While some may believe that the truck simulation market is pretty much cornered, it’s nice to see that there are still developers trying to challenge the hegemony of the giants with unique and interesting takes. Heavy Cargo – The Truck Simulator is one of these games.
I managed to experience this interesting take on the truck simulation genre at Gamescom in Germany, and the way it sets itself apart is pretty self-explanatory.
Instead of broadly simulating generic truck transportation, Heavy Cargo focuses on the peculiar world of super-oversized loads. You will be transporting massive pieces of equipment like turbine parts, full-sized transformers, and even aircraft components.
“Normal” trucks and trailers simply don’t cut it when you try to move that kind of cargo from point A to point B, especially considering that that route may include plenty of difficult bends and obstacles.
For example, one of the trailers I’ve seen in the demonstration build has 24 axles (all individually simulated). That is absolutely massive, and you can’t simply jump on the seat of your truck and go anywhere you like willy-nilly with such a behemoth attached to your rear.
This is where one of the main differentiating factors of Heavy Cargo comes into play. Your trips require preparation, so you’ll need to scout the route ahead on your trusty van and make the necessary adjustments to make sure that you can pass without incident.
For instance, a turn may be too tight to be negotiated as is, and you may have to pretty literally dismantle the barriers on the side of the road. Other areas may require you to remove street signs and so forth.
It’s very interesting as it provides a look at the magnitude of the preparations and logistics required to move gargantuan loads that you may not even imagine are actually transported in one piece.
On top of that, as a nice little bonus, you also get to operate large cranes to load and unload your oversized cargo. This additional tidbit of fun rounds up the experience nicely, and I’m glad they added it.
The map is very large (175 square km, which is just north of 67 square miles) and it appears to be a fictionalized and condensed version of a German region. It provides plenty of variety and a lot of ground to cover, albeit it isn’t the largest available in the genre.
I found the visuals competent, albeit they are in certain areas a bit simple, especially when you’re looking at environments and props. That being said, there are very nice elements, like water puddles when it rains. These look really great.
The trucks and trailers are nicely detailed (even thanks to a collaboration with the MAN Truck & Bus company), as you can expect from the centerpieces of a truck simulator.
I’d personally like to see some more variety in terms of brand and models, but I can’t blame the team working on a very specialized simulator for starting narrow. There’s always room for expansion afterward.
Ultimately, Heavy Cargo – The Truck Simulator, provides the chance to simulate an area of vehicular transportation that is seldom explored in such detail. Of course, its final quality and its ability to stand the test of fun for long sittings remains to be seen, but so far, so good.
Heavy Cargo – The Truck Simulator is developed by tox² Interactive and published by Aerosoft. It’s coming for PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on October 9, 2024.
If you’re interested in other products published by Aerosoft, you can check out our preview of Global Farmer and the recent release of Frankfurt Airport for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
