Except for the absence of an offical drag racing mode, this is a great game.
And I mean stock tracks because this is one of the few games that allows you to make your own tracks. now of course you can use microsofts Tracked2.exe program to do it, but there is also many fan made programs that can perform the job better. you can also make custom trucks. At present there is 4067 known tracks and 4943 known trucks. And this number is always growing. Even today this game continues to live. visit cownap (mtm2.com) for most of you addon and community needs. The community is so deep and dedicated, there is even tournaments. And even though MSN gaming shut down its support for CD rom games. You can still play MTM2 at world gaming center and battleHQ, game spy, and many other places were this game continues to live.
Lag is also an issue in this game like all others. But the term lag often is used in place of a different word(s). Bad physics. This game has horrible physics. You can lightly bump a person and have yourself shot off the map! In a rumble, two trucks can get inside of eachother. Of course resulting in a hue crash sending one or both trucks hurling around the world a few times.
It seems they played with the game engine. So in order to adjust weight transfer, it depends on if you are hitting gas or brakes. but its opposite of what you might think.
Example, to perform a wheelie. When landing on yoru rear wheels and you are almost standing straight up. land with your brakes on, you will wheelie for a long time. Hit the gas to stop your wheelie. if you land face first into something, dont hit your gas, hit your brakes, this will lower your back end.
Basically, brakes lowers your back end and gas lowers you front end.
The other thing, you can almost climb a 90 degree hill ha-ha. Unlike the original, the helicopter can now release you where you want (this could be done in the original by mashing the H key) but the helicopter will only pick you up if you are on your wheels. Which is usually when you don't need it. The result, you fall into a hole to small for your truck and continuously keep rolling over in hit, and you cant hit the H key because you aren't on your wheels. You just keep mashing it until it auto resets you and for a brief instant you are upright.
Despite is flaws, this game is wicked fun and I recommend any racing or offroading fan to try it. And of course drag racing fans can join drag racing leagues and there is plent of drag racing tracks to choose from.
Gameplay - Very good, except for the odd physics
Graphics - above average for the time
Soun - Decent, but sound options lead you to believe that the sound is a higher quality than it actually is. All music is recorded in 8 bit mono even though you can set the game music to play at 16 bit stereo or even suround sound.
Value - Great, endless tracks and trucks. Endless places to explore. Great community to be a part of.
Reviwer's Tilt - I love monster trucks!!!!!!!