Euro Truck Simulator 2

When I first heard Euro Truck Simulator 2 was one of the most popular games on Steam, I remember thinking, what sort of loser or psycho workaholic would play a trucking simulator, a game that imitates mundane work? The joke was on me, this is an extremely well made game with so much attention to detail and having played it for a bit I now completely understand what people love about it. Not every game has to demand the player's full attention or be so intense, although there are definitely challenges for the player as they progress along their career as a truck driver. Others have said it before but I'll say it again because it's so true: the game is very therapeutic, relaxing and enthralling. Perfect for playing to unwind while listening to a podcast or audiobook. The care the developers took to replicate real areas with so much detail and the real sense of satisfaction the player derives from completing a trip even though money is tight makes this game feel to me like a monument to how the humble work of trucking can be something noble, beautiful, and important. For me at least, Euro Truck Simulator 2 seemed to elevate and reframe my own actual work. Bravo.

I always say that Euro Truck Sim is a game about what it's like to find yourself. This is not a game you play because it's exciting or because you experience withdrawal from being away from the action. This is the kind of game you play when you're in the mood to go for a drive, because driving is what you do, and not the Need for Speed kind.

Gameplay: Like I said, it's not the most exciting game, but it's one of my favorites because it's mesmerizing. You drive a truck great lengths across Europe and build a trucking empire, but it's definitely more about the drive than the company building. It's very much a simulation but if you prefer a more relaxing experience there are options to make it much more friendly. The game is simple and relaxing. 8/10

Graphics/Visual Experience: It's not a very visually impressive game (it has a huge map and no loading screens once you start the drive), but the views in the game are still breathtaking at times. The number of times I've been driving a truck toward Austrian mountains as the sun begins to rise, and it still leaves me a little happier every time. 7.5/10

Sound: The game has no soundtrack outside of the menus, just the sound of your truck. The sound has been beautifully done in that regard, and the inclusion of an Internet radio with real stations from Europe bumps this score up a few points. 8.75/10

Replayability: The game is pretty simple and not varied much at all, but it's impressive in its own unique way. The style of game means there's very little chance that you'll feel truly "done" with ETS2 unless you simply didn't like it in the first place. 9/10

How it Runs: It's unusually demanding for a game so simple, but there is a plethora of graphics options to help you low-end rigs (and even laptops) run the game.