Do You Remember Twisted Metal?
Twisted Metal was a series of vehicular combat games that reached the height of its popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s. For those who are unfamiliar, the series was centered on what amounted to demolition derbies that allowed the use of a wide range of weapons that included but were not limited to mines, machine guns, and weaponized satellites.
Stylistically, Twisted Metal also stood out in that a lot of the games had a bright, cartoony presentation that made for an interesting contrast with the black humor that filled so much of the setting laid out via the series. On the whole, the Twisted Metal series was well-received in its time, though the fact that the last installment came out in 2012 means that it has faded from prominence in the present. Suffice to say that this is a rather unfortunate state of affairs that should be corrected sooner rather than later.
Why Does Twisted Metal Deserve a Return?
There are a number of reasons that Twisted Metal should see a return to the latest PlayStation console as well as perhaps other platforms as well. For instance, the basic premise of the series seems well-suited for a video game market that seems to have become infatuated with battle royale games. Sure, the Twisted Metal series uses vehicles rather than people in spite of its significant emphasis on the characters behind the controls. However, this should be seen as an advantage rather than a disadvantage because it is important for products to have some kind of factor that distinguishes them from their potential competitors.
Second, there aren’t a lot of modern vehicular combat games that can be found out there. It is possible to interpret this as a sign that there isn’t a market for such games. However, the popularity of certain games in related sub-genres such as tank-based vehicular combat games suggests that the situation isn’t so dire. As a result, it is possible that a new Twisted Metal would benefit from a more-or-less uncontested field, particularly when one considers its unusual but nonetheless intriguing combination of black humor, cartoonish presentation, and over-the-top action.
Third, there is the power of nostalgia. The Twisted Metal series managed to sell millions of copies at the height of its popularity during the late 1990s and the early 2000s. As a result, there are now a lot of adults who remember it with fondness because of its association with their teenage years. Effectively, this means that there is a fair amount of commercial potential that could be tapped into provided that a new Twisted Metal is handled in a competent manner instead of just being churned out as fast as possible for the sake of a simple cash-in.
What Might Twisted Metal Incorporate from Recent Games?
Having said this, it is also interesting to consider how a new Twisted Metal game might draw inspiration from modern successes such as Fortnite. After all, while long-running series need to retain their core characteristics so that they will remain themselves, they also need to keep up with the times. Something that is particularly true because genuine improvements in the play experience are made on a regular basis, meaning that they should be incorporated whenever and wherever possible.
Regardless, one interesting idea is the concept of continuous support for a new Twisted Metal. Previously, console games couldn’t benefit from the concept of expansion packs because there was no simple and straightforward method to deliver that kind of content. However, the rise of online services has changed that, as shown by the sheer number of DLCs that can be found out there.
Some games have taken this even further by having continuous support so long as there is enough of a player base to justify it, which serves to prolong a game’s expected lifespan by keeping things fresh for interested individuals. Since Twisted Metal is capable of focusing on multiple characters with multiple stories, this is certainly something that it could do.
Likewise, it would be interesting though very unlikely for a new Twisted Metal game to be launched on a free-to-play model. Fortnite is the most famous example, but there are a lot of other games that have managed to make a profit by being free while offering additional features as well as other incentives in exchange for payment. In particular, a new Twisted Metal game seems like it could do very well based on the graphics-oriented nature of Fortnite‘s purchasable content, which is perhaps unsurprising considering how people seem to love to customize their cars whenever that is an option in video games.
