Please note the video has story spoilers for Twisted Metal

Gamespot have posted a now playing video showing the first hour of the new Twisted Metal. The gameplay looks to be as good as ever but the dialogues and script is really grating. Sweet tooth's lines are long and over drawn and I think his dialogue could have benefited from some editing. The voice acting sounds so stilted and unnatural. I was not expecting genre defining storytelling but they could have done campy in a much better way than they have done. I really hope the other characters' story segments are better. The presentation is great but the dialogue really puts me off.

Also, why does calypso provide the level introductions. He is the main host and the conduit to the contestants wishes, he shouldn't be giving descriptions for health pick ups and garage locations. It just feels off. Imagine a movie villain giving the protagonist directions in a shopping mall-it would feel out of place and disjointed. Calypso should be aloof and hard to reach not fraternizing with the contestants. He could talk to contestants between levels, taunting them or maybe wait until the end when he grants their wishes.

This is just my first impression of the game, I really hope the rest of the content is much better. Take a look for yourself and discuss your opinions on the voice work and gameplay in general.

Thanks.

In all honesty, Twisted Metal is not something I want to invest myself in. The premise is absolutely ridiculous, and to go along with that, I want to story to show me something absurd and insane before my eyes. This dialogue jars with me.

You're missing the point if you think his acting matters.

Why did they hire an actor then, if it wasn't important?

I don't have a problem with it...

@FunExplosions said:

You're missing the point if you think his acting matters.

How was Black's voice acting? I remember liking that story

I don't play Twisted Metal for the story, so eh... whatever.

Perhaps slightly disjointed but nothing to put me off.

Was never really into the twisted metal franchise but i was willing to check it out....until i saw the transformers lol

Saw the gameplay video and it looks like garbage, TMB is still the best TM along with the second one. Also, the graphics fucking suck, everything stinks, the fire looks really crappy and the particles not much different from Black, and that was a PS2 title. And what's with the annoying orange filter in the first level?. But really, what can you expect from a 5 year old + machine?. The only thing i liked is the vehicle models, except for the helicopter(should have been a Huey, Cobra, Viper or Apache), Outlaw looks awesome and love the Ghosbusters like ambulance. Oh and Mr. Grimm looks like Pilatus from Milli Vanilli with mime make-up on *sigh*... in the previous games he was a kick-ass calavera a la Ghost Rider http://j.mp/wmotas but hey! you can't complain, if you do, you're a racist and KKK member, according to David Jaffe.

I agree with OP on the Calypso thing, the guy should act like the psychopath director from Manhunt, he mocks and taunts Cash-the protagonist of the game-, messes with him psychologically.

@iPliskin: You are absolutely BLIND if you think Twisted Metal on Ps3 looks the same as black.

I don't think it really matters, BUT-- Yeah that was really bad.

This is how Sweet Tooth has always been, this is how Twisted Metal has always been.
 
I think they did a good job, and I think it serves the game well.

The voice acting in black was also criminally bad. It didn't matter though because the art direction and story elements were so good. I'm okay with calypso explaining the game. I don't think his character is as malevolent as you guys are saying he should be. After all, the characters trust calypso.bthats why they're in the tournament to begin with. They wouldn't be if they thought he was out to destroy them. As for the graphics in the game, they're phenomenal. You have to understand that at any given moment the tags can come unhinged in. Any number of ways and when you're driving through a church knocking down pews or knocked into a movie theatre and tearing up seats... The game looks amazing and just how you'd want it to.

As someone who doesn't even care that much about the franchise, i don't think they're all that bad
 
As far as the calypso thing, a lot of the levels from what i've seen incorporate a lot of gameplay mechanics from level to level that should be explained to the player, narratively speaking, who better than calypso than to explain them?

@mandude said:

Why did they hire an actor then, if it wasn't important?

Because they wanted to stay in the 21st century instead of going back to the SNES era? The voice acting in TM was never the main focus, but it's still important to have.

@Cube said:

@mandude said:

Why did they hire an actor then, if it wasn't important?

Because they wanted to stay in the 21st century instead of going back to the SNES era? The voice acting in TM was never the main focus, but it's still important to have.

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here. My point was that if they put voice acting in the game, and then made us watch it, then the voice acting is important. It was in response to what the guy above me said.

I think it's fine.

@msavo said:

I think it's fine.

Yeah, why are people bitching? If you really have no interest in their being a new TM game then I don't want anything to do with you people. Go play your brown and bloom shooters instead of crying. Lastly, Sweet Tooth is not the Joker, he never was. What the fuck were you people expecting.

@mandude said:

@Cube said:

@mandude said:

Why did they hire an actor then, if it wasn't important?

Because they wanted to stay in the 21st century instead of going back to the SNES era? The voice acting in TM was never the main focus, but it's still important to have.

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here. My point was that if they put voice acting in the game, and then made us watch it, then the voice acting is important. It was in response to what the guy above me said.

The voice acting IS important to have. But it's not what draws people to the series. The person before you probably meant it in a way where "it's not the point" of the game.

ever figure that the stilited dialogue for sweet tooth is on purpose like how the joker has his unique way of talking in dark knight??

@Cube: I understand that, and it somewhat coincides with what I was saying. The game is ridiculous and absurd, and we're sad that the dialogue and voice acting doesn't seem to mirror that lightheartedness, but instead takes a much more in depth approach to it.

Sweet Tooth's dialog didn't bother me as much as Calypso's did.

Also, these dudes need to learn to actually look at the screen when they're playing a game. "How do I fly?" ...Oh, you mean that constant on-screen text saying "Flight: Jump L3+R3" or whatever isn't enough?

@mandude: I disagree. Sweet Tooth says some pretty dumb stuff. He's serious, yeah, but it's not like they tossed out the spirit of the character. He's not the perfect villain. He doesn't say things in a "Joker" sort of way. He never was like that.

@Cube: What? Joker? I just think the storylines might be taking themselves a bit too seriously. This is the same man who once used his wish to be reunited with a paper bag. Granted, I've only played 1 & 2, so my perception of the character might not be up to date, but those games were firmly planted in the realm of absurd, and I'm just not seeing it here.

@mandude said:

@Cube: What? Joker? I just think the storylines might be taking themselves a bit too seriously. This is the same man who once used his wish to be reunited with a paper bag. Granted, I've only played 1 & 2, so my perception of the character might not be up to date, but those games were firmly planted in the realm of absurd, and I'm just not seeing it here.

in twisted metal black sweet tooth is the worlds worst serial killer the story and characters for the game were really really dark. i think there trying to go the same direction for this game

personaly i perfer the other light hearted style like you. but really its all about the gameplay and its fantastic atleast from what ive played of the demo

@mandude said:

Why did they hire an actor then, if it wasn't important?

I don't mean "people don't come to Twisted Metal for the story," I mean that the style they're going for is a style that always has bad acting. Ever see something like Hobo With a Shotgun? If anything, bad acting makes it better. It's also why the soundtrack to the game is awesome; however ironic or unironic it actually is.

@spartanlolz92: Hmm, I guess that makes sense then. I don't mind a darker approach in all honesty, but with an M rating, I'm apprehensive. But yeah, gameplay as you said looks amazing, and once that's in there, I'm all good.

My opinion.

This is the first Twisted Metal game I've played. But haven't they all been kind of cool but in a dumb campy sort of way. I think the only person that see's the story as something REALLY bad ass is Jaffe, and even he gets that others think it's camp. Also Sweet Tooth is a weird psycho clown demon, and I think his voice evokes that.

That's bad? I guess you never heard Dollface in Twisted Metal: Black.

Twisted Metal is going for the pulp, grindhouse, disgustingly dark and self-serious vibes since Black and this is exactly it. I'm fine with that. And Sweet Tooth's not that bad in that video.

Jesus Christ, I have to play that beta fast.

I don't find it that bad. I think the writing, itself, can be a little cheesy though. Crave her death? Wut?

As someone who never played a Twisted Metal game, this looks dreadful

seriously guys? the acting is bad? its supposed to be bad on purpose its supposed to be a B movie slasher/mad max style game that plays out like a demented horror/slasher flick very GRINDHOUSEish. Its supposed to be this way on purpose....this game is car combat at its finest, the demo is only a taste of the final product David Jaffee wont let us down.... its almost a driving fighting game now with all the mechanics they have added to it alot of strategy to take down certain enemies now really good stuff....

The awful is soooo good!

I saw the first few cutscenes of Sweet Tooth's campaign and I really liked them and was genuinely distrubed by them(in a good way I guess haha). I thought all the dialogue was good.

He's a clown with a flaming head.

@LordXavierBritish said:

This is how Sweet Tooth has always been, this is how Twisted Metal has always been. I think they did a good job, and I think it serves the game well.

Yeah I agree. I actually really liked the stories in Black and found myself playing just to see the next cut scene. From watching the quick look of the new Twisted Metal, I was under the impression that they threw out the idea of telling character stories all together, but while searching for Twisted Metal Black cutscenes on youtube I stumbled across the new ones for this game. I watched them all and I gotta say, they fit well with what Twisted Metal Black was, dark and crazy. I am glad they still put them in, even if it's just three characters, the production value was high. (except for Grimm's mid story cutscene, that preacher is just plain bad.)

I absolutely love it. Its got a B-Horror movie cache too it that thrills me to death. I hope the Twisted Metal movie is just nothing but that.

It's fine... He's serial killer not an announcer.