Games I Wish Made a Comeback Part 1 – Twisted Metal
A sweet comeback for the 90s kids.
Remember the chills you used to get hearing Sweet Tooth’s iconic laugh back in the 90s? I know I did, and few games captured the chaotic energy of late-90s gaming sessions quite like Twisted Metal.
It was loud, ridiculous, cartoonishly violent, and unapologetically weird. Back when splitscreens were a thing, Twisted Metal offered pure, destructive fun. As someone who grew up playing this gem, it’s a shame the game has been quiet for so long, especially since the franchise found success with a TV series in 2023.
Twisted Metal Was Multiplayer Chaos at Its Best
Twisted Metal had us pick vehicles, enter the arena, and destroy everyone else (hopefully). What really made it a cut above the rest is that each vehicle had its own personality and playstyle.
You could speed around the map in Mr. Grimm’s motorcycle, raining chaos with fast attacks, or bulldoze opponents with heavy hitters like Sweet Tooth and his infamous ice cream truck. Every match felt unpredictable, with players scrambling for weapon pickups while dodging missiles, mines, and environmental hazards.
It was arcade combat at its most chaotic. Matches rarely lasted long, but they were packed with moments where everything spiraled out of control in the best way possible.
The original Twisted Metal and its sequel quickly became cult classics on the original PlayStation. Later entries like Twisted Metal: Black gave the series a darker tone, proving the franchise could evolve while still delivering the same explosive gameplay fans loved.
Even the 2012 reboot showed that the formula still had plenty of life left. What truly set Twisted Metal apart from other multiplayer games was its bizarre cast of characters. Each driver had their own twisted backstory and motivation for entering the deadly tournament run by Calypso.
The premise was simple: win the tournament, and Calypso grants you any wish. Of course, in classic Twisted Metal fashion, those wishes rarely ended well.
Some characters wanted power, revenge, or fame. Others just wanted something as simple as peace. No matter the wish, the outcome was almost always a dark twist that made the story memorable in a way few arcade games managed at the time.
It gave the series personality beyond just blowing things up. Finishing the campaign with each character felt like unlocking another piece of a bizarre anthology of dark humor and twisted morality.
A Genre That Almost Disappeared
Vehicular combat used to be a surprisingly popular genre. Alongside Twisted Metal, games like Vigilante 8 and Carmageddon thrived on destructive mayhem. But over time, the genre slowly faded away.
Modern multiplayer games shifted toward battle royales, tactical shooters, and hero-based combat systems. While those games are undeniably popular, they rarely capture the same pick-up-and-play chaos that made Twisted Metal so fun.
You didn’t need a long tutorial or complex progression system. You just jumped into an arena and started firing rockets. In today’s gaming landscape, that kind of straightforward fun actually feels refreshing.
Who knows? There might be a big new demographic for Twisted Metal – you know, from players who played a lot of Rocket League and just wanted to demolish other cars rather than actually score.
Ironically, Twisted Metal might work even better today than it did during its original run. With modern hardware, destructible environments could turn arenas into evolving battlefields. Online multiplayer could bring dozens of players into massive vehicle brawls. Seasonal updates could introduce new drivers, maps, and weapon types.
Imagine a Twisted Metal where city blocks collapse mid-battle or where players form temporary alliances just to take down a dominant opponent. The chaotic sandbox potential is enormous.
A Series That Deserves Another Shot
Twisted Metal was never about deep strategy or cinematic storytelling. It was about chaotic fun, ridiculous characters, and the simple joy of blowing up your friends in creative ways. Sometimes that’s exactly what a game needs to be.
In an industry that constantly pushes bigger worlds and more complex systems, Twisted Metal represents something refreshingly simple: pick a vehicle, grab a missile, and survive the madness. And honestly, gaming could use a little more of that again.
