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Platform Filters:   All Platforms  Xbox   GameCube   PlayStation 2   PC   Game Boy Advance   Site Sections:   Updates  News   Games   Publishers   Developers   Reviews   Previews   Release Dates   Editorials   Glossary   Contact Us		Review:       15th July 2003: Twisted Metal Black Online  Shoot cars! Bash buildings! Online? Why, yes sir! Posted by Chris Barnett - PlayStation 2 - UK and Europe Twisted Metal Black was released when the PlayStation 2 was relatively young and was received well by critics. It did not sell very well though, due mainly to the dynamics being those of a multiplayer game. To put it simple, a bunch of cars were put in a location and were required to fight to the death. Simple yet boring with AI controlled cars. So there was a split screen multiplayer, but who honestly would play a game on a split screen in these days of networking and online gaming? No one evidently, which is why Sony have decided to take the game online as early as possible. It is so early in fact that it can be purchased in a pack with the broadband adapter, literally enforcing itself as the first online game for your PlayStation 2. But that is no bad thing because the game is an example of how online gaming can improve games and (essentially) gameplay. To illustrate, the game is exactly the same as the standard Twisted Metal Black - same graphics, same vehicles and even the same arenas. But the reason that these elements have been retained is simply because they did not need changing. Developer Incognito has obviously seen the potential of playing the game with real opponents and snatched at it, with impressive results. So the game features 15 vehicles (each with their own unique special weapon) and 20 arenas. The vehicles are the stereotypical variation, a slow but hard one, a fast but weak one and all the intervals in between. But online you can be any car so you can have 8 of the same car (and that is one of the constraints that the game host can impose) so vehicle choice is no excuse for losing, you choose, you accept the consequences of your choice. The game actually features 8 different modes but the core of these is the death match and the last man standing. These are the only games that most hosts seem to set up, purely because they are the most exciting. The game controls are quite tricky to begin with as the shoulder buttons control the weapons. But once you get the hang of them you realise how well they work, especially the right analogue stick accelerator/brake (which allows reverse to forwards 'doughnut' manoeuvres). One major flaw is not with the game itself but in the documentation (or lack of) provided. The original game has a special move meter that allows jumps and force field moves to be executed using button combinations. But with this online version you are not given any information about these combinations at all. And when I asked in a second hand shop to look at a manual for the original game, I saw the moves printed clearly. Upon trying them out in the online game I was amazed, they worked! This gives anyone with knowledge of the original game an advantage. And whilst you may say that any gamer determined to play should seek the original manual, how many people would go to that much trouble for a manual that they should have been given with the game (the special weapons and pros and cons of characters are also missing from 'Online's' manual)? When playing online you must comply with the limits set by the server, which can occasionally be stupid and unreachable (such as the one scoring method of a +1 for a kill and a -1 for a death, where a set score, usually 10, must be reached). Yet the game allows them. So sometimes you will find yourself (and up to 7 others) playing for 20 minutes before realising that the goal is unobtainable. Add to this the frustration of having to join games once they have began in order to get other players there (if you attempt to set up a game with a set number of required players before play commences, no one seems to join!), and you have a flawed feeling to the game. Of course, when a good choice of scoring is used, the game is great fun, if unrewarding (you don't get to interact with other players outside of the game environment, which is a real shame given the headset availability). If you just want a game to play on the occasion when you are stuck on another game, or when you need to cool off after a long day, this is ideal. You simply connect to a game and shoot until a winner is determined, with no worry about story or consequence. The mechanics are so simple that the game becomes ultra addictive, especially when you think you have 'learnt' and arena. This may be a little expensive at £19.99 but get it with the broadband adapter for £39.99 (cheaper still if you, shock horror, shop around) and it is not a bad investment. If you needed a clinching statement, the double pack comes in a really cool bulky black box (like the Lylat Wars N64 box). Chris Barnett             Latest Images:		Review Scores:    Graphics:   Sound:   Gameplay:   Length:   Overall: Click here for our Review Score Guidelines.  Review Summary:  If you have a broadband adapter already you may be advised to try before you buy. But if you don't, it is a good idea to get this in the double pack. No brains required, only good old game driving and shooting skills. If only it had a better manual!  Related Games:  Twisted Metal Black Online for PlayStation 2  11  Screenshots  1  Review Click here for All Game Information.
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