New Twisted Metal revamps a classic with mixed success

What you need to know
 
Twisted Metal is the latest addition to a franchise that was once one of the great names in the slightly odd niche gaming genre, car combat. US developer Eat Sleep Play's revamp is an attempt to reinvigorate the series after some insipid releases, the last of which came four years ago.   
 
The newest instalment follows the demolition derby format of its seven predecessors, with the action revolving around a murderous driving competition stage-managed by the nefarious baddie Calypso. Competitors take part in a series of battles in cars fitted with dastardly weaponry, the ultimate goal being to be granted a single wish the omnipotent Calypso has promised to bestow on the eventual winner.
 
This reboot differs from past outings in that only three competitors enter the contest. Meeting these characters' henchmen in a series of increasingly difficult challenges gives the game a streamlined three-part structure.
 
What the critics like
 
Like the original, which launched over 15 years ago, "Twisted Metal celebrates an eccentric kind of action that shoves fun down the collective throat of the gaming masses," says IGN. Its single player campaign is "enjoyable and challenging" and offers "incredible multiplayer support both on and offline".
 
It's arguably EGM's favourite Twisted Metal to date. Having travelled a bumpy road after a couple of dodgy previous offerings it "offers one helluva ride". Particularly impressive are the quality of the controls and level designs which are "at or above anything else the series has produced".
 
The reason it's a success is that it didn't try and re-invent itself for modern consoles, says UGO: "The game knows what it did well in the past and brings all of that into the modern gaming world." The fact that there's enough going on to entertain people waiting to play makes this "the perfect party game" and means that "vehicle combat has never felt so good".  
 
What they don't like
 
The game play and physics feel "almost as though they were ripped from the original PSOne game, and the genre has come a long way since then," says G4 TV. The game has a tendency to throw cars up into the air for almost any reason and, while the focus is clearly on combat, it leaves the driving feeling "outright simplistic".    
 
It's hard to find the composure to keep playing when you're constantly being bombarded, says Joystiq. Being the target of every opponent's violence becomes "far too taxing far too early in the game" and led the reviewer to repeatedly drop the controller in frustration and "walk away to cool off, something I never do."  
 
The game requires more patience than one should be expected to have, says Destructoid, and players are required to fail dozens of times and learn every inch of the racetrack to get anywhere. This, along with elements that require "pure luck" to complete, are not what brought gamers to Twisted Metal in the first place and "ruin the experience".

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