Simulation games have always been a mystery to me. The idea of spending hours pretending to do a job I wouldn’t want in real life just didn’t click. But then I tried American Truck Simulator, and I didn’t just understand the appeal, I found myself having fun.
I loaded up American Truck Simulator, a game by SCS Software, more out of curiosity than anything else. I thought this wouldn’t be a game for me, given that I’m not into driving, not into trucks, and not into simulators in general. Still, I thought it would be interesting to see how it plays and how well it simulates truck driving.
First Gear
The first thing you do when you start the game. I had a bit of fun with this, picking a crazy looking profile picture. I chose a truck style that reminded me a little of Optimus Prime, and picked the most American-looking logo for my company. This is a proudly ‘Murican game, after all!
Once in the game you can start a campaign, and you’re asked what kind of gearbox you want. Since I don’t drive and I wanted an easier game, I went for Simple Automatic. Gears would no longer be a worry for me during this game.
Next, you get to choose your headquarters. I went for San Francisco, since that’s the American city I’m most familiar with. After a brief tutorial, I’m told I’ll be starting out as a driver for hire, hauling cargo in trucks owned by other companies.
A Disastrous Delivery
I’m given a truck and sent off on my first job: delivering wood to a building site in Oakland. I start driving around and already I’m facing difficulties. I have to remember this is a truck with a trailer attached. I can’t turn so tight around corners. I need to think about how I’m maneuvering this thing.
I start to get the hang of things, but it’s a steep learning curve. At one point I managed to crash into my own trailer. Right. I really need to be careful on those turns. Eventually I start to get a handle on things and I can take in my surroundings.
This is San Francisco. I recognise the architecture, the highways, the bridges. It all feels familiar, like I’ve been there before. This game simulates the cities almost as well as the trucks. Then I get a $140 fine for running a red light. They even simulate the law in this game!
So I start driving toward Oakland using the satellite navigation. I make a wrong turn and the navigation updates automatically. I thought that was a nice touch. I’m driving down a highway now, so I decide to see how fast this truck can go. I get up to 40, then 50. 60. 70. Can I get to 80?
Then I learn the hard way that, at these speeds, even the slightest turn sends you spinning. I end up stuck on a barrier, unable to move the truck anymore. I’m not sure what to do at this point. After some experimentation, I learn how to call for a tow truck. It costs time and money to do this, but I’m back at a depot in Oakland and can continue my delivery.
The building site is around the corner, so I speed off towards it. Somehow, I still haven’t learned my lesson about speed and control. I manage to tip the truck on its side. I have to call a tow truck again…
Eventually I make it to the building site, and it’s a disaster. I keep crashing trying to turn into the gate. I get stuck again. Thankfully, I’m able to get out of this one without another tow truck. Finally, I complete the delivery with a completely smashed up truck.
Round Two: With Less Crashing
I decide to do a second delivery using everything I’ve learned so far. I have a choice of jobs, so I pick San Francisco to Redding. I know both of these areas, so it should be fun to see how the game simulates this journey.
I take it easy this time. I notice now that speed limits are a thing, so I decide to stick to them. I’m also trying not to run red lights so I can avoid the fines. Somehow I still fail at this, and also learn that you can get fines for crashing into other vehicles.
This is not Grand Theft Auto.
Eventually I’m on the road away from San Francisco and toward Redding. And I feel it. Driving this route is relaxing, calm. This is a new way of enjoying a video game. No fast paced action or problem solving. Just a relaxing drive from one place to the next.
As the road takes me toward the mountains and the forests I’m reminded of that yearly bus I would take from San Francisco to Burning Man. I may not know much about trucks, but they’ve simulated these routes well enough that they bring back memories.
I don’t go over the mountains, of course, as I’m heading to Redding. Despite my cautious play this time, I still get enough fines to go overdrawn before I make the delivery. Thankfully my payment for the job brings me back into the green.
Maybe I Should Learn How to Drive
After finishing these two deliveries I go to exit the game and I spot the Driving Academy. These are a set of tutorials that teach you how to drive the truck. Maybe if I did these I might get better at playing the game…
The first tutorial highlights how much detail this game actually goes into. Before you’ve even switched on the engine, the game teaches you how to adjust your seat’s height, angle, and rotation. Then it teaches you how to adjust each of the six mirrors on the truck (and what they are for).
This is the kind of game this is. Aiming to simulate and teach every facet of driving a truck. It’s so detailed, the game gives a disclaimer saying that this cannot replace real-life driving lessons in an actual truck. Even so, there are many reviews of the game saying that it helped people get qualified as a truck driver.
After playing through some of the tutorials and learning the basics of driving a tractor (what they call a truck without a trailer), I decide to call it a day.
Final Thoughts
What has surprised me the most about this game is how much I’ve enjoyed it. I started out laughing at how much of a disaster I was, tipping over my truck at every opportunity. Then I challenged myself to actually drive safely (and failed). Then I started to relax on a long journey through a familiar city.
I’ve been learning new things about trucks as well, and learning is always a fun experience. I came into this expecting to say that it was a well-made game, but I’m not the target audience.
I never expected to actually have fun.
American Truck Simulator didn’t just teach me about trucking. It helped me appreciate a whole genre I used to overlook. There’s something oddly satisfying about mastering the mundane, especially when it’s wrapped in a lovingly recreated world.
