As my "lifelong gamer" status slowly but surely gives way to "old jaded gamer," I find myself being drawn more and more towards experiences like Euro Truck Simulator 2. No hack writing, no anime designs, no tired quests to save the world, no twitchy gameplay, no cutscenes to pull me out of what little immersion I can still muster. Just me, my machine and a sprawling network of European highways rendered in careful, beautiful detail. If I don't feel like growing my business, I can simply cruise from country to country, taking in the varied and striking scenery. I can even select from a number of internet radio stations covering several genres of music if the roar of my Scania grows tiresome.

You needn't be a truck enthusiast to enjoy this game. I couldn't tell you who half the manufacturers are or where they come from. But when you're pulling a pair of trailers through a mountain pass on a stormy night and nailing every treacherous turn like you were made for it, none of that actually matters. This is a game you play to unwind and relax after a long day, regardless of where your gaming interests typically lie.

There is a lot of DLC to consider, much of it cosmetic in nature. There have also been four (soon to be five) major map expansions adding entire new countries, industries, cities and objectives to an already ambitious base game. I highly recommend you eventually purchase these, as you get a lot of content for the price and it very much enriches the experience. Like many, I'm wary of being nickel and dimed to death after buying what I expect to be a complete game, but you really do get some good stuff for a comparative pittance. Wait for a seasonal sale and the entire thing can be had for less than a so-called AAA release.

I really can't say enough nice things about this one. Nobody is more surprised by that than I am!

As my "lifelong gamer" status slowly but surely gives way to "old jaded gamer," I find myself being drawn more and more towards experiences like Euro Truck Simulator 2. No hack writing, no anime designs, no tired quests to save the world, no twitchy gameplay, no cutscenes to pull me out of what little immersion I can still muster. Just me, my machine and a sprawling network of European highways rendered in careful, beautiful detail. If I don't feel like growing my business, I can simply cruise from country to country, taking in the varied and striking scenery. I can even select from a number of internet radio stations covering several genres of music if the roar of my Scania grows tiresome. You needn't be a truck enthusiast to enjoy this game. I couldn't tell you who half the manufacturers are or where they come from. But when you're pulling a pair of trailers through a mountain pass on a stormy night and nailing every treacherous turn like you were made for it, none of that actually matters. This is a game you play to unwind and relax after a long day, regardless of where your gaming interests typically lie. There is a lot of DLC to consider, much of it cosmetic in nature. There have also been four (soon to be five) major map expansions adding entire new countries, industries, cities and objectives to an already ambitious base game. I highly recommend you eventually purchase these, as you get a lot of content for the price and it very much enriches the experience. Like many, I'm wary of being nickel and dimed to death after buying what I expect to be a complete game, but you really do get some good stuff for a comparative pittance. Wait for a seasonal sale and the entire thing can be had for less than a so-called AAA release. I really can't say enough nice things about this one. Nobody is more surprised by that than I am!