A Little of This and a Little of That

Lately, my habit has been to bounce back and forth between several games which means that I don't really have one specific game to write about.  I attribute this inability to focus on the fact that it's May--the school year is winding down and my teacher brain is functioning at a fairly low level by the time I get home after work.  Plus, the end of the school year is notoriously crammed full of different events, functions, meetings, and other random obligations that gobble up chunks of time.  Yeah, it all basically amounts to me just picking something generally soothing to play just to relax for a little while.

My beautiful truck.

My first choice for relaxation is EuroTruck Simulator 2.  I had played quite a bit of ETS2, but had set it aside in favor of playing new games I had bought or older games that I've been replaying and reviewing.  The nice thing about ETS2 is that it's easy to hop back into the game after time away.  The other really nice thing about ETS2 is that there are continued updates to content and random events.  Right now there is a in-game EuroTruck racing event going on (read about it here).  No, you're not actually racing trucks, but you are delivering racing components to different locations in Europe.  Your goal is to deliver twelve loads of racing components to twelve different cities (the trips must be over 200 km).  For completing the event players can unlock a variety of in-game and Steam items--a unique racing themed paint job, a racer bobblehead for the interior of your truck, and three different pennants.  These random events are a fun way to keep people involved and the in-game rewards are unique.

SCS seems dedicated to keeping ETS2 fresh and are also updating the game to make it look more modern.  Germany is getting a big revamp and other areas are to follow.  There's also news that the next DLC will add the Baltic States.  All this new content has me excited to grow my company "Keep on Truckin'" and explore more of Europe.

When I'm not driving my EuroTruck, I've found myself back in the floating world of Columbia in BioShock:  Infinite.  I've already played through it several times, so there's no surprises in the story, but I'm enjoying going back and paying attention to the small details.  The skylines are one of the best additions to the game--it's insanely fun to zip around on them and then deliver a leaping death blow to guards below.

Elizabeth is a great companion.

I've been thinking alot about Elizabeth as a character.  At first I wasn't so sure that I liked her much as a companion, but I am finding that there are many things that I enjoy about Elizabeth.  I like how in the beginning she's so naive and that her excitement is so palpable.  It's always heartwarming to break her out of her tower and then watch her dancing on the beach.  As the story progresses you see that innocent charm melt away--she sees all the killing and evil and it very clearly impacts her.  I watch how brilliantly her body language changes throughout the game--she's animated to reflect all those changes in her attitude--she goes from a giddy, prancing girl to a serious, calculating woman all within the span of the game.  It's something I haven't focused on much--there are so many bonkers pieces of the story to figure out--but I am having a newfound respect for.

The fact that Elizabeth aids you in combat is also something that I enjoy.  All too often your video game companions are either squishy escort missions who require extra guarding or are invincible side quests that you can mostly ignore.  Elizabeth definitely falls within the second category, but it's refreshing to see her play a role in the world--she will automatically take cover and help you in combat--throwing you ammo, salts, or health when you need it or opening tears to allow access to weapons, materials, or terrain.  She can pick locks and help you solve codes.  Yeah, she isn't just some daft girl who needs saving and I'm glad she was written that way.

The last game that I've given a little bit of time to is American Truck Simulator.  I decided to buy the New Mexico DLC when it was last on sale and wanted to check out the additional content.  New Mexico adds a lot of stunning scenery to the already beautiful American West as well as many, many more miles of roads to traverse and cities to visit.  SCS has said that they will be adding more states to ATS and I look forward to the addition of my home state of Oregon in the near future.  It's definitely fun seeing the U.S. translated into the game, but I've found that I actually prefer EuroTruck Simulator to its American counterpart.  There's just something really fun and foreign about navigating the European roadways.

Whatever you're playing or doing, enjoy the extra long Memorial Day weekend!

Secret Trucker

As I continue trying to sort out my sale purchases, I've finally come across a game (games actually) that I feel good about.  Yes!  I can live with the satisfaction of knowing that I didn't completely impulse buy my way into a pile of games that I hate and will never play.  I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I have been successfully virtually piloting big rigs on the roads of Europe and the United States....and I like it.

There have always been a few games that I've felt really uncool playing--The Sims would top that list.  For some weird reason I enjoy simulation games.  I don't think they are for everyone and that most people would scoff at games like Viscera Cleanup Detail.  Well, you can add Eurotruck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator to the list.  What kind of weirdo wants to play a game where you are doing a job?  Not only that, but a job that sounds immensely boring....you drive a truck, deliver freight, and manage your own trucking company.  It turns out that it's not boring and that there's something enjoyable about cruising around, making money and pimping out your truck.

So what's the point of ETS2 or ATS?  Exploration and world domination.  As you make more money you can buy more garages and trucks, hire more drivers and go on to become a virtual trucking billionaire.  Billionaire might be a little far fetched...but you get the picture.  Or you can go at it from more of the exploration viewpoint--there are thousands upon thousands of virtual miles of roads to drive.  The landscapes are beautiful and inspired by real places in Europe and the United States.  Not that you have much time to be admiring the scenery...

My purple Peterbilt in American Truck Simulator.

I decided to start my adventures in trucking in Europe.  Starting a new game in ETS2 can be a little intimidating--you have to pick a preferred control scheme (there are a wide variety of options including keyboard controls, mouse controls, and options for those with fancy wheel controller setups), a type of truck you prefer (I don't know anything about trucks so I picked the prettiest), your preferred type of transmission (as a beginner I would highly recommend going with simple), and a name and logo for your new trucking company.  Phew!  After you've done all those things you are given a tiny garage and your first job.

Getting used to driving with the keyboard and mouse controls took me a little while.  The keyboard controls the throttle and you steer by gently pushing the mouse either left or right (notice that I said gently.  If you jerk the mouse around you are bound to have problems).  It's not too difficult.  The real difficulty comes from driving a behemoth truck with a huge trailer.  Unlike being in a normal car or truck, you have to be very aware of the position of your trailer.  If you take a corner too sharply you risk ramming your trailer into a variety of objects...other vehicles, guardrails, walls, road signs, road signals, etc.  None of these actions result in anything good--hitting objects can damage your freight resulting in penalties and hitting other vehicles will result in a fine that is deducted from your bank roll.  You also have to manage costs for things like refueling and repairs.

As you get more experience you are able to pick talents that allow you to make the most of your driving skills.  You can pick longer trips, carry high value or even dangerous cargoes, or get better gas mileage.  All of this is in pursuit of earning enough cash to buy a bigger garage and expand your fleet.

My first thought when I first started playing ETS2 was "ooh this is like Grand Theft Auto!"  Don't be tempted into that thinking!  In ETS2 you are expected to (mostly) follow the rules of the road.  There's no cruising through traffic signals (I suppose you could if you wanted to accrue some crazy fines) or ramming your way through other vehicles.

Just like driving in real life, the Truck Simulator games require a large amount of focus.  I have found that I have to pace myself when playing or else I get tired.  There are fun details in the fact that you can add your own music or internet radio streams to play while you drive.

If you're in the market for a low-stress game to enjoy I would recommend either Eurotruck Simulator or it's American cousin, American Truck Simulator.  So far they have been my favorite purchases from the recent Steam Summer Sale.