A truck driving game for everyone
Euro Truck Simulator, developed by SCS Software, is a premium driving simulation game where players take on the role of a truck driver, completing a variety of jobs to earn money and upgrade their vehicles. With a focus on realism, each truck model in the game is meticulously crafted to mirror its real-life counterpart.
The franchise has evolved, spawning sequels and spin-offs, including Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator. In Euro Truck Simulator, the fundamental goal is to skillfully navigate the roads, ensuring both safety and efficiency as you transport cargoes to their destinations in a timely manner.
Realistic routes and models
Euro Truck Simulator lets you navigate a detailed network of routes, transporting freight through the backdrop of Europe’s iconic cities—from the iconic metropolis of London to the ancient splendor of Rome, onward to the culturally rich Berlin, down to the lively streets of Madrid, and over to the architectural wonder of Prague—among countless other destinations. It places you behind the wheel of lifelike vehicles, engineered to replicate the real-world experience.
The game provides a deep dive into the trucking lifestyle, featuring detailed models of trucks that mirror the exact specifications of their real-world counterparts. Inside these virtual rigs, you'll find an array of instruments and gauges that are rendered to function as they do in an actual truck. Signal your turns with flashing indicators, monitor your engine's temperature, keep an eye on fuel levels, and activate your wipers in inclement weather.
The realism extends to the perspective from which you control your vehicle. With the ability to pan the camera throughout the cabin's interior, the game invites you to immerse yourself in the full driver's seat experience. Each control provides vital feedback as you navigate the vast network of European roads, making strategic decisions en route to ensure your cargo reaches its target on schedule.
Outdated experience
Euro Truck Simulator is a Windows and Mac OS X simulation game about driving large vehicles around various European cities. Unlike the sequel game and the titles based in other countries, this driving game has graphics that are underwhelming yet still detailed. However, due to its age, the game is easy to download and play on almost any computer system.
The game is dated, having been released in 2008. It requires only 2GB of space and 1GB of RAM to run. Thus, it can be played on almost any computer. This includes older systems that can’t run most modern games that require an enormous amount of RAM and a high-end graphics card. It must be noted, however, that it will not receive any future updates.
Repetitive gameplay
One of the downsides of this simulation game, however, is its repetitive gameplay. The mechanics involve a cycle of accepting jobs, driving to complete them, earning money, and repeating until you can afford a new truck. Once you’ve purchased a new vehicle, the cycle begins again. This isn’t necessarily bad as the game can be relaxing when played casually, but it falls off when being played often.
Ultimately, it lacks the adrenaline or excitement you’d receive from a regular racing game. You’re limited by the laws of the road and the traffic around you. Racing titles are similarly repetitive in their nature of play. They force you to race, earn new cars, race again, and repeat over and over. However, it’s the adrenaline rush from playing a fast-paced racing game that keeps it from feeling monotonous.
Alternatives
As Euro Truck Simulator is a popular game with many sequels or spin-off titles available, there are many great alternatives to play if you want an updated game or a different experience.
- American Truck Simulator is similar to the Euro titles but provides players with American routes and driving laws as well as acting as a virtual tour for anyone outside of the USA.
- Euro Truck Simulator 2 furthers the journey that the original title provides. There are many DLC options available to extend the gameplay options and vehicles available to drive. The game has updated graphics as well that places you directly in the driving seat
- Forza Street is unlike the other alternative games, fulfilling your need for adrenaline with fast-paced racing and stunning cars. The game is fun and provides an amazing experience with challenging races.
Dated but still a blast
While Euro Truck Simulator is a bit of an old game, it’s still an excellent game for older computers or any system with low resources. Regardless, the scenery in-game is always beautiful to watch while playing. The game is, however, tedious as the jobs and roads become repetitive. There are no future updates coming to this game as newer releases are available. However, there are multiple games from the same developers that have improved upon this classic.
