"18 Wheels of Steel : Across America"

Depth of play and graphics are impressive for a budget title. Recommended for gamers with a remote interest in trucking sims. If you are new to the "18 Wheels" series, beware that it may take a few gaming sessions and reading the manual (found on disk) to fully discover the truck sim's features.

You own a trucking company, this means you decide which cargo you decide to transport, and fees/fines come from you budget. You pick up the cargo and drive for sometimes a long time to get to your destination. You aren't left alone though, city and state maps will help you find your way around. Weather, low fuel, and police can and will slow your trip down.

"18 Wheels of Steel Across America" comes with a few scenarios and a free mode game play. Both start out similar - in the middle of a city with no real direction to go in, just to make money. This is my biggest problem with the game (but won't be a problem if you've played previous versions). A tutorial would explain exactly where the controls are and how to get started. As it is, you are left to figure it out on your own, expect for the manual on the disk. I don't know many gamers who actually read the manual, especially one on screen.

With that complaint out of the way, the graphics are in 3D, and you are given many viewing options. You can look down on the truck, from the steering wheel, or from behind.

The system requirements have a minimum processor speed of 700 MHz. If you have an older computer, that doesn't meet this bare minimum, don't even bother trying. I played it with a 700 MHz, and it didn't run as well as I had hoped.

The game will provide a satisfy experience for game truckers. The best part is the truck skins are customizable. Creating and downloading for a game, just about always improves the experience.