Posted February 3, 2016 American Truck Simulator™ is a 3D truck simulation game released on February 2nd, 2016 by SCS Software. It features a robust simulation engine, a large world to drive in and explore, and a host of improvements over its predecessor, Euro Truck Simulator 2. As of release, the game contains two separate trucks, and one state to explore. It is priced at $19.99 and is available on PC. You are a truck driver. Your goal is to build your trucking empire, one job at a time. Beginning the game, you'll be introduced to a simple delivery job that explains the controls and acts as a tutorial. Afterwards, you'll be dumped at your garage, tasking with saving up enough money to buy your own truck by doing work for other companies. Eventually, you'll be able to buy your own truck, and gain access to the Freight Market, which pays more than the Quick Jobs from contractors. However, you'll have to pay for your own expenses: damages, fuel, fines, and more. The graphical design of American Truck Simulator echoes the games of its past. While it does attempt to stay current with visual effects like lens flares, godrays and more, ultimately the game's graphics won't impress anybody. The truck models are highly-detailed, and leave little to be desired, but the textures throughout the world are often muddy, low resolution, and can be a bit of an eyesore up close. However, once you're out on the open highway, it's easy to find yourself getting lost in the long winding road ahead of you, with only subtle mountains in the background as a backdrop. The sun beats down on the hot tar below your tires, and it shines up in your face, effectively blinding you if you look just the wrong way. These graphics, however, are a double-edged sword. While the game does by no means look great, this also allows for lower-end hardware to play the game, and play it well to boot. The game is not very demanding, and even lower-end configurations will not struggle to drive the game. On an NVIDIA GTX 970, paired with an Intel i7-5820k, I averaged 110fps throughout my gameplay. This is with everything maxed, and 400% scaling. The trucks look good, the backdrops hold up well, but the ground textures, building textures, and AI vehicles look lackluster for a game released in 2016. When put alongside another brand new release, like Rise of the Tomb Raider, you can clearly see that SCS Software was not out to achieve the best in graphical capabilities. American Truck Simulator is, at its heart, a simulation game. As such, it does this very, very well. Bar-none, it is the most realistic driving game available on PC, and likely available, period. That being said, the engine used in this game is the exact same engine in SCS Software's previous installment, Euro Truck Simulator 2.This means that while the simulation in this game is excellent, it's no better than the game before it. Granted, there's little room for improvement in the game, so I see no reason to fix what isn't broken here. Immediately starting the game, you'll find yourself dropped into a truck. On-screen prompts will walk you through the basics of the interface, and then you'll be on your way. This game has excellent gamepad and wheel support, and they should be a breeze to set up if you prefer it over kb+m. Once you're all set up, it's time to hit the road. You'll immediately notice how much weight you feel in your truck. The steering is heavy, the acceleration is a game of patience, and the laws of the road are ever-present, adding another layer of pressure while you're getting accustomed to your new big rig. Jobs will require you to take a trailer of contents from one location to the next, and your SatNav will indicate your route. This will be your guardian angel as you trek across the land. Below your SatNav, your miles-to-go is displayed, letting you know how much longer you have left in your drive. You'll need to be particularly mindful of your fuel, and your consciousness. As you drive, these two will drain. If you become too tired, you'll drift in and out of consciousness, and eventually pass out at the wheel, racking up fines as you drive while exhausted. If you run out of fuel, you'll find yourself dead in the water in the middle of the road, with your only option being to pay for a tow truck to the nearest rest stop. The world of American Truck Simulator boasts a plethora of winding roads, hills and dusty back roads to drive across. Each offers a distinct style of gameplay while you head towards your destination. American Truck Simulator™ is a fun game, hindered by a lack of content. While SCS Software plans to release additional trucks and states, in its current state, the game offers little more than a re-skin of its predecessor set in a not-so-interesting location. Fans of the previous game will definitely find many hours of enjoyment, but newcomers are definitely encouraged to look toward the previous title for their first foray into the truck simulation world. Small UI and gameplay improvements are a welcome addition, but it doesn't change enough to make it feel like a new game. With that said, however, it is priced competitively and fairly, and finds itself costing little more than the Scandinavia DLC for the previous game in the series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
