18 Wheels of Steel

The 18 Wheels of Steel series includes several games, such as American Long Haul, Pedal to the Metal, and Extreme Trucker 2, all of which are preceded with the "18 Wheels of Steel" title. The best of the bunch is American Long Haul, known for its good graphics and attention to realistic details.

American Long Haul focuses on American-specific trucks driving across the United States. The player must learn to read a map and follow U.S. road rules, just as a real trucker would have to do. As you haul various goods across the country, and occasionally across the border to Mexico and Canada, you improve your reputation and make more money that you can use to upgrade your truck or buy a new one.

Like all the 18 Wheels of Steel games, it is not fast-paced or action-heavy, focusing instead on the details of obeying traffic laws, watching out for police cars, making it from fuel stop to fuel stop, and staying safe around other drivers. For those who like detailed simulators, this is an excellent one, even giving you different weather options to give you a shot at driving in rain or snow.

One downside of the game is that there isn't a lot of customization. If you look around online you can find a few mods, but overall, what you have in the game is what you get. While this may not bother some players who are more focused on the gameplay itself, others will be driven crazy by the lack of variety.

The 18 Wheels of Steel all generally have the same premise and feel similar in their play, so American Long Haul may not add much to the series, but it's certainly worth a shot if you love the games. It can be played with a keyboard, but there's an extra level of fun if you can hook up a joystick or, better yet, a steering wheel.