Twisted Metal Series Review - Strangely Awesome Games

For years, we’ve had multiple video game-to-multimedia adaptations from Super Mario Bros in 1993 to 2023’s The Last of Us on Max, and thanks to the success of the latter, studios have realized that video game IPs translate well to the small or big screen when it’s done correctly. With the success of Naughty Dog’s famous post-apocalyptic IP came a lot of worry, hoping other PlayStation IPs would be well received.

I remember being a kid and growing up in the ’90s, having the original PlayStation console and playing Twisted Metal for the first time. I often refer to Twisted Metal as the first franchise I fell in love with that wasn’t Sonic the Hedgehog. As an adult, I love The Legend of Zelda, The Witcher, the Horizon series, and many others, but as a kid in the 90s, we didn’t have many franchises on the PlayStation since that was a fresh and new console with new IPs. Now, I haven’t played a Twisted Metal game since the PlayStation 2. However, I still fondly remember playing these games with friends when we should’ve been outside instead of locked up in a house all day playing video games. However, when it was announced that Twisted Metal was being adapted to TV, I was instantly curious to see this unfold. I hoped we’d get this sort of Mad Max-ian post-apocalyptic world with much more vehicular combat and chaos.

A Good Video Game Adaptation?

I’m happy to say that I somehow enjoy and almost love the Twisted Metal show. The humor falls a little flat, but once you get past the first half of the show, it’s purely vehicular combat and everything you wanted from a Twisted Metal show. There are some parts where the humor does land, but when it stands out, it’s rough. If you have ever played a Twisted Metal game, you know the game isn’t known for comedy, and if it were, it would be much more dark humor than jokes that make you feel you’re watching a dollar-store version of Deadpool with forced comedy.

Now, I will say that I was pretty impressed with Sweet Tooth in the role since two actors play him. A wrestler known as Samoa Joe performs the physical embodiment of Sweet Tooth, and Will Arnett does the voice acting for the character. Most of the time, when two actors perform for the same character, the body movements never really sync up well, but in the case of this show, the two actors do a really good job at it, and you can barely tell that’s the case. Sweet Tooth is a scene-stealer throughout the show, and I’m curious to see what he brings to the table in the next season.

The world of Twisted Metal is full of psychos and nutjobs. There’s never a good guy to root for, but if there is, it’s Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz as John Doe and Quiet, respectively. Anthony Mackie isn’t known for comedy roles, at least I haven’t seen him in any, but what I have seen him in are more dramatic roles, and he does that well. When this show hits the dramatic moments, you see Mackie eat up the scenes a little more than he does when trying to be funny. Stephanie Beatriz as Quiet is your typical side character who ends up being the love interest of the main character. Both do a fine job with what they’re given to work with, but it’s not until the last half of the show that these characters’ stories start to flesh out and make you feel for both of them.

True to the Source Material

After watching this show, you realize that the people behind it have a love and appreciation for the source material and want it to be good. Still, they’re also doing their own thing with it, though I will say that by the end of the season, it does tease that next season will be much more Twisted Metal car mayhem than what we got in season one, which is the beginning of the Twisted Metal tournament.

However, once you realize that this show is just odd and quirky and strange, you accept the show for what it is, and you have fun. Twisted Metal is a fun show with some forced comedy that falls flat, but once you get past that, you have a really good show to watch. Each episode is under 30 minutes, and the first season is only ten episodes long, so it’s not a long watch.

Have you watched Twisted Metal? If so, share your thoughts in the comments below and tell us what PlayStation IP you’re looking forward to!

Twisted Metal is currently streaming on Peacock.