Ok here’s my take from someone who hasn’t played them in probably close to 2 decades, didn’t actually own them but just played with a friend who owned it. But I did love the series at least enough that I still have impressions of my feels from over 20 years ago.
I remember loving playing Twisted Metal 2. I can remember sitting in front of the TV plating the single and multiplayer. I can’t remember the specifics of much more beyond very basic mechanics but there is a very positive emotion. My memory of Twisted Metal 3 is just disappointment and blandness.
I didn’t get much time with either game but I remember having the choice between them and choosing 2 over 3 consistently.
If a large chunk of people are in a similar situation as me, only vague limited impressions from long ago, give their opinions you their opinion over more than a decade you build a very negative image.
Throw in people just discovering the games and being told 2 is good and 3 is bad. They then compare maybe minutes of the gameplay before deciding which to play and reinforce the narrative. You can end up with a fan base with an unjustly harsh view.
I can honestly see 3 being just kind of mediocre and just being judged awful because of how good 2 was.
HardlightCereal got banned from Raddle for doxing someone. The site’s primary admin quite literally uses they pronouns. That doesn’t preclude enbypobia in itself but should at least make you question what HardlightCereal’s actual goal is without more evidence.