Hard Truck Apocalypse / Ex Machina
There are a lot of games on Steam, but once in a while, you browse the catalogue and discover a little gem hiding somewhere in the deep ends of the underated section. Ex Machina is one of those games, but let me start off by saying that this game certainly isn’t for everyone, it’s genre is considered to be a very acquired taste, but I would say it’s worth the buy anyway just for the sake of trying it. I didn’t expect it to be anything amazing given it’s lack of popularity, but I was wrong, this game is truly brilliant.
– Real player with 96.5 hrs in game
Read More: Best Driving Atmospheric Games.
The Crossout single-player predecessor, Hard Truck Apocalypse (original name Ex Machina fits it even better) was somewhat quite intense when it first hit the shelves. The gameplay (similar to the golden classic of the Russian game development, the Vangers) was quite addictive, with all that driving in the wastes of the post-apocalyptic open world, shooting bandits, upgrading your car, delivering some post quests and convoying caravans… Driving, driving and then some more driving and fighting with your car. There was also an intriguing sci-fi story plot, with some twists and various ways to go through the game (two starting quest lines, non-linear solutions in every big chained mission in every game area, and two endings, with two different boss fights and outcomes).
– Real player with 75.8 hrs in game
Little Racers STREET
81 / 100
Top-down racing games in more recent years have been very hit and miss affair more often than not missing the ‘fun factor’ that makes this sort of game appealing. Little Racers STREET is an exception, although basic in respects to lacking the powerups & weapons often seen in the genre, the straight racing aspect is very enjoyable. You have good control over your car through the hundreds of combinations of tracks created through two larger city block maps. Having just the two main locations though, does result in some lack of variety on the scenery & terrain front.
– Real player with 13.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Driving Casual Games.
Little Racers STREET is a top-down view arcade racing game that does exactly what it says. It’s a fun little game, but is a mixed bag for me personally.
This game is meant to be played from the top-down perspective, BUT this game is unplayable at some points, especially later down the road when you get the super fast cars. Buildings and other obstacles can block your view, even worse when there happens to be a corner that you have to take right there and slam taking damage. Thankfully there is a chase cam, but then you can clearly see how bad this game looks. There isn’t even a skybox. Just a grey/black void above you at all times. Going into the chase cam also makes this game a cakewalk, providing you can get past the AI.
– Real player with 10.7 hrs in game
OMSI 2: Steam Edition
This is still the best bus simulator. It is a good improvement on OMSI 1.
MAPS/VEHICLES: The Spandau map is much extended with a new chronology function where you can see the routes/fares and most importantly the Berlin reunification/fall of the Berlin wall between 1986 and 1994. Two maps are included the fictional test map Grundorf (one route, the 76) and Berlin Spandau (routes 92 (137), 5 (130) and also two night routes. Two new buses come with this game the articulated (bendy) bus MAN NG272 (GN92) and the MAN NL202 (EN92). The two double deckers from OMSI 1 are improved and the MAN SD202 has two new variants; the D90 and the D91. There are new AI cars including ambulances with working sirens. There is also much more trains in OMSI 2.
– Real player with 3171.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Driving Singleplayer Games.
OMSI is a deeply odd and divisive creation, it is at once both an abysmally dire example of horrendous software design, while also one of the profoundest delights available to those with a passion for buses.
Learning the many arcane processes for getting this simulation to work is no small feat. Don’t bother trying to suck-it-and-see - there is no realistic chance of you fully getting to grips with OMSI inside the 2-hour limit for refunds - it requires an enormous commitment of time and energy to achieve a working understanding of OMSI. (In that respect, I suspect it’s not unlike actually learning to drive a real bus).
– Real player with 839.3 hrs in game
Hard Truck Apocalypse: Rise Of Clans / Ex Machina: Meridian 113
This open-world, third-person, post-apocalyptic driving shooter is kind of odd. It’s also kind of old. This game is from the mid-’00s, and there are some issues getting it to work reliably on new systems [like it failing to save video settings after restarting, occasional crashes]. The translation from Russian is a bit rough, but overall the gameplay of driving about and shooting all sorts of things is compelling. Especially because you get to customize your rig, not just with different chassies, but within chassises. You tend to have three or so different models of cab and/or trailer to swap out, equip, and possibly even load up with cargo.
– Real player with 25.4 hrs in game
It only took me 2 days to finish the storyline which I found actually short(Half the time I was actually trading and buying and doing side quests). I haven’t finished Ex Machina since I don’t want to end the game too soon. Anyways just like Ex Machina its the same vehicle combat game rpg with trading and quests. The trucks are the same in addition to adding the scout and the fighter that you can actually drive. The paint jobs got a bit more of an upgrade giving some personality to your truck. Same weapons return just like the previous. I did enjoyed this one but like I said I was bummed that I finished it too early. The boss fights were a bit fustrating and your character tends to kill anything on his path. But hey we got a new region which is now in North America. But I found em a bit smaller in towns. There were some cities but they were that enough. I still recommend it if you were a fan of Ex Machina.
– Real player with 17.7 hrs in game
ZUSI 3 - Aerosoft Edition
This is IMO the de facto state of the art train simulator as far as realism goes. What makes this one an absolute sell even at the comparatively hefty price is that there is no paying for routes or rolling material, every future content is part of the current price. Furthermore the inclusion of the EBuLa and ZuSi Display (which allows one to open instrument panels, MTD, MFA/MFD, EBuLa and backpanels in new windows that can be resized and/or put on other displays) gives it a huge advantage over the simulators by Dovetail Games. It even supports GNT and ETCS and has routes making use of this.
– Real player with 821.9 hrs in game
I thought I would write a few thoughts, as it has been sometime since anyone posted for Zusi 3.
Is Zusi 3 worth the money (currently £54.50 Aerosoft Edition on Steam).
Well, it perhaps depends upon your point of view of what you want from a simulator. If you want fancy graphics and easy game play then perhaps Zusi 3 is not for you. If you want adequate graphics (I will return to that subject later) and intense study level game play then perhaps Zusi 3 may be for you.
I have played 236 hours and still only scratched the surface. I am sure there are people who have played hundreds of more hours. It can still catch me out and proves very challenging.
– Real player with 243.5 hrs in game