Review: Euro Truck Simulator for Mac

Editor’s Note: The following article is reprinted from Macworld UK. Visit Macworld UK’s blog page for the latest Mac news from across the Atlantic.

Euro Truck Simulator (Mac App Store only) is an interesting game that re-creates the road network of Europe, where you drive around a big rig, carrying cargo from depot to depot.

Euro Truck Simulator isn’t really a true simulation of haulage; it takes a lot of liberties. The road network lacks detail and is much smaller than real life (in the game, London to Manchester takes about 15 minutes instead of the over three hours it really takes). The trucks are, I imagine, much easier to drive than real life trucks.

Most of the game is played in first person-view inside the rig’s cabin. At your control are indicators, lights, wipers, and hazard warning lights, and you can elect to use manual transmission. I particularly like the way you can look around the cab using the mouse while driving along (and you need to look around to check the mirrors). External views make the game a little easier, especially the vertical camera that you use to pick up and release trailers.

The gameplay is a trading affair, so it’s a bit like a space trader but set on the roads of Europe. You buy and sell cargo, buy fuel, and spend money upgrading your truck.

Mac gamers who’ve played SCS Software’s Bus Driver will be surprised that Euro Truck Simulator’s gameplay is much different. Whereas Bus Driver has more of a point-based game structure (you lose points for failing to indicate, braking too hard, skipping lights, and so on). In Euro Truck Simulator you don’t have to follow driving rules to the same extent, although you are fined for breaking traffic rules and causing damage to goods. There is also an option to enable fatigue simulation and you’ll need to stop at rest stops after every 12 hours of time (that’s game time, not real time).

Bottom line

Euro Truck Simulator is a bit bonkers and good fun. Bus Driver is a faster-paced driving simulator, but the trading aspect of Euro Truck Simulator offers more depth.