Monster Jam Showdown Review
Monster Jam Showdown delivers exciting monster truck action with fun jumps and races, but could benefit from more tracks and customization.
If you’re looking for an enormous, over-the-top American truck that stands out in every way, you’ve got two wild options. First, there’s the Tesla Cybertruck—a sharp, stainless steel triangle that doesn’t use regular fuel and has a futuristic design that might even seem a bit dangerous. On the other hand, you could go for an 11-foot tall, methanol-powered monster that’s not just big but can even pull off backflips. Personally, if I’m going to drive something that gets laughed at for being over the top, I’d rather choose the one that looks like a spooky pirate.
This is where Monster Jam Showdown comes in. It’s a game dedicated to these massive, five-ton trucks that are shaped like everything from dogs to dinosaurs. Even though game is pretty simple and simple, developer, Milestone, has packed it with fun, drift-heavy driving, crazy stunts and some really impressive damage effects. It’s a family-friendly racing game that captures wild and ridiculous nature of these trucks perfectly.
“Monster Jam Showdown takes different direction by moving away from open-world design seen in Steel Titans games. While I don’t particularly miss this aspect, some players who enjoyed exploring & causing chaos in those open environments between events might feel let down by this change.
In Showdown, maps might initially appear to be open worlds with various races and events scattered across them but that’s not really the case. Instead, map screens are more like a collection of event thumbnails or an ordered list. Unfortunately, game doesn’t really benefit from having players navigate these maps within maps to find next event. This approach can feel like unnecessary and time-consuming task rather than adding any real value to the gameplay experience.”
Showdown, like Steel Titans and 2020 Monster Truck Championship lets you control rear-wheel steering with the right stick.
The driving experience in Showdown is very enjoyable. I particularly liked turning off all the handling aids, which made it more satisfying to slide these massive vehicles into drifts and power through corners. Just like in Steel Titans and the 2020 Monster Truck Championship, Showdown lets you control the rear-wheel steering with the right stick. This feature sets Showdown apart from other racing games & adds an extra layer of fun and challenge to master.
While I enjoyed the more hands-on approach, my 10-year-old preferred having some of the assists turned on especially the steering aid. This feature automatically adjusts the rear wheels’ angle, but still allows him to have some control as he gained confidence with the right stick for sharper turns. Playing in splitscreen mode has been a hit; when he’s losing but still having fun, it’s a clear sign that the game is doing something right.
Crush Hour
In Crush Hour, the regular driving in Showdown feels somewhat realistic, but the stunt controls take things to a whole new level, giving you complete control of the truck’s rotation while in the air. This might not be the most realistic approach, but it’s definitely fun to pull off long, Tony Hawk-style combos in the stunt arenas. It’s not too difficult to rack up high scores, especially for those with racing experience, but some stunts still require a bit of skill, like perfectly balancing a nose wheelie or moonwalking the truck backwards.
However, there’s one downside: the way trucks interact with crush cars. Instead of squashing them as you might expect, trucks collide and bounce off too forcefully. This made me want to avoid the crush cars rather than crush them, which goes against the whole idea of monster trucking.
On the bright side, game offers different difficulty levels including easy and very easy modes, making it accessible for young players who just want to see trucks like Grave Digger doing cool tricks and donuts.
Showdown seems perfect for young players who just want to watch Grave Digger do donuts.
In Showdown, the approach to unlocking trucks is much smarter than in Steel Titans 2. While you won’t get popular trucks like Grave Digger or Megalodon right away, you’ll unlock them fairly quickly. This means you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy racing with them before you run out of events to play.
In contrast, Steel Titans 2 made the mistake of keeping Monster Jam’s most iconic trucks hidden until late in the game. By the time you unlocked the most famous ones, there wasn’t much left to do, which felt like reaching the end of a game with all your best gear unused. Showdown avoids this problem, letting you enjoy your favorite trucks much sooner.
Big Truck Hunter
Showdown features 40 trucks with many making their debut in a video game including independent trucks like Bad Company which is impressively detailed with a full holographic wrap that looks great in-game. Game also introduces Excaliber, a monster truck that has been around since 1980s, now featuring a retro livery and a classic Chevy square body shell with KC Daylighters on the roof. While all the trucks feel the same to drive, Excaliber’s nostalgic design has made it a personal favorite.
Attention to detail in Showdown is impressive with small touches like scuffed paint on the chassis from performing wheelies, making the trucks feel like real, race-worn vehicles rather than just big toys. The game also does a good job of translating damage, as trucks lose segments of their fiberglass shells during races.
You can unlock and apply bonus liveries and buffs, which give certain trucks better multipliers for specific tricks. This feature encourages players to switch trucks, especially when trying to complete one of Showdown’s many secondary objectives during events. Winning a race is one thing, but sometimes you’ll need to win while also racking up a certain number of points by performing a specific trick.
However, Showdown doesn’t really immerse you in the behind-the-scenes world of monster truck competition as an actual motorsport. Monster Truck Championship still does that better. Showdown would have benefited from a custom truck system, perhaps allowing players to paint and customize plain pickup shells on a standard chassis. Milestone, the game’s developer, already has a great livery editor in its Hot Wheels Unleashed games, so it’s a missed opportunity here.
The game could have also benefited from a format that reflects Monster Jam as a touring show, rather than just a straightforward list of events. Showdown offers over 120 events, divided into circuit races, short head-to-head stages, and freestyle arena activities. These events are quick, usually taking just a few minutes each.
The racing is intense and full of contact, with a nice sense of speed considering monster trucks typically max out at 100 miles per hour. The head-to-head races on tight, short stages are the most challenging, especially against high-level AI, where a single mistake can cost you the race. Winning these races is particularly rewarding.
However, the game can get repetitive. Showdown’s mid-price budget seems to have limited the number of tracks, so you’ll often find yourself racing on the same or very similar courses in consecutive races. While the weather conditions may change, lack of variety in stadiums and arenas can make the game feel tedious. More variety in tracks would have helped keep the experience fresh.
Conclusion
Monster Jam Showdown stands out from the past 20 years of Monster Jam games by offering a decent dose of monster truck action. It’s a great-looking, family-friendly racer that’s fun to jump and race with, but it lacks track variety and could use a deeper career mode and more customization options.
