Gameplay and graphics are great but the dark gothic theme over shadows all the great aspects.
Twisted Metal: Black has amazing Gameplay. All the old weapons have returned and have been greatly improved. The new weapons added are also very good. The gameplay is exciting and fast paced. It's cool to see a vehicle have an actual missile launcher that pops out somewhere when a missile is selected to fire. I have to say the game is hard. I find it difficult to beat each level. The bosses in the game are very hard as well.
The graphics of Twisted Metal: Black are amazing too. From explosions to level detail the game packs amazing graphics. Sparks are added, fire looks improved, and the level detail looks great and realistic. Instead of having trails following fired missiles, the trails are replaced with colored smoke. The missiles also fire very realistically.
Twisted Metal: Black is a very dark, gothic, depressing, sadistic game. All the characters have mental problems are in a mental institution. From murderers to hannibals the game story and levels are way too dark. Every level has a gloomy dark atmosphere and have a dark sky. The game can get so dark so you can't see your surroundings. A brightness adjuster was added.
Old characters have returned, some are a dissapointment. Minion is no longer a demon. He is a human with a furry mask and blood dripping down his face. Minion's vehicle is a huge truck with spikes in the front and very powerful. Though he is the best character, his classic tank from previous Twisted Metal titles is missed terribly. Mr. Grimm is also another dissapointment. He is no longer the Grim Reaper. He is now a hannibal war veteran who wheres the skull of his friend on his head. A friend that he has eaten by the way. Warthog has changed for the worse. Warthog is no longer a war veteran and Warthog's vehicle is a car on top of tank wheels. His classic Humvee is also missed terribly.
Though the Gameplay and graphics are outstanding, the dark gothic theme really makes Twisted Metal: Black a dissapointment. If your a fan of Twisted Metal from the original creators, stick with Twisted Metal 2. It's oldschool but classic.