Twisted Metal 2

"A nice, calm, racing game.....NOT!"

Twisted Metal 2 is definitly the best in the series, if not the best car combat game ever. The areas are much bigger than the first, and the graphics are definitly better.

Story- 8/10

Calypso is holding his 2nd (11th?) Twisted Metal cometition. He has gatherd the best drivers in the world to compete in a fight to the death. The winner is granted anything he or she requests, no matter how impossible. But because Calypso and his contest completly destroyed L.A. last year, he needs a new place to hold the contest. Nothing to blow up, no fun, right? So he decides to have his competition all over the world. People living in the big cities, beware.

Sound- 8/10

The sound effects are above average. They really put you in the scene if you were in the car getting blown to smitherines. Every weapon has a unique sound and so does every pickup. The soundtrack is good, too. It's mostly heavy metal, but it fits in well.

Graphics- 8/10

The graphics are very good. The environments are huge and are beautifully illistrated and so are the cars. Sometimes thay can get a little sketchy, though. Remember, this game was released in 1997.

Gameplay- 9/10

The gameplay in this game is excellent. It is by far the best in the series. There is a one player mode and a two player mode. There are 8 places to play in: Los Angeles, (the city is on fire) Moscow, (missle silo) Paris (complete with the Eiffel Tower...) Amazonia (not Arizona, its a city in South America near a volcano) New York (on the building tops) Holland (Farmers field) Antarctica (Obviously, the napalm is melting the ice...) and Hong Kong.
There is a nice selection of weapons including fire missles, homing missiles, power missles, ricochet bombs, lightning, napalm, and remote bombs. Many of the dirvers from the first are back, with some newbies. They include Roadkill, Twister, Axel, Mr. Slam, shadow, hammer head, Outlaw 2, warthog, mr. grimm, grasshopper, thumper, and spectre. The game is done totallly in 3rd person. A nice feature is the radar.

To buy or rent:
BUY. I'll tell you again. BUY!

Replay value:
Infinate. Not only is the two player mode a battle match, but you and a friend can take on the game as a team, too.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/10/00, Updated 11/10/00