Twisted Metal: Black

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Twisted Metal: Black

Developer(s)	Incog Inc.
Publisher(s)	Sony Computer Entertainment
Designer(s)	David Jaffe, Scott Campbell
Engine	Kinetica
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Release date	June 18, 2001 December 7, 2001
Genre(s)	Car combat
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Mature (M)
Media	DVD-ROM

Twisted Metal: Black (often referred to as TM:B) is the PlayStation 2 incarnation of the Twisted Metal series of car combat video games, created by Incog Inc. and distributed by Sony Computer Entertainment.

An online enabled multiplayer-only variant, Twisted Metal: Black Online, was released later as a free send away for early adopters of the PS2's Network Adaptor accessory.

Both TM:B and TM:BO were reissued as part of Sony Greatest Hits program.

1 Overview
2 Development
3 Characters
4 Reception
5 TMB: Harbor City
6 References
7 See also
8 External links

[edit] Overview

In concept, TM:B 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.

Calypso, as he appeared in Twisted Metal: Black.

The basis of the plot follows the same structure as in all the previous games: Calypso runs a car-based contest called Twisted Metal, in which the various characters competes 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 Calypso is indeed malevolent, and those characters who have malevolent wishes have them filled beyond what they had wished for, while those seeking more noble ends find that Calypso usually has the last laugh.

In contrast to the relatively light-hearted nature of the original two incarnations, however, Twisted Metal: Black is a very dark game. The character's histories are much darker and gruesome than those in previous' games, which leaned more into a lighter black humour. The previous game's "World Tour" setting was also dropped, the game instead taking place within a single city known as "Midtown", with most competitors coming from the city's mental asylum, "Blackfield". All the events on the game are set in an alternative universe different from that of the main series, existing inside the mind of Sweet Tooth^[1]

[edit] Development

After the lackluster 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 devleopment, 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 story line. Warhawk was also supposed to be playable, but was removed due to time constraints.

The gameplay, unlike the 989 Studios' games, is based on the original SingleTrac engine, and as such is easy to pick up and play, but can become very deep, especially when one takes into account the energy attacks available to all players.

Due to some gruesome and graphic storyline 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 the PAL version of the game suffered the removal of all the character's movies. When it was revealed that it was possible to shoot down a 747 during play in one of the levels, it was too removed from the PAL release, and the plane was seen crashed at the start of the level.^{[citation needed]} It was rumoured at the time that this was in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which made the game less favourable with critics in PAL locations.

The song used in part of the opening title screen and the ending credits is "Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones.

[edit] Characters

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 15 selectable characters, 5 of which must first be unlocked to be selectable (Axel, Yellow Jacket, Warthog, Manslaughter and Minion).

Vehicle Name	Vehicle Type	Driver	Story
Brimstone	White El Camino	Preacher	A delusional evangelist seeking the truth of his acts.
Crazy-8	VW Beetle-like car	No-Face	A small-time boxer with his face severely disfigured.
Darkside	Black semi truck	Dollface	Wants to remove the mask nailed onto her head.
Junkyard Dog	Tow truck	Billy Ray Stillwell	A deformed redneck farmer seeking revenge.
Mr. Grimm	Armored motorcycle	Mr. Grimm	Cannibalistic Vietnam War veteran out for revenge.
Outlaw	S.W.A.T. SUV	Agent Stone	A former SWAT team sniper, he committed a great mistake during a mission.
Roadkill	Green scrap-car	John Doe	A man with amnesia who struggles to remember who he was.
Shadow	Lavender hearse	Raven	A schoolgirl outcast out for revenge for her friend Kelly.
Spectre	Blue Corvette	Bloody Mary	A lovesick bridesmaid who wants her ideal boyfriend.
Sweet Tooth	Ice cream truck	Needles Kane	Psychotic serial killer who wants to remove a curse placed on him.
Axel	2-wheeled torture device	Axel	His wife killed, he blames himself and wants to find her murderer.
Yellow Jacket	Beat-up taxi cab	Charlie Kane & son	The son rebuilt his dead father and controls him. He wants "things to get better".
Warthog	Station wagon mounted to a flametank	Cage	A serial killer that cries every time he kills.
Manslaughter	Dump truck	Black	A mysterious man seeking Calypso's death.
Minion	tanker truck	Marcus Kane	Last years' winner. Unlockable sub-boss.
Warhawk	Helicopter	Unknown	Final boss. Unplayable in normal gameplay.

[edit] Reception

**Reviews and awards**
Publication	Score
Edge	6 of 10^[2]
Gaming Age	Grade A-^[3]
Game Critics	9.0 of 10^[4]
Game Revolution	Grade A-^[5]
GameSpot	9.5 of 10^[6]
IGN	9.6 of 10^[7]
Review compilations
Game Rankings	88 of 100 (based on 39 reviews)^[8]
Metacritic	91% (based on 15 reviews)^[9]
Rotten Tomatoes	Fresh Reading of 87%^[10]
Awards

Twisted Metal: Black garnered very positive reviews from various video game publications. It received a rating of 9.5 out of 10.0 from Gamespot^[11] and a rating of 9.6 out of 10 from IGN.^[12] In Gamespot's Best and Worst of 2001, the game was nominated for best shooting game,^[13] and came in ninth in their Game of the Year category.^[14] Many older fans did not like Twisted Metal Black very much due to the game being darker in tone and Calypso's radical change in design.

[edit] TMB: Harbor City

Twisted Metal Black was to have a sequel titled Twisted Metal Black: Harbor City ^[15] 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.^[16] According to bonus material on Twisted Metal Head-On (Extra Twisted Edition), the project was scrapped because of the deaths of six key developers in a plane crash.^[16] However, some claim this to be a hoax as no proof of this happening has arisen from another source.

The four completed levels, albeit without the interconnection or interactiveness active, were included in the game as well, as a bonus feature entitled Twisted Metal: Lost.