Twisted Metal: Black

From the opening menu, the action has begun. Pick one of the loonies and start your massacre of the other loonies. Such a simple gameplay working becoming one of the greatest experiences ever on a console. From the sick storylines, to the over the top characters, this game reeks of awesomeness. Maybe there's not a lot of blood or gore, but this game is packed with images that will have you reeling in pain. Just watching what your character goes through is enough to make you want to scream.

This game is a perfect 10 in my book.

Mortal Kombat, Grand Theft Auto, State of Emergency. These games are all attacked by the media repeatedly for being "too violent." If anything, Twisted Metal Black rises above these in terms of sheer horror. While GTA3 may come right at you with violence, it does not attack you mentally like Twisted Metal does. The storylines revolve around the demented minds of patients in an asylum and their quest to right a wrong. The game itself is one of the greatest on the Playstation 2 and without a doubt the best in the Twisted Metal series. About 15 characters in all, and each level gets progressively more difficult, making the game an everlasting experience. If you're looking for a game to buy on your PS2, I highly suggest this title.

Overall rating: ***** out of *****

Twisted Metal: Black is an awesome game. From the makers of the first two games, this blows the entire series out of the water. The movie graphics are very good and the movies themselves are outstanding. If you played the first four you'll remember the're semi-kid friendly. This one pulls out all the stops. Even the gory, sweary ones. You remember the plot: Mental asylum paitents are approched by a man named Calypso. If they participate in his car battling contest and win, they'll have one wish granted. Some are in it for redemption. Others, revenge. Eithier way it makes for great plot twists and top-notch gameplay.

"Twisted Metal: Black" is just that - black. It's what you'd see if you were on a bad trip of LSD while locked up in an insane asylum. The "Twisted Metal" series was known for being the centerpiece of the vehicular combat genre of video-gaming, where people in outfitted vehicles engage each other in deadly tournaments. The most successful and acclaimed entry in the "Twisted Metal" franchise, the Playstation 2's "Twisted Metal: Black," adds some much-needed darker elements to what was in 2001, a waning series. It goes without saying that this is the "Blackest," darkest, most violent and disturbing entry yet. The developers went to great pains to create a "Twisted Metal" experience that captured the violent fury and insanity that was only hinted at in its predecessors. The game-play is greatly polished from previous games in the series, and the controls are easy to use. The biggest improvements, I feel, are the characters and the fully interactive and beautifully rendered environments. The characters this time out are all mental patients, participating in the Twisted Metal tournament in an effort to have any wish of theirs granted. As you can see, the story isn't much, but the deeply dark and twisted characters featured here make up for it. Sure, some cheesy voice actor gives the characters some life, but their stories range from insane to utterly horrific (i.e., "Twisted Metal" mascot, Sweet Tooth). If you wanted to know what went on in an insane asylum, look no further than "Twisted Metal: Black."

10/10

For its time, Twisted Metal Black was graphically competent.I happened upon it just recently, so naturally, with the latest generation of consoles, I was a bit biased. But the game gets way around that with its dark and gritty cinematic style, hectic yet smooth game play, and twisted characters that haunt the game with an ere appeal. The voice acting is first rate, especially by J.S. Gilbert, and the story telling leaves you begging for more. This was such a strong showing for the game they'd have to be crazy to not make another one along the same lines. I'd have to recommend it to all fans of the series, and even those who aren't familiar. It's an adrenaline filled romp through maniac chaos and destruction. Who doesn't love that?