The plot – the least important element in games of this kind – is simple: you are competing in a worldwide car combat game staged by a powerful man named Calypso. You pick from an array of heavily-modified cars, including a flamethrowing Chevette, a spinning F1, to a dangerous contraption that consists of nothing more than two monster wheels (with you strapped in the middle). You then play in a bevy of arenas throughout the world, picking up weapons and respecting the axiom of "toast or be toast".

Like other SingleTrac games (most notably JetMoto), the gameplay in Twisted Metal 2 is very well designed. Each car has its own special move, and the game obeys a logical yet totally unrealistic physics model that allows you to turn on a dime and go flying a hundred feet in the air. The weapons in comparison are quite standard: dumbfire and homing missiles, ricochet bombs, mines, napalm, and such. The environments are also very well designed. The Paris level, for example, features a destructible Eiffel Tower in addition to several priceless works of art in the Louvre; the Antarctica level collapses piece by piece until one small glacier island is left; the incredibly large Hong Kong level contains a subway (complete with trains coming and going on schedule), and one of the biggest and most difficult bosses you will ever see. There are also a few multiplayer modes to choose from, including a two-player co-operative mode that allows you and a friend to go against computer-controlled teams.

With excellent levels, furious action, and unrealistic but fun physics, Twisted Metal 2 is definitely worth a look for anyone who enjoys games like Quarantine, Death Drome, or Rocket Jockey. Two thumbs up, way up!