| Twisted Metal: Black | |
| Developer: | Incog Inc. Entertainment |
| Publisher: | Sony Computer Entertainment |
| Director: | David Jaffe |
| Producer: | Scott Campbell |
| Designer: | David Jaffe |
| Programmer: | Steve Poulson |
| Composer: | Michael Reagan Gregory Hainer Kevin Riepl Kevin Manthei |
| Series: | Twisted Metal |
| Engine: | Kinetica |
| Platforms: | PlayStation 2 |
| Genre: | Vehicular combat |
| Modes: | Single-player, multiplayer |
Twisted Metal: Black is a vehicular combat video game developed by Incog Inc. Entertainment and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 video game console.[1] It is the first game developed by Incognito Entertainment. It is a reboot of the Twisted Metal series and was released on June 19, 2001. An online enabled multiplayer-only variant, Twisted Metal: Black Online, was released later as a free send-away.
Both Twisted Metal: Black and Twisted Metal: Black Online were reissued as part of Sony Greatest Hits program. A standard downloadable version of Twisted Metal: Black is included in the first batch of copies of Twisted Metal for PlayStation 3, discernible by the "Limited Edition" tab near the top of the cover art. In December 2015, the game was made available for the PlayStation 4 through the PlayStation Network.
In concept, Twisted Metal: Black 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.
The basis of the plot follows the same structure as in all the previous games: Calypso runs a car-based contest called Twisted Metal (though in the game the contest is never called that), in which the various characters compete 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. Although Calypso is indeed malevolent, characters who have malevolent wishes (which make most of the cast) have their wishes granted without him tricking them on the wishes, while those seeking more noble ends (such as Outlaw's driver Agent Stone) find that Calypso usually has the last laugh.
In a somewhat different take from previous games, each character has their own story, which they narrate from their own point of view. Each of them starts with them being visited by Calypso, who knows what they desire and offers them in his contest. More of the characters' background is revealed in their midpoint cutscene, presented as a dream experienced when they briefly pass out after the sub-boss Minion is defeated. The characters' ending movie showing their wish being granted is presented after defeating the final boss Warhawk.
The game instead takes place within a single city known as "Midtown", with most competitors coming from the city's mental asylum, "Blackfield".
Twisted Metal: Black has a cast made up from both new and returning characters, some of which have changed drastically from their previous appearances. There are a total of fifteen selectable characters, in which ten of them are selectable from the very beginning and the other five must be found and unlocked.
Twisted Metal: Black received "universal acclaim" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Daniel Erickson of NextGen said, "The best car combat game in history is also the most creative. Go get it." Dan Elektro of GamePro said, "If you've lost your taste for Twisted Metal, this is the game that will bring back your appetite. Twisted Metal: Black is car combat action at its best."[2]
Many critics praised its dark and outstanding storylines for each character and its variety of weapons and unlockables, but its hover style controls for not changing much from the previous installments and its unbalanced difficulty were noted criticisms. Maxim gave the game all five stars and called it "a road rager's dream come true".[3] Playboy gave it 90% and called it "fun for the whole family!" The Cincinnati Enquirer gave it four stars out of five and called it "a fight to the finish, so it's important to keep moving and to quickly learn how and when to use each of the weapons".
The game was nominated at The Electric Playgrounds 2001 Blister Awards for the "Best Multiplayer Console Game" and "Best Console Driving Game" awards, but lost to and Grand Theft Auto III, respectively.[4] It was also nominated for the "Best Shooting Game" award at GameSpots Best and Worst of 2001 Awards, which also went to Halo.[5] The game also came in ninth in their list of the Top 10 Overall.[6] A year later, the Online version was nominated for the "Best Online Game on PlayStation 2" award at their Best and Worst of 2002 Awards, which went to SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs.[7] During the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the latter online version received a nomination for the "Online Gameplay of the Year" award, which went to Battlefield 1942.[8]
By July 2006, the game had sold 950,000 units and earned $31 million in the U.S. NextGen ranked it as the 61st highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube between October 2000 and July 2006 in that country.[9]
A sequel project is Twisted Metal: Harbor City, though it was never officially announced and the project was later scrapped.
Details on the game were revealed in the PlayStation 2 port of , 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.
The four completed levels were included in the game as a bonus feature entitled Twisted Metal: Lost.
Animation S4, a producer of 3D and Flash animations, created a series of six original Flash "Webisodes" to promote the release of Twisted Metal: Black, beginning with No-Face, and including Billy Ray Stillwell, Sweet Tooth, Dollface, Bloody Mary and Mr. Grimm.[10]