With the king of racing games on the Play Station 2 being in the hands of one Gran Turismo 3, you’ll come across several different racing games that just don’t seem to belong. While the game itself is fun to play, it still seems to suffer from being too short and too strict with the way that the game is laid out in every aspect. Although you can’t find another game like this with the type of game play that is involved here, you may find that this game is more or less a larger, if not shorter version of Crazy Taxi with semi-trucks instead of little cabs! The Play Station 2 version ranks up pretty high, but you may find that it is just like the other versions of the game and really doesn’t have much else going for it other than being another ported over remake of the same game.
For the most part, what you’ll find with the game play is just like that in the other three versions that appear on the Dreamcast, the Game Cube {yet to be released} and in the Arcade. You can select from one of several different semi-trucks, each with their own set of attributes and otherwise that will either help or hinder you in the different races that you undertake. The difference here is that you’re going to have to beat a very tight time limit that is little more than a undertaking in patience and practice than it is actual skill. Through most of the game, you’ll be able to smash into cars for extra time and go off the beaten path, but you have to be quick with your reflexes in order to succeed and get into the later stages. However, the game is extremely short, with most beginning drivers able to complete the game in a matter of an hour with any given trucker.
The control that you find here is just like that of the Dreamcast version, with the analog stick being your wheel and your thumbs pretty much dictating just where and when you’re going to turn. Although the game isn’t that hard to play, learning to move that huge ass truck is something that can take plenty of time and practice for beginners and even veterans of racing games will have to learn to work with the control. Power ups and otherwise as well as the different stages all play a role in how the truck handles, so just take a little time to learn what everything does and the way that the trucks roll through the highways.
Visually, the game is as clean as clean as the Arcade version and you’ll be able to find the same detail and otherwise that you would in the original version of the game as well as other platforms. For the most part, you’ve got some pretty impressive gaming with the way that the stages are all laid out, with little or nothing really getting in the way of pop up or otherwise. Something that you may find is that the game just doesn’t seem to have the same speed as Crazy Taxi, but does a pretty good job in recreating the experience with smashed up cars and even spark effect when you’re grinding your haul on the concrete!
Audio wise, there is something akin to a CB radio that allows you to listen to both allies and enemies on your treks through the city. However, there really isn’t much here in the way of music, so you’ll be relying on your sound effects to carry you most of the way through the game. If you’re really not paying attention to the fact that there isn’t much music here, you may find that the sound effects do nicely with the feel of the game and really keep the theme. Possibly one of the more impressive, yet annoying features, is that the radio keeps you in tune with what is going on around you, but really grates the nerves after about and hour or so of having to listen to it.
18 Wheeler isn’t a bad game by any means in the way that it tries to present a new spin on the racing world with some innovative vehicles. However, because the racing genre is so saturated with ‘new’ and ‘innovative’ racing games, and the fact that this game is so damned short as well as challenging, you may find this to be a better rental than an actual purchase! With some pretty tight visuals and easy to learn control {with practice of course} you may find that this is just enough to keep you buckled in and rolling through the highway. But, if you’re looking for a game with more depth than just careening through cars and heavy traffic, you might want to try other racing titles and leave this one at the loading dock.
With the release of this game on the Play Station 2, you may be wondering just where in the hell this type of game could possibly go. As always, a cash in move such as this for release on the Game Cube is something that you would come to expect, but it is virtually the same game with nothing more than a different box and system to go on. If you’re really into games, then you may find a reason to pick this up for the forty bucks that it goes for, but if you can’t see a reason to buy something that has been done before and will be done again, rent it out for a weekend haul and save your cash for something a little more impressive!
7/10
