Collection essentials #388: Twisted Metal (PS1)

This is one of the most popular PlayStation games from the very early part of its lifespan. And it was a great early example of the possibilities granted by 3D graphics which were finally now the new standard for home consoles.

Twisted Metal is classified as a “vehicular combat game”. It’s a type of game where you control a motor vehicle with access to weapons, and the goal may not actually be reaching some kind of finish line, but rather to destroy stuff. There were games before this which could be placed in this category, but I’m pretty sure Twisted Metal took this concept in a different direction than what was seen previously. In this game, you’re typically in some kind of arena without a track to follow, and you can freely drive around trying to find and shoot opponents.

There are a nice variety of different vehicles which players can choose from. They all have a weak basic machine gun that never runs out of ammo, but better weapons can be found scattered throughout each level, so players have a strong incentive to hunt for and find them first rather than immediately try to attack. There are six different levels to battle in, and the one that stuck out in my mind the most was always the “rooftops” level in which players can drop onto roofs of different buildings. There is a single-player campaign, but the biggest fun in Twisted Metal, not surprisingly, comes from the competitive two-player mode. 

Twisted Metal got a series of sequels and most of them are probably better, as they have more content, and eventually the sequels began to support having four players at once rather than just two. But the first one is the one I played the most and thus is the one that makes this list. It was a common sight at friends’ houses and was always a good time. It’s an icon of the early PlayStation days.