Monster Jam™ Showdown
- August 29, 2024
- Milestone S.r.l.
"Monster Jam Showdown: Big Air Edition" features iconic Monster Jam trucks in off-road arcade racing and freestyle stunts. Compete with current and historical trucks, perform tricks, and unlock numerous vehicles and liveries. Experience immediate driving sensations with accessible controls in this action-packed game.
Reviews
- The game features amazing graphics and a diverse truck roster, making it visually appealing and enjoyable for fans.
- Gameplay is fun and engaging, especially for casual players and families, with a good balance of difficulty levels.
- The physics and handling of the trucks have improved significantly compared to previous titles, providing a more realistic driving experience.
- The game suffers from repetitive gameplay and limited event variety, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
- Physics can be inconsistent, causing frustrating moments during races and freestyle events, particularly with collision detection.
- Technical issues, such as anti-cheat errors and problems with the Epic Games service, hinder the overall experience for some players.
- gameplay15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the monster jam game is characterized by a simple and repetitive loop, primarily focused on racing and rewards, which some players find frustrating despite the enjoyable driving mechanics and extensive truck roster. While the physics and collision mechanics have been criticized for their inconsistency and oddities, the variety of gameplay modes and customization options provide enough engagement for players, though many feel improvements are needed for a more polished experience. Overall, the game offers fun driving but suffers from issues that detract from its potential.
“Great roster (40 trucks included with various liveries/skins for most of the trucks, with more getting added in post-launch season pass), good gameplay, but a lot of weird things about it that are annoyances that bring the game down a few spots.”
“Physics are consistent, the core gameplay is enjoyable, and the truck roster is fantastic (and the biggest lineup for any single monster jam game to ever have at launch)!”
“Gameplay variety is good, there's enough to keep me engaged.”
“Wouldn't be as mad if it was cheaper, but it is a monster jam game and kids love it; however, the gameplay is frustrating as hell.”
“Tldr: super repetitive gameplay/events, poor sound design, wack physics, but fun driving/drifting... 6/10.”
“Mid as hell, the donut mechanic is stupid; you'll make a 90-degree corner and suddenly it throws you into a donut, and you just spin with like 50g of force. It's so goofy how heavy it feels when you're driving the monster truck in a straight flat line, but if you hit something, you're like 5000 feet in the air and bouncing off things like you're made of rubber.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 77 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their beauty and high fidelity, with many users noting a significant improvement over previous titles in the genre. While the visual design is considered top-notch, some players express disappointment with the physics mechanics, suggesting that the graphics are the standout feature of the experience. Overall, the game's visuals contribute positively to its enjoyment, despite some gameplay shortcomings.
“The graphics are amazing, there's so much to do, and so many trucks and liveries to unlock!”
“Best graphics in any Monster Jam game.”
“Great graphical fidelity while still having good game performance.”
“The game is fun on a basic level, but this feels a lot like the Steel Titans games with better graphics and no open world.”
“+ a big leap in graphics.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the cool soundtrack and decent licensed tracks, others criticize it for sounding generic and reminiscent of royalty-free library music. Additionally, the announcer's voice is often described as annoying, detracting from the overall experience.
“The graphics are amazing and the soundtrack is cool.”
“Decent music that, despite not being well known, features licensed tracks that are still pretty good songs.”
“The music sounds like it was taken from a royalty-free library.”
“The announcer is incredibly annoying, and the music choice is equally frustrating.”
“The music is decent, but despite featuring licensed tracks that aren't well known, they still feel underwhelming.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its fast and well-optimized gameplay and loading times, maintaining great graphical fidelity while delivering good overall performance. However, players noted that the Colorado environment tends to impact performance more significantly than other areas.
“Fast and well-optimized gameplay and loading.”
“Great graphical fidelity while still maintaining good game performance.”
“I found the Colorado environment hit the performance the hardest.”
“The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, especially in densely populated areas.”
“Loading times are excessively long, making it frustrating to get into the action.”
- story2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story is engaging and well-received, with players enjoying the missions and challenges that lead to unlocking various liveries and trucks. However, some users have encountered issues accessing the initial mission, which can hinder the overall experience.
“I just finished the main showdown event and I loved all the missions, the liveries, and the trucks you can unlock. The challenges to unlock them are fun.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is perceived as lacking depth and excitement, with users noting that it fails to deliver engaging tricks or a captivating experience compared to other offerings in the genre.
“But when it comes to managing tricks or fun, or the show offered by the monster jam atmosphere, this game has nothing more to offer.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers express concern that the game's monetization strategy may prioritize profit over quality, suggesting that future installments could be seen as cash grabs rather than genuine improvements to the series.
“I'm not surprised that we will see a second or third installment to this series as a cheap cash grab if that ever happens before they attempt to iron out some of the issues the current game has.”
“The monetization strategy feels exploitative, prioritizing profit over player experience.”
“It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with users describing it as a "broken buggy mess," indicating significant issues that affect gameplay and overall performance.
“Overall, it's a broken, buggy mess.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke a range of feelings, from subtle touches that create a sense of connection to more dramatic experiences that can transport players to new realms. This duality enhances the overall emotional engagement, making the gameplay both poignant and exhilarating.