Has anyone else been playing Euro Truck 2? It's been out since last year, but only recently became available on Steam. It won PC Gamer's 2012 "Sim of the Year" award, and to top things off, it's also been the #1 highest-selling game on Steam for several days now. (Edit: At least, it was a few minutes ago. I checked again and now it's #3).
So I figure maybe a couple of you guys have bought it. I've been looking forward to playing it for a while, but I wanted to wait until I could buy it on Steam. I spent several hours playing Euro Truck 1, and it was fun for a bit, but got old quickly. The environments were repetitive, there was little content, and overall the game was kinda stale.
I must say: Euro Truck Simulator 2 is an absolutely massive improvement over the original. The first thing I noticed is that it has better graphics than any other sim I've played. There is so much more to see when you're rolling through the sunny European countryside. Of course, there's weather effects now too; so you can encounter rain and lightening storms. The new weather system is very realistic.
There's more to it than graphics though. The driving model feels decidedly better. The HUD/PDA/SatNav is well thought-out and easy to use. There's actually a built-in radio that lets you stream actual radio stations from Germany, France, The Netherlands, etc, etc. I can't understand Dutch but I think it's fun to switch on the radio and hear what foreign pop music sounds like.
There's a great sense of progression in Euro Truck 2. Rather than simply making money, you also acquire points to move up in rank and improve your driving abilities in different ways. Rather than being a simple "driver-for-hire", you actually start your own trucking business, complete with your own garage and your own truck fleet. Ranking up will increase your reputation and companies will let you transport hazardous materials with the right certifications, which in turn pays more money.
You can download a demo right here. I strongly suggest you try it. It's a pleasurable game to play... going on long drives is a nice way to wind down and relax. In general, the driving just feels good. Like you're really sitting high up in the cab of a big truck, engine purring beneath your feet, cruising on a scenic highway.
I recommend using a wheel. The game will accept any input device you throw at it though.
So I figure maybe a couple of you guys have bought it. I've been looking forward to playing it for a while, but I wanted to wait until I could buy it on Steam. I spent several hours playing Euro Truck 1, and it was fun for a bit, but got old quickly. The environments were repetitive, there was little content, and overall the game was kinda stale.
I must say: Euro Truck Simulator 2 is an absolutely massive improvement over the original. The first thing I noticed is that it has better graphics than any other sim I've played. There is so much more to see when you're rolling through the sunny European countryside. Of course, there's weather effects now too; so you can encounter rain and lightening storms. The new weather system is very realistic.
There's more to it than graphics though. The driving model feels decidedly better. The HUD/PDA/SatNav is well thought-out and easy to use. There's actually a built-in radio that lets you stream actual radio stations from Germany, France, The Netherlands, etc, etc. I can't understand Dutch but I think it's fun to switch on the radio and hear what foreign pop music sounds like.
There's a great sense of progression in Euro Truck 2. Rather than simply making money, you also acquire points to move up in rank and improve your driving abilities in different ways. Rather than being a simple "driver-for-hire", you actually start your own trucking business, complete with your own garage and your own truck fleet. Ranking up will increase your reputation and companies will let you transport hazardous materials with the right certifications, which in turn pays more money.
You can download a demo right here. I strongly suggest you try it. It's a pleasurable game to play... going on long drives is a nice way to wind down and relax. In general, the driving just feels good. Like you're really sitting high up in the cab of a big truck, engine purring beneath your feet, cruising on a scenic highway.
I recommend using a wheel. The game will accept any input device you throw at it though.
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