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Euro Truck Simulator 2 Review

A solid attempt to simulate the business of freight delivery

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The drivers that you hire work on their own so there’s no need to micromanage (though you do have to buy trucks for them to drive, which can be expensive). They start out making little money per trip and also behave realistically; operating from you garage and back, not teleporting across the country to get a job. But with each contract complete, they earn experience that can be used to upgrade their skillset and allow them to take on new goods (hazardous, long distance, fragile, etc). The same experience system applies to the player, increasing your abilities with each job well done, which lets you not only update your skills but also unlocks purchasing ability for new trucks, upgrades, etc.

Euro Truck Simulator 2

We’ve gone so far without talking about the actual gameplay, perhaps because there’s not much to say. Driving trucks feels solid enough, with decent physics effects and precise controls. You’ll have to become good at hitting the breaks early, turning wide, and being patient while accelerating. Simulation aspects are limited to manual turning signals (which don’t have any effect on the game or other drivers), turning on your wipers (same as before), and controlling your headlights. The game is also not very picky when it comes to obeying traffic laws – as long as your headlights are on at night, you avoid accidents and don’t speed, there’s not much else to worry about. Overall it’s simple and accessible, and that’s probably the gameplay’s biggest appeal.

Most players will be pleasantly surprised by the visuals – the game’s environments are both wonderfully rendered and realistically designed. While the drivable roads are limited and chances are you’ll see the same windmill a few times, a continuing day/night cycle and occasional weather changes help the game’s world feel surprisingly immersive. There’s nothing quite like driving a truck in the pitch black darkness of the night. Since the cities have very little road to explore, you’ll mostly be treated to their backdrops and an occasional recognizable landmark. Finally, the game has a brilliant yet simple solution to having no soundtrack – it lets you either import your own music files, or stream a number of real radio stations from the Internet. Many of these are based in Europe and so aren’t in English, but that seems irrelevant since most are heavily focused on playing tunes rather than DJs talking.

Euro Truck Simulator 2

Euro Truck Simulator 2 finds itself in a fairly comfortable position between having accessible but also respectably deep gameplay offerings. Its driving mechanics are realistic but not strict, and the whole management aspect is well implemented, easy to understand, and even feels addicting as you expand your empire. Solid visuals and a unique radio system help the game’s presentation round off what is a rather enjoyable package. If the whole idea of driving a truck isn’t for you, this title won’t change your mind. But if there is some lingering curiosity and the depth of management entices you, the game may be worth a look.

Our ratings for Euro Truck Simulator 2 on PC out of 100 (Ratings FAQ)
Presentation
75
Respectable visuals and attention to detail. The idea to stream radio stations as a soundtrack is fantastic.
Gameplay
77
Gameplay is both accessible and enjoyable, with added depth thanks to the company management.
Single Player
73
A vast world is impressive, even though linearity and lack of real city driving may disappoint some players.
Multiplayer
NR
None
Performance
(Show PC Specs)
CPU: Intel Core i7 CPU 930 @ 2.80GHz
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 Vapor-X 1GB
RAM: 6GB DDR3
OS: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
PC Specs

90
No issues, and the game runs great.
Overall
75
An enticing entry into the genre, Euro Truck Simulator 2 does almost everything right to please the fans and even gauge the interest of those simply curious.
Comments
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Euro Truck Simulator 2 box art Platform:
PC
Our Review of Euro Truck Simulator 2
75%
Good
The Verdict:
Game Ranking
Euro Truck Simulator 2 is ranked #840 out of 1957 total reviewed games. It is ranked #69 out of 158 games reviewed in 2013.
840. Euro Truck Simulator 2
841. Orcs Must Die 2
PC
Related Games
American Truck Simulator American Truck Simulator
Platform: PC
Released: February 2016
Developer: SCS Software
Screenshots

Euro Truck Simulator 2
12 images added Jan 25, 2013 01:38
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