When this was first announced, I couldn’t help but find it a funny concept. Trucks in space? That is what Star Trucker is bringing as an experience. And it’s one that I found myself enjoying, even through the chaos that was the first few hours. What Monster and Monster have developed is a pretty great space simulator with a flavour of Americana providing the backdrop of it.
The first taste of that comes straight out of the gate, after choosing a difficulty. In the middle of a job, Lucky Jay has taken on some damage that needs to be repaired. Leaving the driver’s seat having listened to what G-Bee had to say on the CB Radio, I donned my space suit and flew out the air lock. And as I glided over to where those hull breaches were, I marvelled at just how funny it was that this space ship I was flying was pretty much a truck.
Repairs done, it was back in the driver’s seat to finish the job. Which was easily accomplished by driving to the marker and positioning correctly so that the purple became green. With that done, releasing the maglock is the final step to bring up the report and get paid. And experience. With that first job done, it says the tutorial is over. Oh, there is still so much to learn, but that’s for the side jobs to teach.
G-Bee is just one of the characters who’ll be on the CB Radio, with others having jobs to complete. These side jobs act as a career of sorts, since there’s a whole tree of progression for it where completing some jobs allows access to new areas of the galactic map. The main duo being the twins of Sour Candy and Red Eddie. They both have different outlooks on life, but still look out for each other.
To get the ball rolling on those side jobs, one of the two starting points on the skills tree needs unlocking. This skills tree is how new certifications are awarded, with the first two that start it off being just in time jobs and fragile cargo. It’s more than just certifications, with higher weight allowances within the truck and even better space suit training to conserve oxygen reserves there too.
All of this, and the general loop, I discovered after just one more job. Dock at a job board, accept a job, pick up the trailer, drive to the destination, deliver the trailer in the designated space. This being a galactic adventure, there’s warp gates. Being Americana-inspired, these gates are coded with highway numbers. And there’s a toll for using them. Even in individual sectors of space, there’s highway lanes with very American-like signs.
Within the truck, there’s things to be aware of. Such as the energy levels of the cores that power its systems. The wear of the processors that keep certain other systems active. Air filters need replacing to keep the oxygen in the ship flowing. It needs fuel to keep going, too. And that, after just a few more jobs, is where the chaos started. And without the custom difficulty settings, is how my thoughts on Star Trucker would be very different.
To put it simply, Star Trucker on its recommended difficulty is unforgiving. Each job you take can be worth anywhere between $700-2000 when first starting out. A few of those and you’d think I was set to deal with any problems that arose. Oh, no. Shops are where these things can be bought, but they only have a limited stock, and don’t always have everything needed. And then there’s the price.
A small power core is $500. A processor is $1000. Air filters are twice as much. With seven cores, two processors, and at least one air filter needed to keep things afloat, there never feels a time where stress isn’t in the picture. It’s a case of delivering quickly, levelling up fast to get access to higher paying jobs, and hoping the shops have what I need so I can replace things. Which pretty much empties all the earnings made.
And things are made worse when I can’t keep those systems afloat. Lose oxygen, and I get rescued. And a hefty bill that covers medical expanses and truck repairs. So then I have to head for the nearest shop and hope they have the air filter I need. If not, I’m likely in a doom spiral where I can’t fix things and keep racking up a debt. Oh, they had one? Great! But now I need a processor for the climate control in a sector with a very high outside temperature.
Yes, the computers track the energy levels of the cores. The fuel level can be seen on the dashboard. The air filters and wear of the processors can also be seen. But it doesn’t help if you don’t have the necessary funds to pay or they just aren’t in a store. Even when I reloaded the only proper save I’d made, and stockpiled as and when I could, it was too much to keep on top of.
So, new game started. Into custom difficulty. Here, everything can be changed as I want it to. So many options, including shop prices, job prices, fines… yet all I changed was putting the energy use and wear of systems to low. Which relieved so much stress from the running of the truck that I could enjoy going on jobs, completing side jobs, and even engaging in scavenging and figuring out how the changing prices of the markets work.
I could appreciate this galaxy that had been built, with the beautiful backdrops of these sectors. The way each of those sectors offers something unique to look at. I could make progress with the side jobs and explore new horizons, learning how to deal with solar flares. Checking in with the black market. People other than Sour Candy and Red Eddie. And even customising my truck.
It has to be said that Star Trucker is a serious simulation despite its wacky concept of putting trucks into space. And such won’t be for everyone. But for those who are interested in them, I can offer a recommendation for Star Trucker, as it is well worth the time to play. Of course, I also have to say that start with the recommended difficulty, and if it’s proving as unforgiving as I’ve described, begin again with the custom difficulty. You will absolutely come to appreciate the game as I’ve done.
Images Taken From:
Star Trucker | Xbox Series S
