Whenever I see anything monster truck related, I instantly think of the Southern states of America. These overbearing monstrous machines scream Texas, patriotism and power. I won’t sit here and say that I’m an avid fan of truck racing, or I’ve followed the sport for years, as this would be a lie. But I find the fascination with them intriguing, and I enjoy the spectacle that surrounds the truck events.
Monster Jam Steel Titans was released in 2019 and was well received by its fan base. Sadly, the game was missing some key elements that tainted what was otherwise a good game. The lack of online multiplayer impacted the ability to enjoy this with friends outside your own household. With the release of Monster Jam Steel Titans 2 (MJST2), can this mistake be corrected? Will the developers learn from their errors and build on their solid foundations?
Developed by Rainbow Studios and published by THQ Nordic, this heavy duty monster truck motor sports extravaganza pushes the game on from its first instalment with; a fantastic open-world, excellent career mode, and the much desired online play. With all these extra elements placed into the pot, has the game progressed enough, or does it still miss the mark?
Plenty to see and do.
With so many great motor sports franchises available, we really are spoilt for choice. One that I enjoyed was Forza Horizon. I loved the freedom to explore the world around you and taking on missions and races whenever the urge took hold. This is exactly what MJST2 has implemented as their main mechanic. You can explore solo, split screen or with friends online, searching every inch of each world you unlock. Collectables are hidden throughout which act as unlockable vehicles, or in game challenges. It made me chuckle when a convoy of trucks were meandering across the hillside searching for hidden objects. We’d crash into buildings, trees and each other all while losing parts of our vehicles and rolling down banks. It was madness, whiled away the hours, and was a mindless distraction.
At any point that you got bored with leaping over rivers, mounds and across roads you could attempt to take on the in-depth career mode or the Big Show. With a variety of events, there is a lot to keep you interested. Classic circuit races, head to heads, waypoint trials, demolition events and freestyle. Each requires a different approach, and some are better suited to the control system than others.
The Events.
Classic racing.
This was as expected; X amount of laps, drive as quickly as possible, and win. This moves you on in the tournament, and the winner takes all the accolades and rewards. This also applies to the head-to-head races. These small track competitions allow two drivers to thrash it out, seeing who gets across the line the fastest. The adrenaline pumping events are great to begin with, but they become tiresome quickly.
Waypoint trials.
They are great in theory. Aim for the domed objective, hit the flag and return to the start. You are free to make your own way there and back, but this freedom comes at a cost. The race is super confusing! If you lead the way and cannot see the objective, then you unintentionally drive in the wrong direction. A simple navigation system would have alleviated this issue, allowing for a much more pleasant experience.
Demolition and Freestyle.
This is what this game was made for. The trucks are surprisingly agile and allow you to pull off stunts and tricks in an instant. These events allow you the freedom to perform; back flips, spins, bicycle manoeuvres and more. Demolition is all about smashing up anything in sight and is a wonderful way of alleviating some stress. This timed mode asks you to get as high a combination to obtain the greatest score possible. This will then be compared to others on the leaderboard to award you your position in the competition.
A large map with loads of content.
21 chapters make up the core of this game and each becomes available as you unlock each portion of the open-world map. Alongside the career and Big Show you will be challenged to the + versions, which add an increased level of difficulty. This additional mode allows you to take part in extra championship events and World Finals. If you enjoy the restriction of the arena based events, this will add many hours of gameplay.
7 different teams are available to select, each with their abilities and special vehicles. Two different varieties of truck are available, each with set attributes. Experience points are earned per race, which automatically upgrade; chassis, engine, suspension and so on. The more you drive, the better it gets. The closer you work with a team, the more likely they are to award you with one of their vehicles. I really enjoyed this part of the game. Your time and hard work were awarded with obvious improvements. The races became easier, and the challenge reduced as you and your truck improved.
The arcade style may not be to everyone’s liking, and those wishing to have a more realistic experience will need to look at Monster Truck Championship. This approach worked well with the madness of the stunts, but was at odds with the serious track portion. Overall, it worked well, with the open-world exploration being the main winner.
Fine details and roaring engines.
The devil is in the detail, and the developers got this spot on with the truck designs. A variety of liveries are available per team, giving you a unique appearance per vehicle. The many parts that make up each of these gargantuan beasts are impressive to look at, and they move through the world in a smooth fashion. Damage causes parts to fall by the wayside, and this gave this arcade game an element of realism. The world was bright, colourful and well populated with vegetation and structures. Each area was interesting to look at, ensuring that you didn’t get bored with the visuals. Sadly though, it isn’t all great. Glitches, bugs and rendering issues plague this throughout. The scenery would blur and pop as you moved around, and the trees would render extremely slowly. It gave the impression of a rushed article that lacked polish and optimisation.
Alongside the visual issues, there is a god awful camera system. Analogue movement is required for both axles, meaning the camera movement is controlled by the d-pad. This lack of smooth analogue movement makes for a janky and clumsy viewing experience, and though several camera angles are available, they don’t alleviate this issue.
It’s a racing game, so as expected you have a pumping audio that blares out. An earth shattering roar accompanies this as the engines kick over, pushing your truck along. The crumpling of metal as you crash into obstacles, and the cracking of wood as you smash through signs all worked perfectly. You are not in for any shocks as you take this on, and though it was good, it’s not any more than you’d expect to experience.
Simple yet clumsy controls.
With the aforementioned camera issues, you’ll find that all the controls are a little clumsy. Moving the camera and driving becomes a tiresome task, so you ignore it and hope for the best. Tricks must be performed with a combination of button presses and analogue movement. It’s ok once you understand what you are doing, but until that moment it’s not user friendly, and feels like tying a knot with a blindfold on. With practice it is easy to play, but until then you’ll just have to put up with it.
This is a game that is full of content, action and events. You can lose yourself for hours in the glorious open-world, or take on race after race across a variety of arenas. There really is something for everyone! It’s a shame that the main action has a repetitive nature. Unless you are a true lover of all things Monster Truck, I think that you’ll tire of it sooner rather than later. It has a moderate achievement list to aim towards, and plenty of unlockables and collectables. These elements combined ensure that it has plenty of replay value for those that enjoy it.
A good game, just not a great game.
Though motor sports games aren’t considered a niche market, the Monster Truck element is. You really have to do something special to convince non-believers to get on the bandwagon, and I don’t think Rainbow Studios has done enough. It’s a fun game that will keep you interested because of its in-depth career mode. But I don’t believe there is enough of a draw to pull in the masses. If you are looking for something different, or you love the sport, I recommend it. If you are on the fence, it’s worth a play, but maybe wait for it to go on sale. Interested gamers can buy it here! Jump in your truck, explore the world, and compete in events. Get your friends involved and cause some mayhem.
