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Scrap Metal Review
Jason Trent, Associate Writer
March 18, 2010
Microsoft has come a long way with its Xbox Live Arcade offerings. For the past couple of years, we've seen the Summer of Arcade, where an extra special game was released each week for a few consecutive weeks during the normally quiet months of Summertime. These titles were supposed to be the best of the best, and I never felt let down. This Summer we saw such hits as Trials HD, Shadow Complex, and Turtles in Time, and oh the time I spent with those games. I loved them all. It was after then that I told myself that anytime Microsoft had one of these big multi-week arcade events, I would purchase each of the new titles. Well, it turns out that this happened a bit earlier than I thought. Instead of having to wait until Summer, we are being given a Block Party, celebrating the releases of Toy Soldiers, Scrap Metal, Perfect Dark, and the new Game Room. I loved Toy Soldiers, and it sounds like those with review copies of Perfect Dark are really enjoying it, but I have not really heard anything about Scrap Metal. Assuming this game would be as large and fun as other similarily priced titles, I picked this one up without bothering to try the demo first. I'm beginning to regret my blind faith in the Block Party lineup.
To explain the game briefly, Scrap Metal is a mix between the old style top-down racers of yesteryear and a vehicular combat game. Missions include races and death matches where you're able to take down your opponents with weapons including buzz saws, machine guns, flame throwers, grenade launchers and then speed past them with careful turns and boosts. As you complete missions, of which there are 60, you'll be rewarded with points that can be used to upgrade your vehicle's speed, strength, grip, and armor. This is undoubtedly the most fun part of the game. Not only is there a real sense of progression as you unlock additional rides and modify their abilities, but you're also given the opportunity to customize those vehicles' looks. It doesn't hurt that the speed with which you'll progress is quite quick. You'll have yourself a small fleet in no time.
So why am I disappointed that I purchased the game? Well, for starters, the controls are just plain awful. Any car, even if you've upgraded it to have the best handling possible, behaves like it's on ice. You'll fishtail, donut, and run into obstacles as you clumsily attempt to get your opponents in your cross hairs. For being a car combat game at its core, the combat is pretty bad, and if the controls weren't enough to upset me, then the selection of weapons surely seals the deal. Each car has its own primary weapon. You could have a machine gun, a shotgun, a saw, or a handful of other weapons, but none of them are particularly fun, and they're most certainly not original. There are special pickups that pop up from time to time, but like the primary weapons, they're also not very fun. Beyond issues with the controls and weapons, you'll be haunted by a sense of deja vu. During the course of the game you'll visit such exotic locations as junk yards, and carnivals. You haven't been to those places in a car combat game before, right? I mean, do something, anything, to try to make this somewhat unique. Maybe put it on the moon or something. That idea is free by the way. Feel free to use it in any upcoming DLC.
Back in the day, playing Twisted Metal and Vigilante 8 was a lot of fun, in part because of the characters and their personalities. It's with a heavy heart that I report that this game has lame characters, and almost no personality to speak of. Here are a couple quotes to prove my point:
Mr Awesome: "I am awesome, but you can call me Mr. Awesome."
and
Jane Junk Trunk: "Oooo I'm scared, what are you gonna do big boy, scratch my caboose?"
I could go on, but I don't feel like being too cruel to those reading this. Had the gameplay been enjoyable, and easy to pick up (you know, like an arcade game), the game would have been a lot of fun, and there's definitely enough content to last anyone quite a bit of time. If you already plan on picking up the other releases in the Xbox Live Block Party, then you should consider picking up Scrap Metal as well. You'll be rewarded with 400 MS points (5 real people dollars) and a free month of Xbox Live Gold (an 8 dollar value if you were to purchase it on its own), so, if you think about it, you're close to breaking even: a comforting thought for me. If you're not planning on taking advantage of that promotion, then please do yourself a favor and try the demo first. You'll thank me when you're spending those 1200 points elsewhere. Though there are some fun aspects to this game, it ultimately fails by being unable to deliver the most important part of a game: fun.
