Truck sims have long been a popular sub-genre in the overall category of driving games. Of course, as time goes on, such titles have become far more advanced. That said, SCS Software and its products have kept a tight grip on the sub-genre for several years. But now, it looks like there might be some competent competition on the horizon. HypeTrain Digital and Truck World Studio have recently revealed their upcoming, “next-generation truck simulator” that boasts a wealth of features and a high level of visual fidelity, and it’s all takes place in the land down under. Thus, this new title is aptly named Truck World: Australia.
In the gameplay reveal, the Truck World team immediately set out to show the distinction between its upcoming title and other truck sims like SCS’ American and Euro Truck Simulator 2. That is, in Truck World: Australia, players will actually be able to hop out of their truck and interact with the world around them.
New kid on the block
According to a press release from the team, players can look forward to being able to manually “attach a trailer, fill up the gas tank, [and] solve more unusual tasks” all without being limited to the confines of the virtual cab. Even when inside the cab, players can control various buttons and knobs, as demonstrated in the video when the player turns off the radio by clicking on it.
Honestly, Truck World: Australia already seems remarkably more hands-on than what SCS has offered over the last few years. Visuals-wise, it absolutely knocks the likes of American and Euro Truck Simulator 2 out of the park.
Though those sims did receive a substantial graphical update back in early 2021, they’re still several years old at this point. Thus, it’s no surprise that a modern title created with much more modern toolsets looks substantially better. If anything, Truck World: Australia’s biggest competitor in the visuals department would be Saber Interactive’s SnowRunner, which has very detailed truck models and environments.
Making it count
The Truck World: Australia team claims that it’s been hard at work on the new game’s physics engine and also promises to capture Australia’s wealth of geographical features, including “snow-capped mountains…to large deserts, as well as…tropical and temperate forests.” Ultra-long hauls will also be a part of the experience, referring to so-called “Road Trains” which consist of a long link of three or more trailers being carried by a single truck.
The new sim’s Steam page is live, with the ability to add it to your wishlist. There’s no word yet on a release date or pricing, however.
All things considered, the small gameplay snippet shown off here does look rather promising, as well as the team’s goals. If they can nail the experience, Truck World: Australia looks to be shaping up to be a rather advanced sim that can hopefully go toe-to-toe with what SCS has to offer. Will it manage to sway the masses, however? That’s hard to predict, considering how much of a following SCS’ sims do have. Nevertheless, more competition is always a good thing.
Published: Mar 23, 2022 05:00 pm