Racing games that take place in the open world have made me feel like something new and special. I can certainly still appreciate those that are strictly circuit-based, taking away a lot of the experience that the Forza Horizon series in particular offers, but I find that I need a bit of a mental adjustment when I realise that freedom is limited and you’re sending me into one race after another, and when you leave the hours of driving around the roads towards the next destination behind.
Italian developer Milestone has an impressive track record of racing titles, with the Hot Wheels and MotoGP series being the two biggest examples. These veterans have been developing these types of games since the mid-90s and are now the big players Monster trucks those that are on the menu. The first thing that impresses me is the level of detail on these massive vehicles, with Unreal Engine doing a very good job of rendering the visual effects in a mix of realistic and a little cartoonish. Overall, it’s very pretty, if a little ‘plasticky’, but I’m certainly impressed with the visuals. It also flows well as these trucks drive through the environment. For those who know about monster trucks, there are many famous models here and it’s a joy to see them recreated so authentically.
We are offered up to ten different types of game modes, and although the variety of these competitions is good, they are mostly simple races on different tracks. The game map where you compete in the various races is divided into different states and offers a wide variety of environments, from snowy landscapes with terrible blizzards to beautiful forests, including rocky mountains and deserts. However, it all seems too familiar, because the design changes and weather effects, while doing their part to create a new experience, are not enough to amaze. There is no direct simulation when driving either, because while you do notice the weight and the nice detail that the truck wheels like to act independently, this is pure arcade racing. This is not very realistic for relatively buoyant vehicles despite their size, which becomes even more apparent when you are racing in races where you have to do tricks. The goal is to jump, spin, drift and land in a set time to score points, and the trucks can behave quite strangely. There is a clear shift away from realism towards light-hearted entertainment.
It’s really nice that you can freely choose where you go on the map (though some races have to be unlocked, of course), so you can take part in the races you want. Variety is just better when you can switch between pure racing and a competitive form where you have to be first for a certain amount of time. The content offering isn’t huge, but it’s enough, and in the time I’ve been working with it, I’ve come to appreciate being able to vary the experience with both the environments and the races.
On the track, the driving feel is the most important thing and what stands out the most is the fact that you control the front and rear wheels with separate joysticks. It has a nice sliding effect when cornering and once you get the hang of it, you drive very smoothly. You can accelerate with classic momentum by hitting things like various signs on the track and that’s really all there is to consider when driving. It’s very simple and you can both adjust the difficulty of your computer-controlled opponents and get help steering for those who need it. However, I quickly realized that the power steering could be more of a hindrance than a help, so of course I quickly disabled it. However, the game didn’t always seem to want to save these settings so I had to check before each race if it was actually disabled… Otherwise I could find myself in the middle of a race where support told me I should turn more to the left while I was turning right.
The game also offers the option to play most game modes online and in split-screen mode, and while these game modes are good along with plenty of challenges, the game also feels a bit limited in other areas. For example, there’s no way to see your special garage. You can choose which three vehicles to display from the total of forty trucks you can collect, and you can customize what pose you want them in, but that’s about it. There’s no way to get a closer look at them, nor is there any information on the different models or their design. Those who want to get a little more into the details can activate the game’s photo mode, but what hurts is the feeling that the presentation and menus are a bit sloppy. Around the competitions themselves, everything feels very stripped down and simple, which is a shame. It’s nice to have a racing game that doesn’t throw too many different things at you to collect, but this also makes the game feel a bit too simple. The developers themselves promised a full mode with lots of additional content, but yeah, it feels like it’s missing that little extra at launch.
Whether you like it or not depends more on how much you appreciate these special vehicles. I absolutely believe the driving experience is a strength and it’s really fun to race around many of the different tracks. But despite multiple game modes and different environments, it all revolves around the decision of what to play next and it becomes very shallow without any direct, in-depth presentation. A direct story wasn’t necessary but some context in a race mode would have gone a long way in motivating you to keep going. This is too easy, especially because the challenges you’re trying to complete are just listed in a menu and you cross them off one by one. Also, the choice of driver is nothing more than an anonymous silhouette, female or male, and is one of the many little things that make it seem like something is missing from the presentation beyond the races.
When you die Monster trucks and by spinning and racing around with them, Monster Jam Showdown fulfills that need quite well without being directly exciting or revolutionary in any way. It’s quite fun and, most importantly, stylish, and all in all, it’s a perfectly good racing game with cool vehicles.
