Well, I was bound to get this game; after all, my all time favorite PS
game in the long run is Twisted Metal, and TM2 was pretty cool too.

All I have to say is V8 kicks ass. Being from Activision and all, I'm
assuming it's an extension of Interstate 76 from the PC, and fortunately
they brought over some of the cooler aspects of that game.

After playing the game for about 45 minutes, here are my impressions:

Graphics: Wonderful. I read some messages today talking about bad pop-up
and drawing rates, but I have no complaint. Looks great to me. Lighting
effects are INSANE...they are everywhere. Streetlights give off glare,
the sun reflects off of building windows into your eyes, and God help
you if you happen to drive into the glare of the sun.

The cars and environments look great. Lots of detail in everything. When
you pick up a weapon, you can actually see where it is on the car! I
love the terrain, it actually slopes and looks like real terrain, unlike
the flat surfaces of TM.

Watch out for John Torque's special weapon, a quake which ripples the
ground. Looks great.

Sound/Music: The music, for the most part, is funky 70s stuff. I love
the main menu music with the funky "woo woo" in it :)  Before and after
a match, the drivers say a little quote. Weapon sounds and cars are
decent.

Control: I've been using my analog pad, and it works well. All buttons
are configurable in the options menu.

Gameplay: Two modes of play, Quest, in which you have missions to
accomplish and can unlock hidden drivers and cars (haven't tried this
yet) and Arcade mode, which is just free for all action. In Arcade mode,
you can select which types of cars you are going up against and can even
put up to three of the same type of opponent in the level. Pick a stage
and you're off.

The game is awesome. I love the whole "guns and cars" genre, and the
game isn't a letdown there. Weapons are cool, with missles, mines,
mortars, lasers, machine guns, etc. Each weapon you pick up has special
functions, similar to the combo attacks in TM2. There are both normal
and guided weapons, plus...my favorite type of Interstate 76
weapons...autotracking cannons! Skill is involved in using them,
however, since they don't lead the target; if the cannon weapon you're
firing has a slow projectile, you have to wait until you think you have
a clear shot.

Environments are awesome and very interactive. Bust through retaining
walls, destroy buildings, go for rides in cable cars and blimps. One
stage in a canyon has boulders; if you shoot them, they roll out of
control...and if you're not lucky, right over your car :)

My only gripe with the game is the lack of feel for speed. The cars seem
to go very slow, and I can't do tight handbrake turns. I'm using the
analog stick to steer back and forth and the buttons for accelerate and
brake, but when I try to do a stiff turn it doesn't work because I'm
going too slow in the first place. I want to engage in sliding,
twisting, high speed Twisted Metal-esque fights, damn it!

All in all, I'm very impressed. This game, dare I say it, has TM beat
hands down in a bunch of areas, save for the speed aspect. If this type
of game isn't your cup of tea, rent first, as always. I have no trouble
however recommending the game to TM fans.

Doug