ehh
This game isnt bad, its not great either. It has many fun parts. Lots of stuff to destroy. Some of the problems with the game, like many have said before, are the sounds. They dont even come close to what a monster truck would sound like. Another thing I really dont like is how hitting some of the track cars can send the monster truck launching in the air. If you are trying tricks that is great, but if you are aiming for speed and you get launched in the air and go sideways it really ruins any chance you had at winning a head to head race. I like the freestyle courses, and the offroad races are fun at times. Like I said this game doesnt totally suck, but it could have been made a lot better.
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Underwhelming game overall but it is somewhat fun
As a family, we have been anticipating a Monster Jam title for PS2 for a while now. We have been going to the shows for a few years every time they're in the area, and they're always a ton of fun. When we saw this on the store shelf, we snatched it up immediately.
Having said that, we were ultimately somewhat disappointed. The game as a whole is fun to play (when it's not frustrating you beyond belief with the control of the truck). The graphics, while not superb, aren't horrible either. That being said, it's hard to not notice how horrible their water graphics are on the coastal tracks. Their "water" blends right in with the road, and you wind up driving into it on more than one occasion, sinking to the ocean floor. Also, when we went into stadium racing for Minneapolis, we fully expected to be racing in the Metrodome (where the events are usually held), but instead it looks like a college basketball stadium. Not very impressive at all.
The game plays relatively seamlessly without too many glitches, except in multiplayer mode when things seem to slow down every few seconds which really throws off your timing. The trucks themselves are carbon copies of the real thing, except for the awful attempt at recreating the sound of their engines. They sound more like the motorcycles on Road Rash than actual Monster trucks. The handling is awful at times, and completing a stadium circuit race in first place requires going about 5 miles an hour the whole time so as not to run off the track. Also, when racing outdoors, it's sometimes impossible to tell what you can and cannot destroy with your truck. If you end up hitting something that can't be destroyed or driven through, you can count on your opponents passing you right by as you try to regain your forward motion. Furthermore, the game lets you drive into other monster trucks in a race and knock them off course (i.e. Burnout), but it gives you absolutely no points whatsoever for doing this.
The freestyle events may be the funnest part of the game, but even those have their flaws. You could execute a great jump and flip mid-air six or seven times, then land on an airplane, and only end up getting a few points for it all. Also, it's nearly impossible to execute all the stunts in a freestyle event, therefore usually ending up in a 2nd or 3rd place finish.
Overall, the game comes off really unpolished. Along with what's already been stated, the game has no actual stats besides the points you earn. No truck stats, no performance stats, nothing. Even with it's numerous flaws, however, Monster Jam is still fun to play, but I can't fully recommend it. Pick it up used or when the prices really drop for new PS2 games.
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