More like bronze titans
Monster trucks feel like the ultimate slam dunk for video games. Who doesn’t love driving massive steel beasts over cars and slamming into other vehicles? There have certainly been plenty of attempts at the genre, and yet none of them have left a lasting impression. Rainbow Studios has now returned with a follow-up to their Steel Titans series with yet another attempt to give the genre the attention it desires. Sadly, I found this to be once again a forgettable experience that never cashes in on what I would think would be a recipe for instant gratification.
Right out of the gate the game feels confused about its identity. The tutorial is sparse and fast-paced. It left me wondering what I was even going to be doing for the bulk of the game. Once it was over, I was dropped into an open area with little direction on what exactly I was supposed to do. After driving around and fumbling through the menus I finally discovered a pair of campaigns I could work my way through.
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: XB1 (reviewed), PS4, Switch
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
The first campaign is based on arena and stadium events. This mode is all about competing in areas that resemble real-life stadiums with a combination of event styles. The other mode is called World Championship, but to be fair it is mostly the same stuff with a checkpoint race tossed in for good measure from time-to-time. Needless to say, I was not impressed with either mode. The range of events is fine, but none of them really capitalize on the fun of driving these steel beasts.
Each map is also littered with collectibles and secrets. You can unlock new trucks and upgrades for those trucks by driving around and collecting items. This sounds awesome, but as soon as I realized that collectibles were truck-specific it lost its appeal quickly. Having to be in a certain vehicle when stumbling across a pick-up is just poor design. I quickly didn’t care after I also realized that outside of the new trucks, none of the collectibles are worth the effort anyways.
Again, I feel like the developers had some awesome ideas of how to make the game fun. They just failed to grasp how to accomplish that. Let me run over a mountain of cars or upgrade via performance and most importantly do NOT lock collectibles behind being in a specific vehicle. This completely removes the desire to explore any of these areas entirely.
If there is one thing that Rainbow always gets right though it is the control. Steel Titans 2 handles like a dream. While this is more of an arcade take on the genre, it still works. The trucks are large and easy to flip upside down. You are still never out of the action long. Tricks are easy to perform and the sense of speed feels good considering these things don’t top out at high speeds. In traditional Rainbow fashion the right stick also plays a role in the handling. Each set of tires is controlled independently by each stick. This allows for more precision turning and handling. It takes a few minutes to get the hang of, but once I did I was pulling donuts like nobody’s business.
The game looks decent enough. I was running it on a Series X, but there are not any specific enhancements for the console. Frame rate is good, and visuals are sharp. There are some weird clipping issues with the shadows and the environments are kind of similar in design. I love the design of the trucks, but this also presents a new problem. Most of the iconic vehicles are locked away to collectibles and progression. Sadly, by the time I was unlocking any of them, I was long done with the experience. I wish they had frontloaded them and perhaps used the unlockables to give new customization options instead of trucks.
Monster Jam Steel Titans 2 is yet another game in the genre that will be forgotten. Rainbow Studios has been one of the most prolific in mud-based racing games for a long time. They have crafted some of the best off-road endeavors I have ever played. This is sadly not one of them. It feels like a second thought as far as execution goes. Like they had a license and a chance to make a sequel and just pumped it out with little fanfare. I wanted to love it, but sadly it will be relegated to just a memory in a few weeks’ time.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
