win. Unless you choose one or the other, you have absolutely no chance of winning. Missles and even special moves (with the exception of the magnet) will never knock the cars off of their path. In addition, going through checkpoints replenishes health.
Cage Matches force you to do battle in certain sections of a level surrounded by lighted green grids. If you stay outside the grid for too long, you take damage. The problem is that vehicles with less health/shields will usually die if you are not concentrating on making your way back into the "cage" at EVERY given moment. Less shields = more damage = death if you get lost enroute. I finally beat these levels with Mr. Grimm, but only because his special move does an insane amount of damage once you charge it up (160) and I killed each car with two direct hits and no misses. This does NOT work online with skilled players. Most people end up selecting the same tougher vehicles.
Other levels have Juggernaut trucks that endlessly respawn enemies. You must either destroy them and all the other vehicles on the map, or continue killing cars until you have reached a quota. This is more frustrating than fun, since it offers little opportunity to search levels for new weapons or ammo. Instead, you must destroy everything as quickly as possible and hope your vehicle spawns in a good location.
Throughout the 18 levels or so of single player there are only 2-3 REAL deathmatch battles. Ultimately this is where I feel most disappointed. Twisted Metal is NOT a FPS. Capture the flag (with gang leaders you return to a missle launcher), races, and cage matches really do not do the game mechanics justice. Combine that with a limited number of characters and cinematics, and I feel somewhat let down.
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OVERALL:
So, all in all the core mechanics are still great. Graphics have low textures, but are still manageable. The 9 cinematics are well done (although more would have been welcome), and the helicopter is a decent addition to gameplay.
Yet aside from VERY SPECIFIC online modes, a lot of this game just isn't as fun as previous entries. The bottom line is that most of the new modes do not work in context. I wish this had been a game that played to the strengths of the series without trying to revolutionize the core gameplay.
Twisted Metal is probably still a game worth buying, but I ABSOLUTELY recommend waiting until the price goes below $30.
7.5/10
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Mmkay, how to start... First off, don't hate the messenger! o_o This review is purely opinionated and should be taken as such. I'm the kind of gamer that's in it for the story and single player experience, thus I'm most likely not going to touch upon Online play. Sorry peeps. :( Plus, I'm doing this for the casual gamers out there, the ones who play for mindless fun, want a new game, and aren't hardcore 50+ hour gamers. If you're on the fence, I'm writing this for you! :) With that said, lets roll!
I really liked the game as a whole. Why? I'm glad you asked! :3 The graphics are were very nice! Very few levels to play, but they were huge! The cars are well made. The graphics don't go as far as KZ 2 or 3, but there is vast improvement since the release of TM: Black!
My moment of disappointment... Yes, it is true as other reviewers mentioned. There are only 3 characters who have a story in the campaign. The way it works is the cars that have different abilities, not the driver. So much for character individuality :(
I could go on about what other reviewers mentioned, but what I really want to put emphasis on is gameplay! I'm surprised people mention so little of it. If you wanna hear about characters and story, many others have written such. >_>
Ok, let me say that I'm am an avid gamer and I enjoy various genres and challenges! I can comfortably say I'm not the best gamer ever, but I'm pretty good (I'm not boasting, I swear!). o_o So now let me place the warning here:
CASUAL GAMERS BEWARE!!! lol
Having played the campaign mode on Normal difficulty, I'll admit, it was tough! O_O There are 3 difficulty levels, (Normal, Hard, Twisted). That's 3 difficulties of kicking player butt! D:
On top of a tricky button configuration, there is a LOT going on... When you play this game, you'll be dodging bullets and missiles, trying to aim a chargeable weapon, AND trying to maneuver important obstacles! This isn't a simple game, by no means! This game WILL in fact test your dexterity!
Something else to consider is your patience as a gamer! Personally, I can put up with a lot, but there were times where I became VERY frustrated! In the campaign, it will feel as if you (the player) are public enemy #1 at all times. The AI rarely fights each other, keep this in mind! ._. This is especially apparent when you fight a mini boss called the Juggernaut. It's a semi that has increased armor, has potent firepower, and spits out a new opponent to fight every so often if you don't beat him fast enough. When this mini boss gets a twin to help, and other enemy drivers are trying to kill you, it becomes one Hell of a fight... Then they make you fight 2 of them with badass upgrades further into the campaign... I nearly cried when I got to that stage... T-T
The races (yes, TM has races, crazy, I know :P...) can be tricky to maneuver when people are tossing your vehicle around with various explosions and ramming. They were fun, don't get me wrong, but in those moments of cheap shots, I was ready to use words that would stupefy an entire nunnery for generations to come! o_O
Oh I must absolutely mention the Electric Cage matches -.-
In a level, there will be a barrier that changes positions. Think of "capture the zone" type of gameplay. You have to fight in this barrier. If you stay outside the barrier for too long, health depletes. Now the challenge is trying to race to the next location, and often the AI would cheap shot me by freezing my vehicle (a special move that can be done) in place.
At the end of it all, I will say that this game made me work for that victory, lol! I personally appreciate that, but I also understand some gamers out there don't want an uphill battle, but in contrast seek mindless, casual fun. Just know that playing the campaign will be a challenge! :3
To conclude, my recommendation on buying this game, especially if you're the casual type, is to wait. I don't confidently think it's worth a $60 experience. BUT I will say I'm so happy I pre-ordered this, because Amazon had an offer to upgrade to the Limited Edition version, which came with a Redeem code that gives you a downloadable version of the PS2's Twisted Metal Black for free! I loved Black, so that was quite a bonus! The more skillful gamers out there will have a lot of fun with this game, but everyone else should know that there will be a struggle. I'd almost say you'll want to have the attitude of, "This is meant to be more challenge than entertainment". Definitely rent or borrow from a friend first, because the only way to know for sure how you'll like it is to play it personally! Other than that, I wish all of you happy gaming, good luck, and thank you so much for taking the time to read my review! :D
P.S. I'm so freaking sorry it's a long review, I was caught up in being informative! D:
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PROS
The visual of this game is better than I expected. Environments and cars look pretty good.
Insane multiplayer mode, this game has probably one of the most exciting multiplayer modes.
I really could give this game 4.5 just because of the greatness of the multiplayer mode.
Sound effect and Soundtracks are just great, fits really well to the game(and i love More human than human by Rob Zombie)
Pretty dope campaign mode cutscenes
Huge maps and variety of weapons and vehicles.(which proly makes up for the lack of characters)
MP server is fixed!!!!
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CONS
To be honest, Campaign story does not really live up to my expectations. I was expecting something close to TM Black.
Balance issues, especially Mr. Grimm's bike, it seems that there is really no point of choosing Mr. Grimm's bike, because you will die so quickly.
Little bit of Camera angle issues..
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To be honest, i thought this game was going to be another overhyped disaster like the Brink
but Twisted Metal PS3 is actually a great game and it was definitely worth preordering.
I would give it 4.5 stars out of 5
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Twisted Metal does it again. I'm not gonna go ahead and spoil the good stuff, but this game is crazy. And of course twisted... Graphics are good, storyline and gameplay is awesome. If you've played the previous TMs, you'll see what I'm talking about ;].
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Like many others, I've been a long time fan since 1995. This is without a doubt the best Twisted Metal game ever made, but there are alot of issues that slightly disappointed me.
After already finishing story mode, I can say it is probably the most disappointing thing of all. The live action cut scenes are done very well, but the stories just aren't as interesting as I hoped they would be. Twisted Metal Black remains the highlight of the series as far as story telling goes. In Black we witnessed the depressing tale of Dollface, a terrifying realistic look at Mr. Grimm, and found out why Sweet Tooth's head remains in flames at all times. I was hoping for a story line with only 3 drivers to at least give an in depth look at these characters and see what really makes them tick. It doesn't even try to explain why Sweet Tooth has a flaming head. In one scene he's a normal guy, the next his head is on fire when he puts the mask on. What? Having such a quick shift with no explanation is no better than Twisted Metal 4's opening movie. Come on guys.
It's just disappointing in general not having all the unique drivers the series is known for. It was so much fun to go through with different characters to see their motivations and fate after winning the tournament. It added alot of replay value to the games, and I really do miss that aspect. Even though we have many familiar vehicles and special weapons making a return, there's just something strange about Mr. Grimm driving the iconic clown's ice cream truck or seeing Dollface fitted into Axel's killing machine. Another thing I really don't care for are the races. You race through checkpoints around large maps while blasting each other and trying not to fall off cliffs or rooftops. This can become very irritating, especially due to the fact that if you miss a certain amount of checkpoints you self destruct. Also, some of the boss fights are a little cheap, but they are epic encounters to say the least. These are gripes from a long time fan, but I just felt I had to address them.
In the long run, it's all about the gameplay and amazing multiplayer. Offline or online this game is so much fun. Fluid controls, dozens of levels, and tons of awesome vehicles make this game the best in the series by far. Co-op is as fun as ever, and being able to hop online with a friend in split screen is a blast. Custom paint jobs for all the cars is a nice little addition as well, plus a nice selection of different side arms like shotguns, semi-autos, and even magnums. I don't regret buying this game at all, and I'm so happy it's finally made a comeback. If you have never played a game in the series before, this is the place to start.
