The truck may be the undisputed king of the road, but even it needs to be looked after. The game ends when you lose all of your money, so you may want to save carefully if you’re running low on funds, lest you accidentally ruin your game due to an alleged misdemeanor. This can be especially bad because you may not encounter a cop for some time after a violation, and thus won’t even know that you’ve broken the law until it’s too late. Making a turn into a road with a red light active while your light is green, for example, can very well get you a ticket. Worse, the game can be quite erratic in docking you for criminal activity. Just violating the law will get you a fine, whether or not an officer actually saw you. This sounds good on paper, but in practice, it’s kind of weak. Failure to do any of this gets you a fine whenever you encounter a cop. In true trucker fashion, you’re also required to get your weight inspected at various checkpoints that litter the map. You need to obey traffic laws, avoid running through red lights, and stay on the correct side of the road. As such, you’re going to be expected to have some modicum of decency on the road. You won’t be scaling much in the way of hills aside from the occasional ramp. Sadly, despite the United States being famed for its varied terrain, all the roads you’ll traverse will always be flat.
#18 WHEELS OF STEEL HAULIN FREE#
The roads are appropriately laid out in a realistic fashion and never once does the game force you down a specific path to your destination you’re free to navigate your own way. You can seamlessly drive from one end of the country to the other, which you might very well do should you take the right job. If there’s one thing that can be said about Haulin,’ it’s that the map is absolutely sprawling! It covers pretty much the entire continental United States, includes over 40 cities, and most impressive of all, is never once split up by any loading screens. Perhaps, though, the bland graphics can be justified. Ultimately, it’s hard to appreciate the scenery most of it is liable to blend together after extended playtime. However, despite their variety, the backgrounds ultimately aren’t much to look at, being even more bland and lifeless than the trucks. There are also some fairly rudimentary weather effects and a day-to-night cycle that gradually changes over time to good effect. The same can be said for the cities things like the Strip and Washington Monument are perfectly visible in Las Vegas and Washington D.C. You’ll drive through desert badlands while in Nevada, streets lined with palm trees in Florida, and so on.
![18 wheels of steel haulin 18 wheels of steel haulin](https://www.wingamestore.com/images_screenshots/18-wheels-of-steel-haulin-43898.jpg)
On one hand, they’re incredibly varied and designed to be as accurate to the setting as possible.
#18 WHEELS OF STEEL HAULIN DRIVER#
It isn’t a huge deal, but being able to play from the perspective of the driver would have made the experience much more immersive. This is notable because it means you can’t see behind yourself using the rearview mirrors, which renders the first-person view unplayable. One thing that’s a particular shame is the fact that the mirrors have no reflection. They don’t look nearly as real in game, of course, due to simple textures. Graphically, there’s not much to be said about Haulin.’ Vehicles look as they should, and each one that appears in game is based on a model you can find in real life. It’s not going to be an easy ride, though, for you’ve got to deal with traffic, weather, cops, expenses and your own physical needs.
![18 wheels of steel haulin 18 wheels of steel haulin](https://pic.downloadastro.com/gallery/18_wheels_of_steel_haulin_1/install-18-wheels-of-steel-haulin-1-02.png)
This is where you come in in 18 Wheels of Steel: Haulin,’ you get behind the wheel with one enterprising trucker who’s getting ready to start his own business. The only problem is that this stuff is seldom produced where it’s needed most.
![18 wheels of steel haulin 18 wheels of steel haulin](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/euro-truck-simulator-2/images/2/2d/314434-18-wheels-of-steel-american-long-haul-windows-front-cover.jpg)
Somehow, he managed to find a way to combine the two passions.Īmerica is just overflowing with stuff that people all across it want. Dave Galvin is a freelance writer and avid gamer.