Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!
It feels like there are both hundreds of monster truck video games, and just one monster truck video game. Monster Jam is a name almost everyone knows, and yet would you be shocked if I told you there are more than ten games featuring everyone’s favorite monster truck simulator? These games are a guilty pleasure and have continued to be a silent success. The latest game comes from developer Milestone, who seems to be behind every niche racing game from the last two decades. What is here is minimal in scope, but big on fun. So if you enjoy climbing into the driver’s seat, quite literally, then this game is definitely one to check out.
The core campaign of the game ditches the open world format adopted by so many other racing games. Instead, it is more focused on individual events using a map, which makes you think it might be an open world, but I promise you, it is not. Most events consist of standard checkpoint racing, but there are other modes including a stunt mode as well as things like treasure hunt, horde, and even figure eight racing tracks. The variety is great and there is always something new to experience.
MSRP: $49.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $39.99
The environments are a little limited with only three distinct ones available. All take place in the US and range from vast deserts to frozen tundras. These check most of the boxes, but for a game I would love to see some more wild inclusions. Still there are a ton of tracks and venues so things rarely get stale when it comes to that.
Of course, the star of these games are the trucks themselves. Monster Jam Showdown is jam-packed with the most monster trucks I have ever seen. There are 40 trucks at launch with another 26 planned as DLC. The big names are here as well including the likes of Whiplash, Crushstation, and of course Grave Digger. We also get a selection of independent trucks such as Ice Cream Man, Jester, and Jurassic Attack. I admit I don’t know much about the sport, but these truck names are incredibly awesome.
Controlling these beasts is fun and there are assists available for anyone having troubles. The biggest differentiator for monster truck games is that steering is done on both sets of wheels. For Showdown controlling the front wheels is done with the left analog stick, while the back is done with the right. This takes a little time and finesse to make it work, but when it clicks, it is super satisfying. The game does offer assists for everything though. You can get steering and braking assists including independent front and back controls. You can also opt to have acceleration assists; it really does let players customize their experience. Settings for these things are hidden well in the menus, so after I set the initial ones, I had a hard time finding how to change them.
Multiplayer is always a big part of any racing game and Monster Jam Showdown delivers. There is a split screen option for local play, which is sadly rare in games these days. There is also an online mode featuring unique events. The online matches I managed to get into were really fun. This game also includes cross-play with every platform except for Switch, so the community should be populated for a while. Games are available as of this writing, and the chaos that ensues is a blast.
Monster Jam Showdown is a really fun game. I love controlling these massive vehicles and watching them tumble around these tracks with the grace of a rock rolling down a hill. Milestone continues to prove they are a premiere racing game developer, and if you grew up on the edge of your seat at these events, this is the best version of a monster truck game I have played in quite some time.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
