Monster Jam Maximum Destruction Preview

The car combat genre in console gaming hasn't seen much in the way of variation outside of the occasional attempt to clone a Twisted Metal game. Fortunately, that's about to change, thanks to Ubi Soft. Monster Jam Maximum Destruction is essentially a car combat game with a twist. Leaving cars out of the equation altogether, Ubi Soft has opted to create a game filled with licensed monster trucks such as Wolverine, Grave Digger, Spider-Man, and Reptoid. It has also pushed the game completely over the top by including a wide variety of weapons and a number of fictional arenas for these vehicular monstrosities to smash each other to pieces in.

Wolverine is just one of many trucks available in the game.

One of the first things you'll notice when you first boot the game up is the large number of vehicles contained within. There are 26 different trucks immediately available, with another 44 that can be unlocked. Thirty of these vehicles are licensed, such as those mentioned above, while the remaining trucks have been created for the game. All of them are rated in four categories: horsepower, acceleration, cornering, and traction. These stats can be improved after each level by purchasing new parts for your vehicle, such as tires, shocks, engines, or superchargers.

Each of the trucks has its own distinct look. For example, Wolverine is yellow and blue, with black highlights and a swept cab that resembles the mask of the superhero it draws its inspiration from. It even has a pair of claws that adorn its hood. Other vehicles, such as Goldberg, resemble monster cars more than they do trucks. All the models are quite detailed, with shocks that contract and expand noticeably and fiberglass bodies that splinter and break apart as they're damaged. Columns of fire fly from the exhaust pipes as the engines reach higher RPMs, and the engines also scream in a very satisfying manner. When a truck is destroyed, it will explode in an earthshaking display.

Spider-Man smashes some cars in the stadium freestyle minigame.

There are three main modes of play included in the game: season, exhibition, and a collection of minigames. Season mode has you tearing your way through the nine different competitions. Exhibition mode is essentially a one-shot deal where you select a truck and arena and jump right in for a quick battle. You can also bring a friend and play the exhibition in two-player mode, if you're so inclined. Season and exhibition also have three variations each. These include the deathmatch, cash grab, and points options. The deathmatch is self-explanatory--you basically try to destroy all your opponents before they destroy you. The cash grab is essentially a deathmatch with a focus on trying to collect more money than everyone else. The points option tallies the value of your attacks, and you can trigger multipliers if you smash into your opponent in a particularly devastating manner. Finally, the collection of minigames provides you with a variety of different options. The most appealing to fans of real monster truck rallies should be the stadium freestyle tournament, which has you racing around an arena track and smashing lines of cars. This mode also features a number of fixed camera angles that give it a more cinematic feel, rather than sticking to the basic variations of the chase camera that's the standard in all the other modes.