We’ve not seen many racers based around monster trucks. THQ Nordic recently released a new Monster Jam entry, but that’s more arcade racing than realistic simulator. Launched on PlayStation 4 last October, Nacon’s Monster Truck Championship offered us that alternative, and now it’s back with a next-gen edition. Despite minimal upgrades, there’s an enjoyable time within.

Career mode is where you’ll spend most of your time, offering three leagues with multiple events, and you’ve got five event types. Race is your standard 8 player event, challenging AI racers. Time Trials bring your standard fastest lap around a circuit, with 25 to choose from. Drag Races are quick 1v1 races; Freestyle focuses on performing tricks like donuts and bicycling for points; Destruction involves tearing up obstacles around an arena. Completing these earns sponsorships and technicians, who improve performance and earnings.

You begin with a basic truck, controlled through both joysticks for front and rear wheel steering. That feels loose but completing career events earns cash and points, unlocking cosmetics and vehicle parts, letting you improve top speed, steering, and more. As such, building up your vehicle is rewarding, despite initial frustrations. The game is only let down by multiplayer, providing 8-player online races with no local split screen.

For PS5, Monster Truck Championship’s improvements are technical, offering a 4K resolution upgrade and 60 frames-per-second gameplay. Unfortunately, there’s no DualSense support and previous PS4 owners don’t have a free upgrade. When backwards compatibility exists, we can’t recommend double dipping, but new players will find much to enjoy. This is the definitive edition, and if you enjoy monster truck racing, then this naturally comes recommended.