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REVIEW: Twisted Metal: Head On Extra Twisted Edition

By Michael Pugliese - February 12th, 2008

Developed by Eat, Sleep, Play and published by SCEA for PlayStation 2.

A startling new trend has crept up recently that has seen Sony bring some of the biggest hits from their PSP over to their much beloved PS2. Don’t get me wrong, I completely see the merit of this as everyone and their brother (sister, pet perakeet) has a PS2. But I guess I just never thought that the PSP would have anything decent enough to port anywhere (I kid!). Alright, I’ll dispense with the banter and get right to it: Head On Extra Twisted Edition is pretty much a straight up port of the PSP release from early 2005. Twisted Metal fans probably already know this, have picked it up, and love it. Non-fans of the series have probably already stopped reading this review, and rightfully so.

The studio that brought you Twisted Metal 1, 2, and Black is back under the new guise Eat, Sleep, Play, with what can only be considered to be a love letter to the fans of the long-running and successful series. There’s a lot that’s been packed into this title beyond the previously mentioned port of the PSP title Twisted Metal: Head On, with the main addition being the lost levels (three of them) of Twisted Metal Black. These offerings, topped off with some truly excellent video bonus content and the mildly interesting “Sweet Tour,” really complete a package of excellent value for fans of vehicular combat.

Now would be a good time to air my biggest gripe with the title: it looks horrible. I mean really, truly, bad. I know it’s a port, but it’s immediately evident that there was no effort made to spruce things up even slightly during the transition. Fortunately the game doesn’t suffer because of this due to everything else that it does right. I’ll even go so far to say that the clunky menus actually feel like they belong, adding to the classic or “campy” feel of the whole experience.

The title sounds as it should, good enough. The background music does the job with none of the tracks standing out from any other. I did notice that the game hiccuped slightly when a song changed during a game session, but it was nothing that severely hindered my experience.

The gameplay, as you might expect from a Twisted Metal title, is fast-paced and frantic. Tight controls allow you to easily maneuver though each of the arenas at high-speeds and get yourself into or out of trouble quickly. There are lots of characters to choose from, with each car handling differently enough to make it feel unique. As much as I hate to say it, there is just something so satisfying about launching heat-seeking missiles from an ice cream truck piloted by a killer clown. That’s Twisted Metal, baby!

Those who like to trash talk while setting cars ablaze will find some no-frills multiplayer to satiate their hunger. Split-screen two-player co-op and deathmatch modes are available, and offer up a good time for those involved. Unfortunately, those looking to take their elite destructive skills online are sadly out of luck, as network support is strangely nowhere to be found.

All in all, Twisted Metal: Head On is a decent title with lots of extras that make this a worthwhile purchase. With Sony releasing the title at budget price, it’s a no-brainer for a fan of the earlier games or the vehicular combat genre in general (Vigilante 8, anyone!?). If you’re looking for something along those lines, you can’t go wrong. But if neither of those categories apply to you, who are we kidding? You already figured this title wasn’t for you.

Posted in PlayStation 2, Reviews |