New Twisted Metal mixes classic game play with a great online experience

For many people, the new Twisted Metal game for PS3 marks the return of vehicle game combat to the home console.  Classic vehicles and characters return to form what promises to be one of the better video game experiences of the year.  What makes the new Twisted Metal game anticipated by many is the unique blend of nostalgia game play with current online features.
When discussing Twisted Metal with my brother-in-law, we both talked about playing old school Twisted Metal games.  The key thing that makes the games appeal to gamers was the sense of competition within the room.  Gathering the kids in the neighborhood to play a game is a memory almost all gamers can share.  This is perhaps where the new Twisted Metal shines the best.  In playing online matches, the game was able to successfully replicate the feeling of playing with a person in the room.  This could be due to a few different factors, but in any case it is where the new Twisted Metal really excels.


After playing a few online matches of the game, I began to think about ways in which Twisted Metal had set itself apart from other online games.  The game play itself relies heavily on the feeling of achievement from a simple kill.  In Call of Duty and other popular online games, the player is rewarded for kills with new perks, upgrades and various other achievements.  In Twisted Metal, the gamer is rewarded with the simple enjoyment of the kill.  Perhaps this is the reason that it resonated so well with me as a classic feel.  There is no immediate reward for achieving a kill and in fact other than “You Killed XYZ Gamer” the game does little to reward the player.  Not rewarding the player through unlocks is how Twisted Metal succeeds in creating a unique old school experience in the modern gaming market.  It reflects back to when games such as Twisted Metal 1 and 2 were able to create competition within the room.

Without the need for upgrades, the gamer is able to focus solely on the game without concerning his or herself about the next level upgrade.  It in a sense becomes a pure game, which in my mind was what defined the old school Twisted Metals.


Note: I have only played the Demo of Twisted Metal, and despite early problems with the demo, I was able to connect to games and play about 10 matches of Nuke and Death Match Game Modes.  I plan to purchase the full game on Feb. 14 and might do a review of it.