Monster Jam Showdown Xbox Review – High Energy Fun

Monster Jam Showdown is the latest racing simulation release from Milestone SRL who have previously released realistic representations of MotoGP, Monster Energy Supercross, and more. Now they have switched over to the beast machines of Monster Trucks and I have had a blast with it. Launching on August 29 on consoles and PC, this game delivers a thrilling experience for fans of the iconic monster truck franchise and features impressive visuals, addictive gameplay, and a wide array of challenging events across three different biomes.

The core gameplay of Monster Jam Showdown is straightforward yet incredibly satisfying. Players take control of one of three starting monster trucks which is quite limited when you scroll across and see that you can eventually unlock 40 of them, plus an additional 26 coming through free or premium DLCs. Perhaps 5 or 6 would have given a little more variety starting out, though the Monster Jam, Vendetta, and Grave Digger trucks are a great starting point. After setting your difficulty and practicing stunts in a tutorial area, you will be navigating through a variety of tracks filled with obstacles, jumps, and ramps, and different objectives to complete through the Showdown Tour.

The game’s physics engine is well-tuned, allowing for realistic vehicle behaviour like rear wheel steering and makes for some exciting stunts. Whether you’re racing against the clock, competing in freestyle events, or battling head-to-head with other monster trucks, the gameplay is consistently engaging. I did find my wheels locking up against everyone else’s at the start and on each corner, but the more I learned each track, the more shortcuts or better driving lines I could work out to try gain an advantage and get ahead of the pack.

Milestone have proven their attention to detail in these types of games, and the super high detail of these monster trucks is on display here. From the way the monster trucks handle on different surfaces to the realistic physics of the jumps and crashes, every aspect of the gameplay feels authentic. The game’s controls are also easy to pick up and after practicing with the tutorial area, means you’ll be behind the wheel in not time. I have not played many monster truck games in the past, but I quickly learned that you need to steer the rear wheels with right stick into tight corners, as well as balancing the vehicle in mid-air after jumps or wheelies.

Monster Jam Showdown looks fantastic on the Xbox Series X, though there were some scenes, particularly the track overviews, where the graphics seemed lower detail than what Milestone usually produce. However, the detail on the monster trucks chassis and skins, and the vibrant environments are impressive, especially when faced with weather effects such as rain or a sandstorm. From the dirt and debris that fly up as you race to the realistic reflections on other vehicles around you. The game also runs smoothly, with minimal frame rate drops, even during the most chaotic moments on figure-8 maps with crashes galore.

The game offers a decent amount of content on offer with the main event, the Showdown Tour, showcasing three major regions – Death Valley, Colorado and Alaska. Within each zone there are multiple races and game modes, freestyle events, and destruction challenges. The variety of tracks and obstacles spread across different biomes means the gameplay doesn’t become too repetitive. Additionally, the ability to customise your monster truck with different paint schemes, wheels, and other accessories allows you to really personalise your ride.

While the Showdown Tour is a non-linear ‘campaign’, I feel the game is missing a more structured campaign like in previous games, with a compelling narrative or progression system that could have provided a more engaging and satisfying experience. It could have been cool to follow the journey of a rookie monster truck driver, gradually introducing them to the world of monster jam competitions and rivalries, and progress through the biome locations we have available as the difficulty ramps up.

Still, Monster Jam Showdown is an engaging and fun racing game where you can go nuts with these huge monster trucks. With its impressive visuals, addictive gameplay, and a variety of content, it’s a great choice for fans of the franchise and racing games in general. A more guided campaign could have help elevate the game even further, but there is still plenty of fun to be had in both singleplayer and multiplayer.

This review utilised an Xbox key provided by Plaion ANZ and Monster Jam Showdown releases on August 29 on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC.

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