Remember the good 'ol days of Twisted Metal 1 and 2? Those games were great. The control was smooth, the characters were cool, and the story made sense. Then 989 Studios came in for the third and fourth installments of the series, and screwed it all up. 3 and 4 really made the Twisted Metal series look bad.

Well, forget 989. The former makers of 1 and 2 have formed a new company, Incog Inc. Everything you liked about TM 1 and 2 is back, and even better. The graphics are simply breathtaking. The detail these people went to will make your jaw drop. The battlegrounds are huge, vast landscapes ranging from an old junkyard to an island jail.

Gameplay:
The minute you pick up TM:B, you will be hooked. The control takes little to no time to figure out, so you will be slaughtering your opponents in no time at all. The cinema's in the game are great, but are too far apart at times. While the stories for each character are intriguing, after beating the game a few times, playing trough some levels just becomes a hassle. Though this is true, there are some levels that you will want to play over and over again.

The two bosses are challenging, but really fun. It became a personal quest for me to out maneuver and conquer these formidable foes.

Graphics:
The first level may throw you off, but trust me, the later levels are amazing. Everything is in real time, so there are no pre-rendered backgrounds here. You can interact with almost all of the background elements, including water towers, houses, and even a giant ferris wheel.

The framerate is crystal clear, and almost never fails. Even during multiplayer, the game runs at a smooth 60fps. Each weapon has a distinct animation, and they are all very cool. One that you will have to check out is Sweetooth's special... it is spectacular.

Control:
Excellent. There is no way to describe it. Play the game, and you will see just how easy it really is.

Sound:
The opening theme (Rolling Stones' "Paint it Black") is great, but its the only actual mainstream song you'll find here. The rest of the game features dark, gothic themes that fit the game perfectly. The music is not very loud, but still great because it enables the player to hear the horrifying screams and explosions going on around you. The voice acting is top-notch, but there is not very much of it.

Conclusion:
The best car-combat game ever made. Guaranteed to give you hours of enjoyment, but I have a warning, the mature rating is well deserved. Some people may find this game quite disturbing.