Twisted Metal: Head On: Extra Twisted Edition (PS2) Review

Posted by Mark Salmela on 03.02.2008

The first offering from David Jaffe’s new Eat Sleep Play company brings Twisted Metal back to its roots. Even at a budget price, does this collection of old material hold up years later on the PS2? You’re going to have to read the review to find out.



Well David Jaffe is going back to his roots here, having his new “Eat Sleep Play” company return to the Twisted Metal universe. Twisted Metal is the franchise that David Jaffe became famous for *before Kratos ever decapitated his first god*, and is one of the most famous PS1 franchises of all time. I think it’s obvious by the title, but this game is a remake of the PSP launch title “Twisted Metal: Head On”. Now there is a whole lot more to the game than a PSP port, but it’s also missing one key feature. But before I get into that, I do have some feelings I’d like to discuss before reviewing this game.

The first thing I’d like to mention is how hard this game is to review. Really, the game is only $20. For $20 this is one packed disc my friends. But beyond that, there are a lot of things wrong here. Why is this game on the PS2? I know a PSP game ported to the PS3 sounds stupid, and it is, but the future is the PS3. I haven’t totally abandoned the PS2 *and judging from sales, neither has most of America* and I know I can play the game on my PS3 through backwards compatibility *40 GB fans can suck it*, but there comes a time when you need to let a console die. The PS2 ran its course, and now its time for the PS3 to shine. Twisted Metal: Head On: Extra Twisted Edition is a great game, but it should have been made as a PlayStation Network download or something along those lines. Any who I could go on for a while, but there’s nothing I can do at this point. Jaffe already made his decision, and this game is still a bundle of fun, so let’s get to the review.

Graphics


Two words for ya: You’re ______


Well as you can tell from the pictures, this game definitely doesn’t push hardware by any means. Both Head On and the 4 lost levels from Twisted Metal: Black 2 feature really outdated graphics. Black 2 looks like it should be a launch title for the PS2, while Head On isn’t any better. While some people complain about framerate issues I found the game to be running rather smooth. That isn’t saying much, since if the game didn’t run smooth I’d have no way to justify any sort of passable score in the graphics department. Twisted Metal: Head On features richer and more detailed graphics, while Black 2 goes for a more grimy and dirty look *though one could argue that it’s by design*. You won’t cringe in pain by the graphics, but this title does nothing to push any technical limitations.

Gameplay


Man they’re really cracking down on that whole “wear your seatbelt” thing aren’t they?


Most people either love the gameplay of Twisted Metal or hate it. There aren’t very many people who rest in the middle. I have many friends who find the controls sloppy, and find the game to be a waste of time. Thankfully, I am not one of those people. Twisted Metal isn’t my favorite franchise, but it’s definitely one of the better franchises on a Sony platform. For anyone who’s never played Twisted Metal, you take control of a car and try to blow up other cars with weapons. It’s simple really. Weapons range from homing missiles to remote land mines to everything in-between. Each character also gets their own special move to deal extra damage, which can turn the tide of battle very quickly if used properly.

With that said Twisted Metal isn’t for everyone. The single player for each game lasts about an hour, and unless you want to unlock everyone’s ending there is little to keep you coming back to the single player. The meat of Twisted Metal lies in its multiplayer. The PSP version did multiplayer right with a kick ass online mode. The PS2 port 3 years later somehow lost online mode. What the hell? You’re telling me this game couldn’t port over the online mode from the PSP? I’m not asking for much, they didn’t even bother to make 4 player split-screen. Twisted Metal: Head On: Extra Twisted Edition is a 2 player affair. That is a huge let down for me. I am not a big fan of one-on-one Twisted Metal. I loved Head on for the PSP because the online games were chaotic, on the PS2 it’s basically the first one to build up the most specials wins since it is only 2 players. The split-screen co-op mode is really fun, and I may be giving the game too much crap *it is only $20 after all*, but this game could have been really awesome. All of the control issues from the PSP version are fixed, and the addition of the Black 2 levels could have made the online mode that much better. Like I said I may be too harsh on the gameplay, but this game could have really been a smash hit with an online mode.

Sound


That skull definitely does not taste like happy


Twisted Metal was never really about sound for me. Some of the levels feature a pretty catchy tune, such as Paris. But for the most part the music is just filler, as the focus on the game is on chaotic gameplay. There isn’t anything annoying about the sound, and while the voice-overs aren’t going to win any awards, they could have been a lot worse. This is a good time to mention the ending videos from Twisted Metal 1, which are quite awesome. The voice acting is so terribly bad it’s awesome. These videos were meant to be the endings for Twisted Metal 1 but were taken out because they were so bad. Well maybe I have a soft spot for cheesy 80’s acting *Corpse Killer anyone?*, but I found these videos to be quite humorous.

Lasting Appeal


Fire makes the bad people go away


As I stated above in the gameplay section the lack of an online mode or a 4 player anything really takes away from the package for me. But for $20 this game will be in the PS2’s of Twisted Metal fans for a long time. The co-op mode is still a blast to play through with a friend, even if there can only be 2 people at a time. Included in this “Extra Twisted Edition” is a really cool documentary on the history of Twisted Metal. Anyone who’s ever played Twisted Metal will probably enjoy this 20 minute documentary, and the ending videos from Twisted Metal 1 are also a complete treat for anyone who enjoys terrible acting from time to time. I should also mention the on-foot Sweet Tooth asylum side mission, but really it’s not finished. If you ever try out this mode I dare you to play it for more than 5 minutes, as it’s really one of the worst things I’ve played in a video game for a long time *and I’ve played a lot of shitty Wii games by Data Design Interactive lately*. Don’t play the Sweet Tooth on-foot missions, there’s nothing there other than concept art to look at.

Fun Factor


Why am I having bad flashbacks to the Insane Clown Posse every time I see this?


Now this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but Twisted Metal hasn’t really changed since the first title. Twisted Metal has always been about its chaotic multiplayer, and by this point most people should know whether or not they like Twisted Metal. If you like arena style multiplayer battles with cars this game is for you. If you don’t like Twisted Metal, go back to playing Final Fantasy or Halo, this game isn’t for you. Twisted Metal: Head On: Extra Twisted Edition was made for the fans at a budget price before they get to work on Twisted Metal for the PS3. If you haven’t heard “Eat Sleep Play” is working on a new Twisted Metal for the PS3, and it’s about damn time. As I said above they shouldn’t have made this game at all and just went straight to the PS3 version, but for $20 this title isn’t bad at all. If you didn’t pick up Head On for the PSP and you’re a fan of the series you owe it to yourself to pick up Extra Twisted Edition.

The 411


There is a Dukes of Hazard reference in there somewhere, with or without Jessica Simpson.


I probably came off as being really hard on Twisted Metal: Head On: Extra Twisted Edition for the PS2. That’s because the game never needed to be made, especially for the PS2. But if you can get past the lack of an online mode, this is a must buy for fans of Twisted Metal. All of the control issues from the PSP version are fixed, and all of the extras make the $20 well spent for anyone who grew up loving Twisted Metal. I’m really looking forward to what “Eat Sleep Play” brings to the table for the upcoming PS3 version of Twisted Metal; hopefully this brought the gang back into the swing of things. I don’t feel justified in giving a PSP port from 2005 a really high score *especially with no online*, but Twisted Metal fans will have this one sitting in their PS2’s for a long time *hopefully until they buy a PS3 and let this game sit inside of their 80 GB PS3*.

Graphics	6.5	While there is nothing offensive this game could have used some sort of graphical boost. It looks like a launch title for the PS2.
Gameplay	8.5	Twisted Metal at its finest. All of the control issues of the PSP version are fixed. The lack of online play is the only thing holding this back from a near perfect score.
Sound	7.0	Nothing offensive, but nothing worth mentioning. The ending videos from Twisted Metal 1 are the definition of corny, and I love it.
Lasting Appeal	8.0	Twisted Metal fans will be playing this game for a long time. Throw in a lot of extra features including lost levels from Twisted Metal Black 2 and this $20 budget title packs a real punch.
Fun Factor	8.5	As I said Twisted Metal fans will love this game. Twisted Metal has kept the same formula from the beginning, and this is one of the rare instances where I am ok with a lack of changes. As for the upcoming PS3 version that may be a different story.
Overall	8.0   [ Very Good ]