18 Wheels of Steel: Pedal to the Metal Review

18 Wheels of Steel: Pedal to the Metal Review

Review by Mick

The 18 Wheels of Steel (18 WOS) series provides the most realistic truck driving experience imaginable. In this installment of the series, Pedal to the Medal, the game gets even better with the addition of more business elements. You get to live the American dream as you work your way from employee clear up to the company boss. All this while still delivering cargo up and down North America.

Basic Gameplay

Starting a game is very simple. At first you only have the choice of being an employee, but after you have unlocked the other options you can start at any level. Once unlocked, the levels to choose from are Employee, Owner Operator, and Company Boss. In the Employee mode everything is picked for you, the routes and loads. Once you save up $100,000 you can purchase your own truck and begin the Owner Operator mode. This mode allows you to pick which loads you want to take as well as managing your own enterprise. You will need to do things like upgrade your truck and hire new drivers. When you have progressed far enough in the Owner Operator mode you will be able to move up to the Company Boss mode. In this mode you no longer drive trucks, you just take care of all the business matters.

Controls

The controls in this game are very simple and anyone can learn them. While there is no tutorial, every time that player interaction is required there is a box that pops up telling you the appropriate command. There are also many other controls that are unnecessary to gameplay, but can add to the realism like turn signals and windshield wipers. All the controls can be found in the options menu. The controls are virtually identical to previous versions of 18 WOS.

Ah, the Life of a Trucker

Most of the game will be spent on the road delivering goods. That being the case, the well done graphics add a bit of realism to the game. Every detail is carefully crafted down to working dials in the dash of the truck. The highways are all correctly named and placed and even have street signs that can help point you in the right direction if you get lost. If your computer can handle it turning the graphics to the highest setting is a must. The level of detail achieved in this game is amazing.

Hope You Enjoy Driving

If you have played other 18 WOS games or are interested in playing this one you should be prepared to invest lots of time. While at first your runs are fairly short, only requiring 10 to 15 minutes, the most profitable hauls later in the game can require a much more significant amount of time. Luckily in this version of the game you can save mid haul and come back to it later right where you left off. Also this game removed the challenge of backing in the trailers. You only need to stop on the designated icon and release the trailer.

Conclusion - Best Trucking Sim Yet

With the new expanded business features 18 WOS: Pedal to the Metal expands on the classic game and keeps all the elements that made it a great game to start with. You can work your way up from workin' for “the man” to being “the man”. This game is simple to learn and can be played by virtually anyone. This is definitely one of the best in the series.