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Jun 09 2005
Twisted Metal: Head-On Review
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| Summary: Great Game? You betcha!
93
Before I begin, I would like to point out that, although playing the previous Twisted Metals helps you understand the story a bit better, it is not required, as the story is not what makes this game a must-have. I, personally, have played every Twisted Metal game before, Twisted Metal 1-4, and Twisted Metal Black. I believe that this game is an excellent addition to a long line of great games. I would also like to add that this is my first review, so please, bear with me...
Now, I am aware that I said the story wasn't that good above, but with each character having a unique storyline and ending, it offers some intriguing short stories that may not be awe inspiring, but are still fun to see unfold. The main story is that Calypso, once again, hosts his tournament where drivers with weapon-loaded cars, trucks, motorcycles, etcetera. fight to the death with the others. The last person standing gets one *magical* wish to be granted by Calypso, who usually twists the wishes around to make things bad for the winners. Each character has their own sub-storyline, including things like their previous histories in the competitions, their desired wish if they win, among other things. Albeit the story itself isn't that superb, the combination of the main story with the sub stories is enough to keep anyone occupied.
One of the best sounding games ever produced on a handheld. Between the realistic roar of the engines, to the *PSHOOM* sound the injection of NOS (game calls it "turbo" creates, this game has it all. The weaponry also sounds highly realistic. Between the cackle of machine gun fire, the swooshing of launching missiles, and the loud bangs of explosions, you will be convinced you, yourself are driving in the vehicles of destruction! This game offers superb sound quality.
It is very hard to rank any PSP games less then a 10 in graphics, as even at their worst, these games are far higher quality then anything we have seen before on a handheld. Though they are different then the graphics found in Twisted Metal: Black, they take us back to the goodness of Twisted Metal 2. Really seamless graphics, there is very little choppiness, and everything runs smooth. Though definitely not making a game great, if all else fails, these graphics are excellent.
This is really difficult to score. The controls themselves aren't really that bad, but since this is a launch title, you need to get used to the PSP's control system, and since this is a constant action game, using three dimensions, you will have to adjust to controls rather quickly, or your ride will be blown to pieces. A positive thing, though, is the ability to change the controls to your liking (you can choose from a wide variety of control schemes). It took me a few hours to adjust to the controls of the PSP, but once I did, it was smooth sailing.
By far, the gameplay in the game has changed the way I look at handhelds. It is literally that good. Basically, you pick your ride, and battle it out in a real-life themed arena, ranging from the modern, urban Tokyo, to the ancient Egypt. Many things are completely destructible, ranging from entire structures to the common traffic found in the urban levels.
You have a large arsenal of weapons to unleash. Napalm, three types of missiles, bombs, environmental weapons, and a special weapon (each character has their own, unique, powerful move), just to name a few. These weapons have limited ammo, and you must find pickups on levels to get more (though it is VERY easy to find, and their is a cheat code for unlimited ammo). You also have a secondary weapons, which, on most characters, are high-caliber machine guns, which can be upgraded. These guns have unlimited ammo, but can overheat if used too much, which leads to a brief period where you can't fire the guns. You have "energy weapons" as well, which include things such as shields, freezer missiles, invisibility and other things.
Although the main idea is to fire your weapons to destroy the opponent, there is also much strategy involved. Do you want to add some quick, heavy damage to an opponent to finish him off later on with the machine guns, using up all your initial ammo? Or do you want to collect lots of ammo, finish the opponent off quickly, but run the risk of being destroyed while trying to collect ammo? Gameplay on Twisted Metal is one of two selling points of Twisted Metal: Head On.
Let me break this down for ya'. It is, THE BEST multiplayer experience I have ever played on a handheld, and rivals that of the consoles. You have your normal "Ad-Hoc" mode, which allows you to play against up to 16 people within a 300 meter radius of your own PSP. This alone is a great feature. However, it gets even better. It is one of the few launch titles to be able to play online. That is right, online. Ya' know, PS2 Online, Xbox Live, PSP Online? Yeah that. Although at the current time I am writing this review, they are fine-tuning the servers, which occasionally kick people out of games if they create a room with a high "ping" number. This should be fixed rather quickly, however. I have played this online, against other people. Let me tell you, there is nothing more satisfying then "jousting" with another person, on the opposite side of the country, and firing that last missile to blow him up, right before he nearly blew you up. This is selling point number two of the game.
Although the single player is not as good, in my opinion, as the multiplayer, I find myself replaying story mode over and over again. It never really gets "old", as no two battles are ever remotely similar. If you ever get bored with story mode, then you can simply play challenge mode, where you more or less make your own battles, or endurance mode, where you fight an infinite amount of opponents to see how long you last. There are plenty of difficulty modes to choose from, as well, which can get very challenging. You won't be let down here, I promise you.
This is most likely the best handheld game I have ever played. It has the same multiplayer abilities to make grown men cry, and a single player mode to match. There is a wide selection of vehicles, arenas, and modes to toy with. I have to say, you will not be let down with Twisted Metal: Head On. It is a DEFINITE must buy for multiplayer, and a buy just for single player as well. Well now, I suppose it is time I stop typing and go play this eh? I hope to see you all you readers online soon!
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Comments
this was the first game i bought and played on the PSP and i loved it. it immediately reminded me of the previous versions on PS and the gameplay came back to me quickly. the majority of the game is pretty easy besides maybe tower tooth, but i enjoyed playing the endurance runs for a while. now a few months after buying my PSP and twisted metal, i havent played it in like 3 weeks to a month.(that and untold legends) it doesnt dissapoint and multiplayer was actually very smooth and fun, but after a while it gets old and feels a bit repetative. i'm still glad i got it as my first game, but now i just want more  now i think hot shots and need for speed are my favorites so far. also, now that places are renting PSP games, i would recommend this as a rental over a buy.
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It has almost no replay value.
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I'd rather have Vigilante8
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This review is severely biased. Good luck on your next one, maybe then you won't blind yourself from its evident flaws.
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Seems pretty cool - for me a must have -
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Antagonist said: "It has almost no replay value."
how the hell could you say it has no replay value when it has wireless online play.....kids these days
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Fer said: "This review is severely biased. Good luck on your next one, maybe then you won't blind yourself from its evident flaws."
evident flaws? grace us with your wisdom, oh fer.
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How do you do that "Graphics x/100" title bar?
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