Some may argue, Monster Jam Showdown really lives up to its name, because aside from the Showdown Tour mode, it doesn’t have much to offer its players.

Unfortunately, even the main game mode is plagued with a game-breaking bug that may force players to put down the controller forever, so it’s pretty difficult to list the few strong points of the latest Milestone title.

First and foremost Monster Jam Video game that debuts on current generation platforms raises certain expectations, but although it is not totally devoid of entertainment, Showdown doesn’t make the big leap it should have made.

At least the vehicles in the Monster Jam Showdown feel beefy

Fresh from the success of Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged Only last year, the developer Milestone understood one thing very clearly: the implementation of different vehicle types in its video games.

The series continues in Monster Jam Showdownalthough the list of trucks presented feels really weighty, which can take some getting used to, but feels quite rewarding once you’ve mastered it.

Leading the way with the Grave Digger, one of the best monster trucks in the range, the game features plenty of real vehicles like the El Toro Loco and the Max-D, all of which are different enough to stand out from the rest of the collection.

In total, 40 trucks are available to players, with 26 more planned as DLC for the future. This is perhaps the most outstanding feature of Monster Jam Showdown is the clear way in which these vehicles can be unlocked. The conditions are laid out in a straightforward manner and fortunately it is not too much of a hassle to expand your monster truck collection.

Unfortunately, once the enthusiasm for the trucks wears off (which happens pretty quickly), things start to go a little wrong.

Perhaps an appropriate adjustment could have helped the milestone title

Correct Adjustment in a year like 2024 has basically become an element that most developers incorporate into their video games in various forms, including character upgrades, outfit changes, and more.

Similar to the countless racing games that preceded it, Monster Jam Showdown While it does offer vehicle customization and upgrade features, unlike some of the best titles in the genre, the options are extremely limited.

Players can upgrade their entire truck by holding down a single button, without mentioning any specific part of the vehicle. Milestones The latest effort seems more like a small mobile game than a full-fledged Monster Jam Experience.

As for the monster trucks’ appearance, while the game does include multiple paint jobs for each vehicle on the roster, since these are also preset, players don’t have much control over how their vehicle behemoths will look in different events.

Monster Jam Showdown also allows players to take a long, hard look into the garage and admire the three interchangeable trucks on display. While this section of the game would be the perfect place to allow players to style their vehicles, all they can do here is change the poses of the trucks.

Not only does this limitation make the Garage seem like an addition whose resources could be better spent elsewhere, but it also feels like filler in a game that clearly suffers from a lack of significant variety in many areas.

The lack of variety at Monster Jam Showdown is not all

Although Monster Jam Showdown has various game modes such as Head-to-Head, Freestyle, Best Trick, and more. The only apparent way to access these is through the Showdown Tour option on the main menu screen.

This means that players cannot necessarily choose a specific mode of their liking unless it is unlocked as an event at that moment at one of the three points in the game world.

These are Death Valley, Colorado and Alaska. All three have their own unique environments. However, soon after experiencing the various events in these areas, a feeling of monotonous boredom sets in, as they all seem a little too similar to each other.

This is because the map layouts feel repetitive, even though the environment itself changes from a desert to snow-capped mountains. However, the problem is particularly evident in Freestyle mode and its variations.

The obstacles and arenas in the three stadium categories are all just slight variations of each other, which makes the event feel like a chore once the thrill of a monster truck doing a backflip is over.

The split-screen multiplayer mode also does not give players the freedom to choose their preferred play style, but follows a similar path to the Tour mode, which Monster Jam Showdown quickly lose its potential replay value.

When the tour comes to a halt due to a game-deciding roadblock

Similar to strong trees and other objects that can apparently withstand the full force of a monster truck racing towards them at full speed – as long as they are not glowing – the circuit race called Snow Turbo Twist on the Arctic Glacier in Alaska was accompanied by a game-deciding bug at a certain point on the map.

Despite giving it the benefit of the doubt and looking for numerous ways to win (such as restarting the race, changing the vehicle and difficulty setting, choosing a different route, etc.), the monster truck stopped listening to the controller’s inputs and began to stutter in one way or another.

Issues like these prove to be an unfortunate hindrance to the Showdown Tour, and when the only major mode the game offers comes with problems, it doesn’t really feel like the glorious return that Monster Jam Fans may have hoped.

At least the music on the menu screen and the passionate voice acting from the announcer bring some much-needed life to a game that only achieves the bare minimum with its explosive premise.