Twisted Metal 2 was, for me, the title that put SingleTrac on the radar. Sure, they did the first Twisted Metal game, also on PlayStation, I somehow missed it upon release. At the time of release, there was simply not much competition in the vehicular combat genre in gaming. At least not on this level. Sony was right to give more time for development on this one.

Twisted Metal 2 was the first with more of everything

SingleTrac cornered the vehicular combat genre here. Lock, stock, and barrel. Even their later releases after leaving their Sony partnership paled in comparison. Before there were battle royale games like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Warzone, there were titles like Twisted Metal 2. The idea is similar – drop into an arena with a certain number of other enemies and shoot everyone else. Your goal is to be the last one standing.

Considering the Internet was nowhere near where it is now meant multiplayer was limited to local only. Later entries in the Twisted Metal franchise (such as PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 entries) would offer multiplayer.

I remember the first time I played online multiplayer Twisted Metal; it was Black on the PlayStation 2 console. Such a fun time.

Later, I would find a copy of the original game and while it was obviously rougher than the second, it was still great. Darker and grittier than the sequel though.

Destruction everywhere

One thing that stood out to me a lot with Twisted Metal 2 was the destructible environments. While not every level featured such player infused changes, those that did were quite a bit of fun.

Paris is the one that stands out the most to me. I remember the first time I brought down the Eiffel Tower like it was yesterday. Twisted Metal 2 was pushing the limits of what gamers expected.

Another was the fact that your vehicle, and those of your enemies, showed damage. This was amazing to me at the time as I was coming off racing games on 16-bit consoles. Sure, now the effect is not all that impressive as it is used nearly everywhere, but in 1996 it was revolutionary.

The levels are huge in some instances while being super claustrophobic in others. This is a great contrast when compared to the first game where everything was claustrophobic feeling. The levels are also designed to show destruction and the hell you are in quite well too.

If you have not played Twisted Metal 2 yet, grab a copy and give it a try. You are almost guaranteed to have a good time if you are into this style of game.

Carl Williams

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