It appeared to me last year, browsing through discovery queues on Steam. And it seemed like everything I could want from such a game. Motor Town: Behind The Wheel developer P3 Games started this Early Access journey at the end of 2021, wanting to deliver a game full of motoring-based jobs in an open world. And after four years, there is absolutely a lot to be doing in this open world.

Starting out with just a car, the game directed me to what was available through its quests. Getting me into a pickup truck to start delivering cargo, ferrying hitchhikers where they wanted to go, and providing tows for vehicles that need roadside assistance. Driving around doing these jobs, there were plenty of other opportunities I was noticing. Such as garbage disposal, police patrols, and even some racing.

Whatever I wanted to do, I could get in a vehicle and do it. Though unless the vehicle is owned by me, a set amount of money from all jobs completed in it is paid to where I borrowed it from. I’d already been looking into getting a new vehicle when the quest to do popped up. Which also said I could get a loan from what seems to be the only bank in this world. Having already been doing quite well with jobs, I only needed to borrow 10,000 so I could own a tow truck.

Some vehicles have external controls. Such as with the tow truck’s winch that can be attached to another vehicle. During these roadside assistance jobs, I also realised why a tiny truck isn’t exactly the best for trying to pull a big rig. Which is something the game indicates with a display of the vehicle’s weight on the map. Red marking a job the current vehicle couldn’t manage. But hey! I was curious.

And that is something Motor Town: Behind The Wheel is good at. All these vehicles feel different to drive, with the various weights, drivetrains, engine powers, and everything else that makes up a vehicle having an effect on its movement. Even when rain comes along, grip is reduced depending on the weight of the vehicle. Even cargo affects the weight and balancing. It all feels very diverse, making me want to try them all out and push them to their limits.

Dotted around the world are race tracks. In whatever vehicle I want, I could pass the start line of that track to begin the timer. With timer active, I could fast lap these tracks to my heart’s content, earning XP for the racer career. Any off-roading on them would deny me the XP for that lap, which would not be counted at all. It’s also possible while at a track to start a race event, though such seem like they would only be doable with other people around.

The money earnt from the various jobs can be put toward new vehicles, along with customising them with additional parts. Most vehicles for purchase can be found at the dealerships, though a few are scattered around in other places. One such place being where I discovered the Mini-like vehicle of Motor Town. Naturally, I had to buy it as soon as I saw it.

Money can also be used to buy land, though said land is expensive. Meaning I haven’t yet got any. But I know which I’d buy first once I have the money. One with a nice sea view. Money is also used for fuel, spawning a vehicle at a visited parking space, and recovering a vehicle should it end up on its side. Or driven to the bottom of a lake. I will not answer questions on why I was at the bottom of that lake. Neither will the hitchhiker I had with me at that time.

The jobs on offer for delivery are ever changing, with expiry on jobs being easily communicated. The police are patrolling, looking out for any law breakers. Though are easy enough to avoid. People will be waiting for buses or taxis. Waiting outside for deliveries. While there’s little movement to those people, and they can sometimes be stood in weird places (looking at you, hitchhiker in the middle of a 120km/h highway), I feel the basics of a living world are here.

Motor Town: Behind The Wheel is a great example of quantity and quality in a single game. Sure, not everyone’s going to like the low poly visuals, or the great amount of pop-in that exists. Ignoring the game because of those reasons would be foolish, however. This sandbox open world holds a lot of motoring career paths, with a well-developed delivery system, many different vehicles to use in those jobs, and quite a bit of customisation for all those vehicles, too.

It is very much an easy recommendation from me, with even more set to come to Motor Town across the next few years. The game has seen additional content almost every month since first releasing in Early Access, so it is definitely a journey you can trust even if it has overrun the approximate length of being in Early Access by two years. According to the Steam page, anyway.

Images Taken From:
Motor Town: Behind The Wheel | PC