Truck Simulator USA

Wanna be a truck driver? Or maybe you’re just curious how hard this job could be? Truck Simulator 3D obviously can’t make you a real truck driver but it lets you immerse into the atmosphere of the North American roads, find yourself at the wheel of the truck (albeit the virtual one), and complete missions by transporting various cargos.

Good physics and realistic trucks

When it comes to simulators, you definitely want physics to be realistic. Truck Simulator 3D can boast good physics indeed, yet it’s not entirely perfect, and there are minor flaws. Plus, controls may be not so convenient at first, but you will probably get used to it. Still, it’s just a mobile app so let’s not be too demanding.

The trucks and there are 8 of them, also look realistic and natural. You can customize them, but when I tried to change the color of my truck, it wouldn’t change to any color but white. Maybe that is just my phone’s problem. I’ve experienced some other glitches and bugs, though the overall impression is good.

To unlock trucks, you have to pay some real money. I’ve seen a review where someone claimed that the default truck is better than the other ones. I can’t tell for sure as I didn’t spend money on this game. Also, you can pay to remove ads and to get some extra money for the game. Still, you can find reviews where people complain that commercials weren’t removed even after they paid some money. Ads can definitely be annoying but I just got used to it, and I’m not willing to spend real money to remove them.

Driving across North America

Truck Simulator 3D is set in the USA, and there are 11 major American cities on the map. You get to drive between them transporting goods from one city to another. The traffic cars system adds realism to the game, yet I believe the system itself can be improved. The environment and the roads could use various obstacles, more traffic, and smarter traffic AI to make the gaming process more interesting and realistic. On the other hand, there are proper exits, and if you speed you will get penalties. So, the game is quite realistic after all.

I have to tell that having the day and night cycles is also a big step toward that kind of realism I expect from such a simulator. On the other hand, I can barely see anything at night through the glass, and street lights and railings on the highways would be helpful. So, everything is just fine yet little improvements can be done.
Anyway, your mission is to get cargo from one city to another, and there are different cargos to pick up. Some of you may focus on the successful delivery, while others will find the driving itself more appealing. I like the driving part the most, so for me, playing the game was pretty interesting. If you prefer to complete missions and quests, you may find the cargo part to be too plain and simple.

What’s about graphics and controls?

As it’s a 3D simulator, one may expect something special in terms of graphics. I find it decent and smooth, yet there is nothing special. The overall design is nice, and it fits this genre pretty well. And the sound is also good which is especially important for a truck simulator game =)

There are three possible control schemes: via gyroscope, using the virtual arrow buttons, and the virtual steering wheel. You can select any of them since each of these three schemes responds fluidly and feels good. By the way, having a side mirror would be nice.

On the screen, there are the pedals, the gearbox, and other controls. There is also a mini-map that helps you to navigate. All trucks have interior cameras that allow you to see the road from the driver’s perspective. Of course, you can see the current speed, fuel, fatigue, and so on. You should avoid damage, keep an eye on the fuel gauge and rest state of the driver to complete your mission successfully. One more task is to park your truck, and for me, that wasn’t easy =)

You can get Truck Simulator 3D for free on both iOS and Android. The app requires iOS 8.0 or later and Android 2.2. and up.