Star Trucker

This has been a pretty fun game overall. Story line is pretty basic but teaches enough to get a handle on the mechanics. It really could use some expanding though to be honest. I don't mean mechanics but the map itself. I feel the nodes are too close together. There is not a lot of just 'truck'n.' I think that maybe some 'in-between' nodes that just involve a longer drive but not a lot of big turns would add to that flavor. Sitting back, jamming on the radio, praying for a gas station cause I wasn't paying attention, (and finally actually have a use for those gas cans.) and just... seeing beyond the driving lanes. TL:DR- Good game, Needs more of a trucking feel.

FOREWARNING: The Recommended difficulty for this game can make the early gameplay very nerve-wracking in terms of resource management. Difficulty can be adjusted to a lower setting until you get on your feet for the rest of the game, unless juggling your batteries to park without suffocating to death sounds like fun (and it was pretty funny). To players new to the truck genre: Maybe don't start with this one. Or do. But it will be hard. REST OF REVIEW: I like the game! I think the passion the devs had for making this game really shows because the sci-fi-retro-future-americana vibes and aesthetics work well. The Side Job (campaign) truckers are charming, and missions can be pretty creative with what they ask you to do. Some might complain that upgrades and progression are locked behind helping these space truckers out Just Because, but I think it did gently lead me into enjoying their personalities and building that sense of trucker kinship. The difficulty gets easier when jobs and salvage start to generate meaningful income so you can buy the big fancy batteries and suchlike (tip: an eyeball icon appearing on your screen does not indicate you're being watched by cops or anything. it's actually a ping to let you know you've just driven by a salvage point full of tasty resources. i have to type this out because i am a nervous person). Truck upgrades at the workshops also make a huge difference to convert your rice-paper vehicle into an actual truck that can handle a couple bumps. I often felt like progression was meaningful, although it tends to come in uneven blobs in the early-midgame. With a fully reinforced hull and all the other perks, the game does eventually become more relaxing than stressful. I think a lot of players were expecting ETS2/ATS: Space Edition when this game literally wormholes through highway segments. But realistically, I can't see it any other way with a space setting. There's a lot of nothing in space. i would also like to point out that by default the truck doesn't use 'true' frictionless space-physics for movement, rather the Drive Assist function adds a bit of deceleration, which can make it feel more like you're driving underwater. This makes it a lot easier to drive, but if this for some reason disappoints you, you can go ahead and turn off Drive Assist and make an absolute fool of yourself sliding into everything like a billiard ball of hubris. My only real quibbles are QoL is somewhat lacking and there's a couple slip-ups with mid-lategame missions and dialogue triggers. I'm assuming some corners had to be cut to make release, but if the devs are continuing to update the game, I would love to see the following: [list] [*]Cargo nets or belts to secure boxes to the shelves [*] An anchor of some kind to keep the truck completely stationary [*] Display the map while looking at cargo jobs [*] Let me open boxes while I'm holding something? [/list] Happy hauling!

Keep your whits about you, and this game will give you a therapeutic experience. just like many job simulators, it gamifies a job people do for real money. There's resource management, survival, and pacing elements in this game and it takes place in space, which did it for me over ATS. There's plenty of community guides and support. The 'mechanic' difficulty really turns the game into a chore, play at your own risk. My advice: focus on jobs over story progression early on and upgrade the truck to save money in the long run, then go ham on the story to increase profitability and travel distance available.

would be a 10/10 if they added lot lizards to the spaceports, call them port lizards or something idk

This is a fun little number that combines elements of space exploration, trucking, and orbital physics. If you are an ATS fan and/or enjoy space games, you will love it! The driving...uh..flying?? mechanics do take a bit of time to get used to, but you'll quickly get the hang of it. Highly recommend!!!

Best game ever, would recomend playing.

Like it, love it :D