18 Wheels of Steel
| 18 Wheels of Steel | |
|---|---|
| developer | SCS software |
| Publisher | ValuSoft , Rondomedia |
| First title | 18 Wheels of Steel: Across America (2002) |
| Last title | 18 Wheels of Steel: Extreme Trucker 2 (2011) |
| Platform (s) | Windows |
| Genre (s) | simulation |
18 Wheels of Steel is a computer game series of truck and haulage simulations that was developed by the Czech game developer SCS Software and published in Germany by ValuSoft (a studio of THQ ) and later Rondomedia . The focus is on setting up a haulage company and driving the truck from the loading point to the unloading point. 18 Wheels of Steel is based on the ideas of its 2002 predecessor Hard Truck: 18 Wheels of Steel by the same developer.
Games from the 18 Wheels of Steel series
18 Wheels of Steel: Across America
The first game in this series is a simple evolution of Hard Truck: 18 Wheels of Steel . Graphic improvements have been made, the vehicle fleet has been expanded and new routes have been added. One major change compared to Hard Truck: The idle time display has been removed. As a result, there were no longer any forced rest times, which in retrospect led to a lack of realism. The background for 18 Wheels of Steel: Across America is provided by the USA with 20 large cities.
18 Wheels of Steel: Hit the gas
The second game in the 18 Wheels of Steel series brought innovations such as more trucks and trailers as well as ten new cities. The routes are now stretching beyond the USA . It goes from northern Mexico to the south of Canada . The entire game includes 30 cities. In order to bring more realism into the game, the idle time display was reinstalled, which was missing in the predecessor. 18 Wheels of Steel: OpenGL uses the gas for the first time . The game was released in August 2004.
18 Wheels of Steel: Convoy
In this game, for the first time, the player can look outwards from the driver's cab using the mouse. The side mirrors can then be used. The routes range from Mexico across the USA to southern Canada. The trip goes through more than 30 cities. In contrast to the predecessors of the game series, the player also recognized drivers in other vehicles due to a new graphics engine . 18 Wheels of Steel: Convoy was released in September 2005.
18 Wheels of Steel: Haulin '
Both graphically and realistically, 18 Wheels of Steel: Haulin 'made a leap forward. The image resolution has been increased significantly, which makes the surroundings look even more beautiful. The trucks were also improved and the roads expanded. The street signs worked just as well and the fittings in the truck were realistic. The tour now went through over 40 major cities, although Mexico was no longer part of the trip planning. The game was released in December 2006.
18 Wheels of Steel: American Long Haul
For 18 Wheels of Steel: American Long Haul there is a slightly better graphic compared to its predecessor. The north of Mexico has been included in the route planning again, and there are also new parts for the tuning workshop. The background music consists of only two tracks, but can be expanded with your own tracks. The game was released in March 2008. The developers have hidden a small Easter egg in the Mexican city of Chihuahua , namely the Titty Twister bar from the film From Dusk Till Dawn .
18 Wheels of Steel: Extreme Trucker
For the first time, 18 Wheels of Steel: Extreme Trucker does not contain a highway network; instead, the player has to prove himself on three particularly extreme routes:
Sales started in Germany in November 2009.
18 Wheels of Steel: Extreme Trucker 2
18 Wheels of Steel: Extreme Trucker 2 contains small improvements in addition to the routes known from the predecessor, two further scenarios, Montana and Bangladesh . Even so, it is sold as a separate game and not as an add-on. The sales start in Germany was in February 2011.
Games from the Truck Simulator series
Euro Truck Simulator
The game Euro Truck Simulator was developed by SCS Software and published in Germany by Rondomedia on August 6, 2008. The game contains a European motorway and road network and twelve European trucks. Great Britain was delivered in an update. You can also visit 17 European cities there.
German Truck Simulator
German Truck Simulator is the successor to the Euro Truck Simulator game and was also developed by SCS Software and published by Rondomedia on January 13, 2010. The main objective of the game is to deliver cargo such as wall panels or fruit to 18 German cities. You start out as an employee and build up your own haulage company in the course of the game. The tasks for the player also include organizing trips for the employed drivers, repairs and vehicle tuning .
Austrian Truck Simulator is an extension to the main game that can be downloaded for free.
Euro Truck Simulator 2
The game Euro Truck Simulator 2 was developed by SCS Software and was published in Germany on October 19, 2012 by Rondomedia. The game is the official sequel to Euro Truck Simulator . One innovation is the establishment of your own company. As in the German Truck Simulator , trucks with licenses from well-known truck manufacturers were used. The number of trucks was reduced to 7 different tractors, but the number of European cities increased to over 60.
Furthermore, the possibility of adding mods has been simplified significantly.
On September 20, 2013, Rondomedia released the Going East! , which adds further Eastern European countries, as well as a huge road network of over 15,000 virtual kilometers. On February 26, 2014, the Euro Truck Simulator 2 Gold Edition , a combination package consisting of the base game and the Going East addon, was released ! . On March 7, 2015, Scandinavia was released , another paid DLC that realistically depicts northern Europe with 26 cities. Many graphic improvements were incorporated and the road network was taken over even more realistically through more complicated intersections.
But new cities and road networks are also added through regular updates. Furthermore, the game is improved by regular patches, the latest truck models are added again and again for free, like the Mercedes Actros most recently.
The game can be linked to the World of Trucks website (by creating a profile), so it is possible to add your own profile picture to the game and to upload photos created in the game (using the photo tool) to the website.
American Truck Simulator
The American Truck Simulator was announced at E3 2015 . It transfers the gameplay of Euro Truck Simulator 2 to the USA , and the two US states of California and Nevada can be used on release . The official release date was February 3, 2016, but the developers decided the evening before to release the game.
On June 6, 2016, the "Arizona" DLC with 15 new accessible cities was released, which, as announced, is free for all owners of the game.
Other truck simulations
King of the Road
King of the Road is a combined truck and business simulation developed by the Russian software developer SoftLab-NSK and published in Germany in 2001 by JoWooD . In a virtual world, the point is to control 51% of the transportation industry. Freight not only has to be delivered on time, but as quickly as possible, because whoever delivers first earns enough money and can hire new drivers. This is made more difficult not only by competing drivers who force the player off the street, but also by the police and mafia who shoot at the vehicle and place nail tapes or mines if you ignore the request to stop the truck.
Both the name and the exterior of the vehicles are based on the originals and are recognizable.
Rig'n'Roll: The truck simulation
Rig'n'Roll: The truck simulation is a truck simulation that was developed by the Russian software developer SoftLab-NSK and published in Germany on May 22, 2010 by Rondomedia. Like 18 Wheels of Steel, the game is set in America, and the tasks are the same: deliver freight, earn money for new trucks and so on. The development of the game took seven years, which is noticeable in the graphically more sophisticated replica of the American streets and landscapes compared to the older title.
Web links
- 18 Wheels of Steel series at MobyGames (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ 18 Wheels of Steel: Haulin '- official website (English)
- ↑ 18 Wheels of Steel: American Long Haul - official website ( Memento from December 20, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ 18 Wheels of Steel: Extreme Trucker - official website (English)
- ↑ Euro Truck Simulator - official website (English)
- ↑ German Truck Simulator - official website (English)
- ↑ Euro Truck Simulator 2 - official website (English)
- ↑ World of Trucks (English)
- ↑ Gamestar.de - American Truck Simulator - Another announcement, first trailer
- ↑ Steam Community Announcement - American Truck Simulator Releasing Today (English)
- ↑ Steam Community Announcement - Free Arizona map expansion for American Truck Simulator released! (English)
- ↑ King of the Road - official website ( Memento from September 16, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Rig 'n' Roll - official website (English)