Euro Truck Simulator 2 Review

Perhaps is the only sane answer I can give. But please, bear with me. I know this is not my "normal" area of expertise, as I have previously been concerning myself with Flight Simulators, but seriously, this is not only an amazing simulation, but an amazing game as well!

So, dear reader, what exactly are we letting ourselves in for here?

ETS 2 is as you might have guessed a vehicle simulation game released in October 2012 and you drive a truck collecting loads and trailers from one place and delivering them to another. The cash you make can be used to upgrade your truck, replace it, repair it, or buy additional vehicles and garages with a view to hiring other drivers to work for you. That's right, it also has a business simulation aspect.

Sounds riveting huh? But that's kind of the point as I will explain below.

This product works with TrackIR 5 head motion sensing view controls, follow the link for a full review.

Remember, if you need a sweet Flight simulator joystick, or HOTAS to fly with, check out my review

If civilian flight is you thing, check out The noobs guide to FSX or Microsoft Flight Review!!

This product works with TrackIR 5 head motion sensing view controls, follow the link for a full review.

It might just be you know. Lets tackle the last sentence above first. I guess I made it sound dull or boring and that is plain unfair. Relaxing is the word I would choose to describe playing this game.

Imagine taking some Prozak, and then settling in to watch your favorite nature documentary by the BBC, narrated by David Attenborough. then look up at the clock and realize 4 hours have passed. That for me sums up the feeling I get when playing this, but in all honesty, that's a good thing! At the moment I am sick and tired of playing games that stress me out, or scare me, or punish me for being a millisecond late with a joypad input. And as for multiplayer games, I am so through with being shouted at for not being up to another players overly high standards.

So, onto the game itself. Firstly, the graphics are really impressive, all be it overly bloomed in my humble opinion. The truck interior and exteriors have had some serious love and attention lavished on them, as you might expect, and the frame rates are silky smooth on my somewhat average computer. Sound also impresses, and it's the little details that are so wonderfully implemented, like the click of the indicators and the drumming of the different road surfaces.

One thing that really impressed me was the inclusion of internet radio for live streaming. There is a huge selection of European radio stations to listen to in all languages and genres. Can't beat a bit of classic rock trucking around the M25!

Other simulated systems include a day night cycle (don't forget to put your lights on or you get fined), weather, fuel consumption and driver fatigue. Yes, you have to turn on the wipers, fill the diesel tanks and the gas station and even pull over into rest areas before you start to nod off!

When you start off, you are restricted to running a few low paid jobs with whatever truck the company you are delivering for lends you, and they are simple go here, drop off runs. Great fun, and soon enough the bank is circling you with offers of £100000 (or Euros or something) to start up your own business.

This involves choosing a location for your first garage and buying your first truck! It's a great moment and feels like a real achievement when you start taking "real" jobs which involve travelling to the collection location, coupling to the trailer and then making the delivery.

Completing the job on time, with as little damage as possible gives you XP (experience points) which can be used to level up your driver, so maybe you want to earn extra cash on long distance work, or specialize in delivering overweight or dangerous goods. As you level up, you unlock garage and truck upgrades, as well as the opportunity to hire other drivers and buy extra trucks, which in turn generate extra money.

All of these things add a huge amount of extra depth, as well as giving incentives to keep on trucking!

Don't forget, this is Euro Truck Simulator 2, so it's not just Great Britain to drive around, but the whole of Europe (but not Scandinavia unfortunately). The map is VAST but the driving is somewhat "accelerated" in so far as driving from London to Milan will not actually take several days! Several ways of crossing over to the mainland are catered for, including ferries from several ports and of course The Channel Tunnel.

Buy this game if you have even a passing interest in trucks. Its slow pace is relaxing, it is relatively bug free and is well supported by the developers though patches. Patching is easy and taken care of through the STEAM client. The game is also a very reasonable price, currently $29.99 on Greenman Gaming, or $39.99 on STEAM, watch out for sales on both sites as I only paid $19.99.

Even at full price, its great value and gives you a LOT of content. You can hook up a steering wheel, use keyboard and mouse, or a full on steering wheel setup. Also worth noting is compatibility with TrackIR 5, which allows you to look around the cockpit using just small head movements.

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Remember, if you need a sweet Flight simulator joystick, or HOTAS to fly with, check out my review!!

If civilian flight is you thing, check out The noobs guide to FSX or Microsoft Flight Review!!

Fancy a trip down memory lane? Why not have a look at some of the best Retro Flight Simulators from the 80's and 90's in this great roundup!!

For something rooted firmly in realism, I have also written an article on theSupermarine Spitfire.