DESCRIPTION

Buka Entertainment's Hard Truck franchise gets an overhaul in the Sunstorm Interactive, Inc. and ValuSoft budget title, Hard Truck: 18 Wheels of Steel. The emphasis detours slightly from simple big rig racing to a business-building enterprise relying on cargo bids, loading trucks, scheduling shipments, and earning money. Gameplay still centers on the need for controlled speed to arrive at destinations on time with as little interference from road hazards, police traps, and violations as possible, with payoffs providing cash for upgrades.

Acquiring a CB radio lets you keep up with speed traps, a Global Positioning System helps keep you oriented on travel maps, and better trucks can be purchased as you solidify your reputation by delivering the goods on time. Sleep deprivation results in temporary blackouts while behind the wheel, weigh stations can be ignored only at the risk of fines, and running out of fuel or rolling your truck can result in costly 911 calls. As your rating improves, so do the chances of acquiring regular routes as opposed to your initial one-time ad hoc runs, which leads to hiring additional drivers as you build your business.

Routes roll through more than a dozen states near 15 specific city hubs, including Los Angeles, San Francisco/Oakland, Phoenix, Reno, Las Vegas, Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville, Detroit, Cincinnati, Denver, Salt Lake City, Cheyenne, Boise and Helena. Maneuvering your 18-wheeler on city streets, making up time on the Interstates and by-passes, and using back roads to best advantage are a few of the tricks of the trade needed to succeed at Hard Truck: 18 Wheels of Steel. ~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide