Twisted Metal: Black
| Twisted Metal: Black | |
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| Developer(s) | Incognito Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment |
| Director(s) | David Jaffe |
| Producer(s) | Scott Campbell |
| Designer(s) | David Jaffe (lead), Scott Campbell, Steve Ceragioli, Kellan Hatch |
| Programmer(s) | Steve Poulson (lead), Michael Badger, Pierre Dufresne |
| Writer(s) | Mike Giam (story), David Jaffe, Scott Campbell |
| Composer(s) | Michael Reagan, Gregory J. Hainer |
| Series | Twisted Metal |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, PlayStation Network |
| Release date(s) | PlayStation 2
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| Genre(s) | Vehicle combat |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Mature (M) ESRB/Online: Teen (T) |
| Media/distribution | DVD-ROM |
Twisted Metal: Black is a vehicle combat video game developed by Incognito Entertainment (formerly Incog Inc.) for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the fifth installment to the Twisted Metal series and was released June 18, 2001. An online enabled multiplayer-only variant, Twisted Metal: Black Online, was released later as a free send away.
Both Twisted Metal: Black and Twisted Metal: Black Online were reissued as part of Sony Greatest Hits program. A standard downloadable version of Twisted Metal: Black will be included in the first released copies of Twisted Metal for PlayStation 3.
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[edit] Overview
In concept, Twisted Metal: Black is a demolition derby that permits the usage of ballistic projectiles. Players choose a vehicle and an arena—or a series of arenas in the story mode—to engage in battle with opposing drivers. A variety of weapons and upgrades are obtainable by pick-ups scattered throughout the stage. The objective of the game is to be the last one standing.
The basis of the plot follows the same structure as in all the previous games: Calypso runs a car-based contest called Twisted Metal (though in the game the contest is never called that), in which the various characters compete risking their lives to claim the tournament's prize - any single wish they desire, no matter the difficulty, rarity or even reality of such wish. It should be pointed out that while Calypso is indeed malevolent, characters who have malevolent wishes (which make most of the cast) have their wishes granted without him tricking them on the wishes, while those seeking more noble ends find that Calypso usually has the last laugh. In a somewhat different take from previous games, each character has their own story, which they narrate from their own point of view. Each of them starts with them being visited by Calypso, who knows what they desire and offers them in his contest. More of the characters' background is revealed in their midpoint cutscene, which happens after the sub-boss Minion is defeated.
The game instead takes place within a single city known as "Midtown", with most competitors coming from the city's mental asylum, "Blackfield".
Twisted Metal: Black has a diverse cast made up from both new and returning characters, some of which have changed drastically from their previous appearances. There are a total of fifteen selectable characters.
[edit] Development
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2010) |
After the poorly received versions of Twisted Metal produced by Sony's 989 Studios division, Sony sought to return the franchise to its roots for the PS2 incarnation. To do so, they handed off the franchise to newly formed developer Incog Inc., which was founded by several previous employees of SingleTrac, the developer responsible for creating the Twisted Metal franchise, including several of the key developers behind the first two Twisted Metal games.
Over the course of development, several features were cut from the final product. It was originally intended for Thumper to be included, but he was cut as the developers felt the character did not fit in with the storyline. Warhawk was also supposed to be playable, but was removed due to time constraints.
Due to the explicitly violent storylines of the characters, Twisted Metal: Black is the first game in the series to receive a Mature (M) rating by the ESRB. It was also due to this that some countries that received the PAL version of the game had the character's cut-scene movies removed in order for it to receive a lower rating.
Before the game was due to be released in the UK after the September 11 attacks, it was revealed that it was possible to shoot down a 747 during play in one of the levels; this was also removed from the PAL release, and the plane was seen crashed at the start of the level.
The song used in part of the opening title screen and the ending credits is the song "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones.
[edit] Reception
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Twisted Metal: Black garnered highly positive reviews from various video game publications. It received a rating of 9.5 out of 10.0 from GameSpot[9] and a rating of 9.6 out of 10 from IGN.[10] In Gamespot's Best and Worst of 2001, the game was nominated for Best Shooting Game,[11] and came in ninth in their Game of the Year category.[12]
[edit] Twisted Metal Black: Harbor City
Twisted Metal Black was to have a sequel titled Twisted Metal Black: Harbor City,[13] though it was never officially announced and the project was later scrapped.
Details on the game were revealed in the PlayStation 2 port of Twisted Metal: Head On, Twisted Metal Head-on: Extra Twisted Edition. It was originally planned the levels of Harbor City to be greatly expanded and inter-connected with one another, giving a greater feeling of a single, complete world rather than stand-alone levels.[14] According to bonus material on Extra Twisted Edition, the project was scrapped because of the deaths of six key developers in a plane crash.[14] However, Jaffe revealed on www.shootmytruck.com to a tweet regarding this that it was just a story to explain the cancellation of the title.
The four completed levels were included in the game as a bonus feature entitled Twisted Metal: Lost.
[edit] References
- ^ Edge Online
- ^ Gaming Age's review of Twisted Metal: Black.
- ^ GameCritics.com's review of Perfect Dark. Retrieved April 9, 2006.
- ^ Game Revolution's review of Twisted Metal: Black.
- ^ GameSpot's review of Twisted Metal: Black. Retrieved April 8, 2006.
- ^ IGN's review of the game. Retrieved April 7, 2006.
- ^ Game Rankings page for Twisted Metal: Black.
- ^ Metacritic on Twisted Metal: Black. Retrieved April 9, 2006.
- ^ Gamespot's review Twisted Metal: Black for PlayStation 2
- ^ IGN: Twisted Metal: Black
- ^ Gamespot: The Best and Worst of 2001
- ^ Gamespot: Top Ten Video Games of 2001
- ^ "Twisted Metal Black Part II". IGN. http://ps2.ign.com/objects/953/953346.html. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
- ^ a b Twisted Metal: Lost intro, Twisted Metal Head-On: Extra Twisted Edition
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