Twisted Metal III (1998 Video Game) User Reviews

The worst "Twisted Metal" game.

[MovieAddict2016 · 23 May 2005]

The original game engine behind the first two "Twisted Metal" games sold out to 989 in 1998 and the result was "Twisted Metal III," the worst of the entire series.

My friend and I used to play the Twisted Metal games and this was our least favorite. The improvements in "II" -- better vehicles, better levels, better graphics, better everything -- were torn apart here and taken back to basics; the vehicles are all poor and not any fun to drive; the levels are restricted and very poorly designed, not fun at all to explore; and the one-player missions are crap.

"Twisted Metal 4" is a great game and 989 got it right with that one, but their first outing is a disaster. This was widely considered to be a horrible game when it was released. I can see why.

great game

[jusschillen2000 · 10/10 · 28 February 2007]

Twisted metal 3 is the best twisted metal to date. I mean TM2 was great but this one was so much better, it did not have some of the better drivers but it had some new cool ones.

The graphics improved so much since TM2. When TM4 came out it ruined what they did with TM3. I always love to play this one and I still play it to this date. TM1 was ok,TM2 good but not great,TM3 the best,TM4 garbage,TM Black was a great leap but thats because of the new console. I love this one and anyone who said it stinks,I have to disagree with them. i wish they would remake this twisted metal for the Ps3 it would have so much more in it then there already was. Twisted metal small brawl was a waste.

New Company, Big Wreck

[jeremycrimsonfox · 3/10 · 16 January 2019]

Yeah, everyone knows this game is a stinker. Made by 989 Studios, a new in-house development team who made a lot of games for the PS1 in the console's later years (one of them being Syphon Filter and many sports titles), they also took over development for Twisted Metal as well as Jet Moto when SingeTrac cut ties with SCEA.

So, what makes this game as bad as people say it is? The first problem is with the game engine. Somehow, 989 lost the engine for the first two games (in reality, SingeTrac took it due to it being their property), so they had to make a new one, and boy, does it not do good. When your vehicle gets rolled onto its roof, it stays that way until the game shrinks your vehicle and restores it to normal size back on its wheels. That can be annoying as during this time, your vehicle will be a sitting duck for any attacks.

Speaking of vehicles, the roster has the returning cast from the first two games like Sweet Tooth, Thumper, and Mr. Grimm, while Axel is the only newcomer from TM2 making a return. New characters include Auger, a crane cab equipped with a drill, Club Kid, a London kid who drives a minicar decorated in smiley faces and plants vortexes as its special weapon, and Firestarter, an arsonist in a hot rod that took Thumper's flamethrower, resulting in the low rider to take up a Sonic Blast special weapon that is nothing more than using soundwaves to push an opponent back. Also, some of the characters' story contradicts what was shown in TM2 (especially with Axel) and some of the drivers are stupid ideas (like Granny Dread, who drives this game's incarnation of Hammerhead).

And let's not forget about the levels. They are so small, offering no hiding places and opportunity for strategy. TM4 improved on a lot of things, and Twisted Metal: Head-On would make this game non-canon, so I recommend playing that if you like a sequel to TM2.

The disappointment of 989 against singletrac.

[ashfoxx · 21 November 2004]

The greatest Car Combat series ever made was completely destroyed when the original owner, SingleTrac sold their rights to the TM franchise to 989 studios. Before anyone could officially call it a Trilogy or a Series, it all went completely down the pipes. the first 2 Twisted Metals had remarkably unique graphics, and high replay value. Twisted Metal III however, Had the worst experience a TM fan could ever have. This game is horrid. The cars are terrible, the cars spend most of their time on their roofs, there is a boss battle in every one of the badly built cities and locales, and the endings, which were what kept me wanting to play the game in the first place, were so disappointing, i wanted to commit suicide. Instead of making cleverly drawn out endings like its predecessors before it, every ending was short, and negative. The only reason this game would be a good buy, is if you buy it to play the music in your CD player. THATS IT! the game-play is horrid. If you want this game, get it for the music.