Monsters Wheels 2 review

What it is

Most browser monster truck games are a single idea repeated: drive right, do not flip, reach the flag. Monsters Wheels 2 is built around a set of different events instead. Across its 24 levels you will be asked to win a race against a full grid, crush a line of parked cars, post the largest backflip the ramp allows, or simply beat a clock. Those four briefs demand different things from the same vehicle, which keeps the game from settling into a rhythm you can play on autopilot.

The 24 events are spread across four backdrops: a desert in Arizona, a jungle, a beach and a fairground. You choose between three trucks, and every one of them has four upgrade tracks to spend on: the motor, the shocks, the rubber and the boost. Winnings from each event go straight back into that garage, so there is a loop here: place well, buy grip or power, place better.

How it plays

The control scheme is the standard for side-view physics driving. Up or W is the throttle, Down or S brakes and then reverses, and the left and right arrows rotate the truck while it is airborne. Space or X fires the nitro. A monster truck is a heavy body on long-travel suspension, so expect it to pitch more than a bike would.

On a phone the throttle is automatic, which removes one input and puts all the skill into the two tilt buttons and the nitro button. That makes the racing events easier and the backflip events harder, because you cannot ease off the power to settle the truck before a ramp.

Tips that actually help

Each event type rewards a different habit. The mistake that costs the most is treating every level like a race.

• In race events, nitro is worth most on flat straights and at the exit of a big landing, not on ramps. Boosting into a ramp sends you higher rather than further, and you lose the time you spend in the air.
• For the car-crushing events, land front wheels first with the throttle held. The truck's weight comes down onto the cars and the wheels pull you over the pile instead of stalling on top of it.
• Backflip events are about launch speed and how early you start the lean. Begin rotating the moment the rear wheels leave the ramp, not at the top of the arc, and stop leaning about a quarter turn before you want to land so the truck settles.
• Land level or slightly nose-up. A nose-down landing on long suspension bounces the rear up and can pitch you straight into a second, uncontrolled flip.
• Put the first prize money into suspension and tyres. Engine upgrades make a badly landing truck harder to control; grip and damping make every event easier.
• Against the clock, brake before a downslope crest rather than on it, so the truck stays on the ground where it can accelerate.

The garage

Upgrades are split into engine, suspension, tyres and nitro, and the split is meaningful. Engine changes top speed and acceleration; suspension changes how much the truck pitches and how it lands; tyres decide whether the throttle turns into forward motion on sand and jungle mud; nitro decides how much boost you have per event. Because there are three trucks, you also have to decide whether to spread money across them or bring one truck up to a level where it can win everything. The second option is faster if you are only interested in finishing the 24 events.

Where it falls short

The four event types are a good idea but 24 levels is not many, and a player who is comfortable with 2D driving physics will see the end within a couple of sittings. Progress and prize money live in the browser, so they will not travel between devices. The automatic throttle on mobile simplifies the racing but takes away the throttle modulation that makes the backflip events interesting on a keyboard.

Questions people ask

Does Monsters Wheels 2 save my progress?

Prize money, upgrades and unlocked levels are stored in your browser. Play in the same browser on the same device and they will be there next time; clear site data or switch devices and you start over.

Can I play it on my phone?

Yes. The throttle is automatic on touch devices, and you rotate the truck in the air with two tilt buttons plus a nitro button. The keyboard version gives you more control over speed.

Is there a two-player mode?

No. The races are against computer-controlled trucks and the other events are solo challenges against a clock or a score.

Which truck should I upgrade first?

Pick one and put the early money into its suspension and tyres. A truck that lands cleanly and grips wins more prize money than a fast one that flips.