Game review: Monster Jam Showdown (Xbox Series X)

I personally had a unique introduction to monster trucks because the first time I saw one was when I was watching WWF (now WWE) wrestling as a ten-year-old back in 1999. At the time, Stone Cold Steve Austin was driving a monster truck and he used one to literally run over one of The Rock's most expensive-looking cars!

I didn't think much of monster trucks since then until 2024, when The Rock announced a Monster Jam movie he's making with Disney in the near future. Funnily enough, a few days after The Rock's announcement, I received a review code for Monster Jam Showdown on Xbox Series X. 

When it comes to racing games, I've only been familiar with controlling cars and motorbikes. Using cars is the most common racing genre because I don't think there are many games out there that allow you to play as Monster Trucks. Monster Jam Showdown is the perfect game to play for those who want to drive something big and bulky. 

One of the things I liked most about Monster Jam Showdown is that it introduces new players to a helpful tutorial system. The tutorial is recommended for players like me who have never played a game featuring monster trucks because they handle much differently compared to motorbikes and cars. 

The unique aspect of a monster truck is that it includes four-wheel steering meaning both the front and rear wheels can be controlled separately. Using the left stick controls the direction of the front wheels while using the right stick controls the direction of the rear wheels. 

You need to use both analogue sticks while racing because this makes turning the monster truck much easier while racing on tough, dirty terrain. There are hardly any tarmac roads in this game because you will mostly be racing on dirt or ice tracks most of the time.   

The other thing you need to be aware of is balancing the monster truck so it doesn't fall over when you are driving over ramps and hilly terrain. Racing the monster trucks takes time to master, but the game gets really fun once you get used to the game's unique controls. 

Another feature I admire most about Monster Jam Showdown is that this game isn't all about just racing other trucks, either. The game includes a really fun game mode called 'Freestyle' where you can actually do stunts and tricks like it's a Tony Hawk skateboarding game!

Many of the stunts you can do on the truck are awesome because the freestyle events give you lots of ramps to jump off from. By holding up or down on the analogue sticks, you can do backflips or even frontflips using the huge monster trucks. 

Other cool tricks you can do in the game are wheelies, bicycles, donuts, drifting, and a lot more. The game does feature a practice mode so you can look at the move list to see how to execute some of the best tricks. You will want to get high points in freestyle events if you 
want to win. 

Another type of freestyle event in the game is where you earn points by following a checklist of moves that you have to do. For example, a prompt will appear on the screen that will tell you to do a backflip. A backflip could let you earn triple the amount of points compared to a basic donut which may only be worth a small number of points instead. 

Lastly, there is a mode in the game called 'Horde' and this is where you try and capture everyone in the race. Horde is arguably the weakest mode in the entire game because you don't really catch or crash into the opponents. You only 'catch' opponents if you race ahead of them. It's unlike the old Burnout video games where you physically got to ram the opponents off the road!

I was really surprised by the amount of content that is offered in the main single-player campaign. I think I completed most of the races and freestyle events in the game, and it took me roughly ten hours to complete. There is some replay value on offer here if you did not get a gold medal in all the events. Not to mention this is the mode where you can unlock more Monster Trucks to use. 

Speaking of the Monster Trucks, a lot of them handle differently so it's best to choose the right vehicle for a specific type of event. The school bus truck is a burly beast and it wasn't so good at doing the freestyle events. For doing backflips and frontflips, I liked using the Velociraptor Monster Truck. 

Outside of the single-player campaign, there is a multiplayer mode where you can race against players online or with a friend next to you. I usually like to play video games with my brother so the VS mode was really fun for us. 

My favourite multiplayer mode was the freestyle events because you have two minutes to try and get the biggest score that you can. All of the freestyle events are already unlocked so you choose the best stadium to use to dish out the best tricks. I actually became quite good at earning tricks as I remain undefeated against my brother in freestyle events. 

The only negative thing I can say about Monster Jam Showdown is that some of the races can get annoying because the Monster Trucks are so huge, and the roads are narrow. Due to this, it can sometimes get too hard trying to overtake everyone. That being said, you do have a boost meter and this somewhat helps you get ahead of the pack when it's too congested.  

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had playing Monster Jam Showdown. The game features a ton of different game modes, and the freestyle events remind me of the Tony Hawk video game series. If you want to play a game that doesn't require too much brainpower, Monster Jam Showdown could be the game for you and your friends. 

Verdict: 8.5/10