Monster Jam Path of Destruction
SCORE: 85
Monster Truck games have been tried for years in video game format.
Unfortunately there have been very few successes. Monster Jam Path of
Destruction may be the closest thing to real Monster Truck racing any of
us will get to. Activision got the feel of it down, but will you like
that feeling? Family Friendly Gaming was given a reviewable copy of
Monster Jam Path of Destruction on the Wii with the Custom Wheel and the
twenty five stickers.
I want to touch bases on that wheel and stickers first. The wheel for
Monster Jam Path of Destruction is awesome. I really enjoy the feel, and
look of it. The green flames on the black mixed with the metal looking
surfaces fits a Monster Truck game perfectly. I am less thrilled about
the stickers. Some of them are okay, and some are ugly. I showed the
stickers to some children and they thought some were cool, and some were
scary.
The camera behaves in Monster Jam Path of Destruction. You may think
well duh, but I have played a lot of racing games inside stadiums where
the camera can not figure it out. I had a few issues like turning
sideways and hitting a wall inside a tunnel. The camera was not quick to
adjust, but it did not cost me the race or anything. The Monster Trucks
look really good, and they animate amazingly well. If I was actually in
the truck doing those things I would have thrown up. The stadiums are
neat, and have a dizzying array of places to jump. The vehicles that get
crushed are plain looking, and at times I could not tell the difference
between a crushed one and one that had not get gotten run over.
The announcer in Monster Jam Path of Destruction sounds extremely
familiar to me. He has a great voice, but not a lot of lines. Thankfully
Activision kept the special effect sounds in Monster Jam Path of
Destruction family friendly. This allows more people to approach this
game without concerns of sickening sounds. Monster Jam Path of
Destruction contains a certain energy that came across loud and clear.
The voices of real live Monster Truck drivers in the tutorials is a
great touch.
Monster Jam Path of Destruction contains eight authentic stadiums,
thirty-two racing events, twenty-four freestyle events, multiplayer and
five bonus game modes. Players can create their own vehicle, make
adjustments, or use one of the twenty-eight real life Monster Trucks. If
you like Monster Trucks then you will find your money well spent on
Monster Jam Path of Destruction. Two players racing gives a split
screen, whereas the freestyle requires a sharing of the controller.
The game play in Monster Jam Path of Destruction takes some time to get
used to. I loved the freestyle events. The freedom and creativity they
allowed me was amazing. Doing various tricks felt really good, and I
loved it when the game let me know I had done some trick. Many times I
was just messing around and then it announced I had done something
impressive. The racing levels in Monster Jam Path of Destruction are a
lot more difficult. There are front and back controls for the Monster
Trucks. This can be confusing and this game can be touching on making
quick turns. Too often I turned too far and had to try and correct.
Which sent me too far the other direction. Race tracks have a lot of
bumps and jumps. Hit them off a little and you could be in trouble.
Thankfully it is easy to save and get back up again.
I had fun playing Monster Jam Path of Destruction even though the core
lesson is to destroy lots of things like cars, buses, motor homes and
more. The trick aspect of Monster Jam Path of Destruction is the thing
that sticks with me the most. If you allow Monster Trucks in your home
then you will allow your family to play Monster Jam Path of Destruction.
I would appreciate a sequel especially if the controls are not so tight.
- Frank
Graphics: 86%
Sound: 88%
Replay/Extras: 91%
Gameplay: 80%
Family Friendly Factor: 79%
System: Wii/Xbox 360/Playstation 3
Publisher: Activision
Rating: 'E'
for Everyone
{Mild Violence}
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