The Twisted Metal series captures the game’s wild energy but is light on action, but 2008’s Death Race does a much better job with the actual races.

Peacock’s Twisted Metal adaptation took some liberties with the cult video game series, while Jason Statham action vehicle Death Race feels closer to how the games actually play. The original Twisted Metal games were wildly entertaining and imaginative destruction derbys for the PlayStation, and over successive outings, built up a surprising amount of lore and backstory. Fans of Twisted Metal had to wait a long time for a live-action rendition, though Nicolas Cage came close to playing Sweet Tooth in a canceled movie version.

Twisted Metal season 1 has been broadly well-received, with the show acting as something of a prequel. The story is more of a post-apocalyptic road trip, where Anthony Mackie’s “milkman” John Doe is tasked with delivering a dangerous package. Along the way, he meets various Twisted Metal video game characters like Sweet Tooth (Samoa Joe) or “Bloody” Mary (Chloe Fineman). Since the titular tournament doesn’t take place – as it’s being saved for a potential second season – there’s not much vehicular combat in season 1.

Death Race Is The Best Twisted Metal Adaptation

In fact, outside of the opening and closing episodes, there aren’t that many car chase scenes. Twisted Metal is focused on characters and fleshing out the world itself on wild setpieces. In the years Twisted Metal devotees were waiting on an adaptation of the games, 2008’s Death Race came along to help scratch that itch. This remake of the 1975 cult favorite cast Jason Statham as a prisoner forced to take part in a televised vehicular combat tournament, where contestants drive armored cars equipped with machine guns, rockets and other weaponry.

In keeping with Death Race director Paul W.S. Anderson’s video game adaptations like Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil, he had a good understanding of how the gameplay mechanics of car combat titles work. In the movie, the cars need to drive over pads to access certain weapons, with each having its own strengths and weaknesses like armor or speed. The action is also visceral and crunchy, relying on practical effects with minimal CGI; that said, the editing is a little too choppy at times. Compared to the action-light Twisted Metal show, Death Race does a better job of capturing the feel of the game franchise’s combat.

Twisted Metal Season 2 Will Be Closer To The Games

Twisted Metal’s action is also let down by some obvious CGI, and no matter how many times John Doe’s car Evelin gets shot, no bullet holes appear. Twisted Metal season 2 looks set to change all that, with the ending confirming that Calypso is organizing the titular contest and that John, Mr Grimm, Axel and many others will be racing. That should translate to a more action-packing second season – assuming another series gets the greenlight. When it comes to recreating the mechanics of the Twisted Metal games, the show could take a few notes from Death Race too.