Twisted Metal 3 for Sony Playstation
Developed by 989 Studios

Back in the early days of Sony Playstation, when so few games available were worth a rental, let alone a re-rental, the original Twisted Metal quickly became legendary among my circle of friends circa 1996. I'd estimate we rented it at least a dozen times (or more) before I finally just bought it. The car combat theme was incredibly addictive, and the amazement level with Playstation itself was still quite high.

A very good game, even now. The sequel, Twisted Metal 2, was even better. The graphics and gameplay improved greatly, though the music, which was very atmospheric and even enjoyable in the original, was not as much so. TM2 still makes critic's and player's lists as one of the best games for the platform ever, and is definitely the one which I've logged the most hours playing.

So, you can imagine my excitement when it was announced that the third installment in the series was coming out. I had heard that the maker of the first two games, Singletrac Entertainment, was not producing this installment, rather it was the Sony-owned 989 Studios. This caused a bit of consternation, but I figured that there was no way they could screw such a great game up.

WHOOPS!!!!

The first glaring difference to hit you is the change in the 3-D engine, a change which, in my opinion, was not necessary. The previous two games had suffered from some problems with camera angles, (i.e. if your vehicle was backed up against a wall, you would see the opposite side of the wall) but they were problems that were fleeting and easily ignored. The engine here seems to eliminate that problem, but the game just does not look anywhere near as good.

TM2 was bright and lively, full of color and detail. TM3 on the other hand, looks like video shot with a camera that has a malfunctioning spotlight – it is just waaay too dark. The rendering of the vehicles is not as crisp either; at a distance, identifying the vehicles in TM3 is nearly impossible, whereas in TM2 it was very easy.

Also, the camera angles in TM3 are nearly indistinguishable from one another, and there is no angle that allows you to see as much of the battlefield as you really need to.

The next big change (and by far the most annoying) is the new "improved" physics. This basically means one thing – now your vehicle can flip over. In TM2, you could run over objects, jump ramps, drive up inclines at an angle, whatever, and your vehicle always landed on its wheels.

In TM3, however, the "realism" is apparently being stressed, and anytime you encounter a similar situation, your vehicle will be on its lid. A LOT.

This gets very annoying very quickly, as when you are upside down, the computer vehicles will invariably join forces to blow your ass to smithereens. I can't stress enough how much this sucks, since it happens constantly, serving to completely eliminate any rhythm you had going.

Another change is the inclusion of the "vehicle regenerator." On certain levels, these appear, meaning that until it is destroyed, any opposing vehicle you destroy will be regenerated. I have yet to get past a certain level of the game due to not being able to eliminate this stupid thing.

I have to wonder why they were even included, and the only conclusion I can come to is that the programmers felt the game was too easy, so they did this to make it harder. Harder? Yes. More infuriating? Abso-freaking-lutely.

Another negative point is the size of the levels. In both the original and TM2, the levels range from small (a small arena) to super-huge (an enitre city) and everything in between. In TM3, however, there is one size – small. In the first two, the large levels provided plenty of strategic options, hiding places, and interesting quirks. They just aren't there in TM3.

Also eliminated from the first two is the infinitely useful rear view mirror, which would appear in the upper right corner of you screen, and did just what you think it does. In TM3 it's replaced by the "rear look" function, which, when the correct button is pressed, temporarily changes your point of view from forward to reverse-facing. Totally useless.

Generally, I will rent a game before I buy it, and often (for example, NHL 97 for PSX, possibly the worst sports game I've ever played on ANY platform) I have been saved. Oh, how I wish I had done the same here. This is probably the most disappointed I've ever been with a game, given all the hours of enjoyment its predecessors provided. The spirit of the game is intact, but the new makers seemed to go out of their way to sap all the enjoyment out of it.

I can only hope that the people over at Singletrac will try their hands at another car combat game – their first effort, called Rogue Trip, just didn't work for me. Suffice to say that if 989 ever does Twisted Metal 4, I'll be renting it first.

Loud Bassoon rating scale

Review by Mario Speedwagon