Monster Jam Steel Titans 2 is an excellent truck circuit simulation that combines finely tuned arena events with enough open world racing.
Monster truck video games have a difficult task, trying to bring the exaggerated vehicular action that characterizes the events to game consoles while preserving the chaos that makes them so fun. Most recently, developer Rainbow Studios brought their racing experience to the table with Monster Jam Steel Titans 2. While it’s probably the best monster truck event game translation available, there’s still something missing to get it into fourth gear.
When starting for the first time Monster Jam Steel Titans 2, players load into an open-world playground that’s built for the game’s gigantic trucks. It’s a setup that will be familiar to any Rainbow Studios fan. MX vs ATV Completely, allowing players to choose between navigating in a vehicle of their choice and getting on a more structured event. Either way, Steel Titans 2 offers authentic monster trucks with an interesting control scheme.
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In a move seemingly designed only to facilitate massive donuts and other tricks, players can control the front and rear wheels of their trucks simultaneously via two analog sticks. This single option establishes a surprisingly intricate control scheme in which trucks can quickly maneuver down the road despite their size. Of course, players are likely to find themselves hanging around all over the place at first, and there is an option for more traditional controls, but this option really turns the game into something beyond the standard runner.
Speaking of which, racing is only part of the equation here. Steel Titans 2 ports on all the events fans are aware of from the Monster Jam circuit. From freestyle racing through an arena to two-wheel stunt tests, they’re all here. There are also head-to-head tournament races in the arenas and outdoor checkpoint races in open world plots. Most of these types of games carry over directly from the original. Steel titans, which can make this game feel like an iterative sports game in the same vein as 2K’s annual WWE games.
The only big addition in this iteration is an online multiplayer mode. The prospect of wandering the open world and chatting with like-minded monster truck fans is tantalizing, and the mode also delivers most of the main game’s events right from the start. It’s unclear if this type of game will attract a long-lasting online audience, but the lack of massive player counts means that players should be able to enjoy the mode for quite a while after launch.
Monster Jam Steel Titans 2 it probably leans too far towards the simulation side to really appeal to those who just want a racing experience. Players will enjoy spinning donuts and catching the air when they first start, but many of the arena events are repetitive for anyone unfamiliar with the various arenas, trucks, and rule sets that the game is perfectly emulating. However, for fans of the circuit, the addition of the online mode makes Steel Titans 2 the first monster truck game to truly capture all the intricacies of the sport. It’s been a long way since Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction, and it feels sweet to reach the goal.
Monster Jam Steel Titans 2 It will be released on March 2 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. A copy of the Xbox One game was provided to Screen Rant for the purposes of this review.
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