Twisted Metal: Head-On

"A must have launch title."

Another Sony gaming system and another Twisted Metal. The first Playstation game I ever played was Twisted Metal back when the Playstation was brand new. I had no idea how to play it but I thought it was cool. I have played every Twisted Metal since and I've enjoyed some (Twisted Metal: Black) and hated some (Twisted Metal 3 & 4). I'm glad to say that Head On is one of the better ones out there but it isn't the best one.

Story

The basic story of any and all Twisted Metals is that Calypso is holding a car battle tournament, the winner shall get any wish granted that their heart may desire. While Black gave us a deeper and darker story line, Head On reverts back to the good ole days of Twisted Metal 2 where we are given a brief background story via the character select and then an ending that is told to use through cartoon cut scenes. My only problem with the story is that some of the ending just stink. Thumper's ending is mildly amusing but stupid none-the-less.

Graphics

Head On is my first PSP game and I really didn't know what to expect except that I saw some footage running at a GameStop one day. The graphics just really surprised me because they are really sharp and detailed for a portable gaming system. The cars all look fantastic and I didn't notice a single jaggy or anything. The levels are also big and full of color and detail.

Control

It took me awhile to get the hang of the control but yet again, this is most likely due to me never having played my PSP before. L shoots your special weapon, R shoots your machine guns. That part is fairly simple. You can also change which special you're using by hitting the triangle button. The vehicles are a little awkward to control at first but you can either use the D-pad or the analog nub. I prefer to use the nub during actual combat and use the D-pad during the secret mini games. The D-pad seems to be a bit sharper and easier to use to time jumps and other things that the mini games require you to do.

Sound

The sound in the game really blew me away. The game opens at a stadium and a band starts playing a rock song. It sounds good and it really sets the mood of the game. I also think one song is ACDC's "Back In Black" minus any lyrics, but I could be wrong because I'm not a big ACDC fan. The sound effects are what you'd expect from the Twisted MEtal series. Things explode and they actually sound like things exploding. The weapons all sound right ect. The voice acting isn't top notch but it works and it's better then nothing.

Gameplay

The meat of any game is obviously the gameplay. For those of you who have never played a Twisted Metal game, you are basically set into an arena and you must destroy all of the other guys before they destroy you. You're given 2 lives to help you out and the levels are full of weapons and health. Each character pretty much controls the same, for the most part. The biggest thing that sets them apart is the fact that they each have a different special attack and while some may suck, others are very useful. There are about 10 levels and they are set all around the world. The levels are full of things to blow up and a lot of it leads to special stuff. Hidden inside each level is a mini game, finishing the mini game in a certain amount of times give you a secret; be it a new level or maybe a new character. So basically, you drive around and kill guys until you reach the end. The game features 2 real bosses, both of which pack a punch. I actually found the final boss to be a major main in my butt. Also, you can choose from Very Easy to Very Hard so if you're finding the game to be too easy, just make it a little harder. The game saves all endings you get and you can from then on watch them whenever you want. The game also feature online play via WIFI. I don't have it hooked up correctly so I am unable to give you my opinion on that aspect of the game but going by what's being said online, connection seems to be a little hard for some people but for those who do connect have no complaints and they actually say the game runs without any lag which is surprising to me.

Replay value

While I did stop playing the game before beating it with everyone, I still found the game to be very addictive and in all honesty; the only reason I stopped playing was because I started playing another PSP game which I found to be even more addictive. A lot of stuff to unlock, online play and plain ole addictive gameplay make this a must have for most PSP owners.

In short, if you love the series, run out and buy this one. If you're looking for a solid 1 player game, check this out but if you're wanting it just for the online play, wait a few more weeks so Sony and work out the bugs in their network. I highly recommend this to almost everyone, only excluding those who don't like the series.

Story - 7
Graphics - 9
Sound - 10
Control - 8
Gameplay - 9
Replay value - 10

Final Score - 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/29/05