Monster Trucks Nitro

The rubber rarely hits the road in Monster Trucks Nitro. With tyres taller than a full grown man, these metal monstrosities spend more time in the air than tearing up the obstacle-riddled roads. It makes for some good-looking antics, even if the gameplay is as empty as the big air you catch.

No competitive racing here - Monster Trucks Nitro has you racing against the clock in eight off-road courses. Claiming bronze, silver, and gold medals on each track means gunning it past a mix of obstacles from school buses to dilapidated bridges to steeply angled inclines.

Maximising speed is the order of the day, though accomplishing that goal requires more than holding your finger down on the gas pedal at the screen's far right edge. Tilting your handset left and right enables you to manipulate your truck's weight accordingly. Like a monster truck rally goer that's downed a few too many Bud Lights, the slightest nudge of your handset sends your ride reeling.

Timing tilts of your device to preserve velocity and leap over pitfalls is the only way to cross the finish line in good time. Speed up a ramp, for example, and tilting to the left puts your truck's weight at its rear. Priming a jump in this fashion boosts height and distance, both of which can help you pass over gaps in the course and maintain speed.

The first few levels are easy enough to zip through, simple inclines and obstacles effortlessly bypassed. Come the second half, however, the courses become more convoluted. "The Loop" demands that you run five consecutive loops that take your truck fully upside-down. Intended as a test of your skill in managing your truck's weight with tilts of your handset, it actually breaks down into a nonsensical stunt run.

Focusing on silly tricks that are difficult to execute drain the game of what little racing appeal it possesses. Monster Trucks Nitro falls flat as a racer, but can't even succeed as a trickster because you're limited in what you can pull off. Aside from shifting your truck's weight, you can't do anything else. This is too basic a game to have any lasting appeal.

Eight tracks provide enough scenic variety, though each is whipped through in a less than a minute. Seizing gold medals unlocks two alternative trucks to accompany the default red rig. These are the only rewards supplied by the game and provide measly motivation for mastering each track. More trucks, the ability to customise the livery, or perhaps a track editor could help bulk up this skimpy game.

Monster Trucks Nitro does manage to rev up some pretty graphics. Nicely detailed 3D courses are run over by a lack of satisfying gameplay, unfortunately. The lack of content ensures you can breeze through the game in a matter of minutes, making it difficult to recommend filling up on this shallow racer.