One of the most beloved games of the 1990′s has (officially) announced its return. The Twisted Metal franchise, a Sony staple since 1995, has been one of the key missing faces from the Playstation 3 format. Rumors have been in circulation for months, especially after gamers discovered hidden teasers in Twisted Metal: Head On. Now, at a pivotal time for the Playstation brand, at one of its most important E3 conferences since the PS3′s inception, the platform has officially turned to one of its greatest titles to send them into 2011.
Nearing the conclusion of Sony’s presentation, it was clear that the developer had already had a successful E3 expo. The company had announced it’s motion-sensitive answer to the Wii, “Playstation Move”, and shown some amazing looking games, including Little Big Planet 2, Gran Turismo 5, and Infamous 2. The console also scored a major victory in winning over the folks at Valve and announcing that Portal 2 would be coming to the PS3. Sony also showed its technological prowess in the announcement of 3D support for many of its current and future games, an important reaction to the current 3D trends. But even with some solid announcements, the presentation seemed to lack a certain “wow factor” until a seemingly docile trailer began to role.
The scene was set in a brightly lit city at night. Two cab drivers were discussing their favorite car combat games. “You name me one car combat game, ONE car combat game that was good on Playstation one, kicked ass on Playstation 2, and kicked even MORE ass on PS3, the ULTIMATE ass-kicking! Name it!” the first driver challenged. Needless to say, his companion came up empty. “That’s right. You can’t do it ’cause it doesn’t exist,” the first driver said, pulling away. Rolling his eyes, the second driver flicked his lit cigar onto the sidewalk and drove away.
The view slowly panned to the smoldering cigar, and as the camera zoomed in, the sound of faint music could be heard in the distance. As the volume rose, it became recognizable as the soundtrack of an ice cream truck playing in the background. This was about the moment that goosebumps began to raise on my arms, as a figure shrouded in shadow slowly walked up to the cigar, picked it up, and lit his head on fire, revealing the twisted (no pun intended) smile of a not-so-jolly clown, the twisted smile of one of gaming’s most beloved characters, Sweet Tooth. An ice cream truck driven by the crazed clown with a giant machete drove onto the stage just in time for the live presentation.
As if the official announcement of the game wasn’t enough for gamers, viewers got the added bonus of seeing some actual gameplay from the car combat game. The action, as expected, looks intense. Cars, motorcycles, ice cream trucks, and the newly-added helicopters fly around the fully destructible environments, leaving grin-inducing carnage in their wake. New modes include team deathmatch, and developer Eat Sleep Play’s twisted take on the traditional capture the flag. The game is being directed and lead designed by David Jaffe, the man responsible for Twisted Metal 1 and 2, as well as Twisted Metal: Black, the three games widely regarded as the best in the series. The trailer and demo were enough to leave Sony fanboys in need of a change of underwear, and gamers everywhere are surely excited for the game’s 2011 release.
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