Space Truckers starring the late Dennis Hopper and Stephen Dorff released back in 1996. It wasn’t a brilliant flick, playing out like a B-movie at times; a sort of Flash Gordon but with spaceships that looked like trucks and truckers who spoke like… truckers, but in space.
Fast forward almost 30 years and Star Trucker has some very familiar feels to it, especially in terms of the vibe and some of the visuals. But it also borrows some of the goodwill from games like Alaskan Road Trucker. So let’s blast off down the super space highway and deliver some goodies.
The more you put into Star Trucker, the more you’re going to get out of it. There are a range of difficulty options to choose from, but if you just want to ride a truck without the constant need for repairs and things getting near you, destroying your rig, then you can do so, all via the easy option.
Whatever you choose, you start on your rig – a space truck, complete with a cockpit and all sorts of gadgets and controls that you will get used to as the game progresses.
It plays through the first person and your initial moments will see you heading outside the ship in order to repair it. This means getting in a spacesuit and going out of the airlock, carefully heading to each part of the hull to repair it. You’ll want to get used to this in Star Trucker, because you will be doing it a lot.
The only means of communication on the rig is a CB radio where you can talk to other truckers and spaceports. Here you will get bits of backstories of those characters, allowing for some world-building. The other bit of communication is a country radio station that keeps you company as you travel through the inky black of space.
Controlling your Star Trucker rig will feel very much like a normal truck, as you accelerate and brake, but as this one plays out in space, you can also tilt left and right, up and down. Docking with your cargo and in spaceports is a key part of this and can be quite tricky to get used to in the beginning, as you reverse back and use your onboard screens to align with the docking ports, fixing into place. You’ll also need to test your patience with warp gates, aligning with them in order to ensure they activate to allow for jumping between systems.
The gameplay loop of Star Trucker feels familiar, and whether you buy into this or not will be the dictating factor as to what you get out of the game. You see, you’ll be found picking up jobs from the spaceport and then looking to deliver various loads to the correct location. But drop any of that cargo, or miss tight deadlines, and you’ll be hit with penalties. On the way you have to maintain your rig with power being a problem and needs fixing or keeping an eye on fuel or you are in trouble. Neatly, there are skill trees to unlock as well which provide the ability to unlock new licences and the opportunity to go carrying unusual and precious goods.
Star Trucker really does look great. The vistas you get to take in from space are superb, extremely pleasant on the eye and hovering above a planet is awe inspiring at times. Further to that, the interior of your rig looks very impressive as well, even better once you’ve got some cash available to allow you to spruce it up and add some nice cosmetics.
In terms of audio, the soundtrack is one of quiet, but the country music radio station is great. That is complemented by some solid voice work that drops through the CB radio.
You should well love Star Trucker and the opportunities it brings as you spend hours touring the galaxy. Yes, the gameplay may start to feel a bit samey after a while, the pressure of keeping your rig in shape can occasionally annoy, and the control system is initially tricky. But visually Star Trucker is stunning and there is just something amazing about the whole journey.
Basically put, if you’re bored of your job and fancy something different then being a Star Trucker could be the career you are looking for.
Star Trucker is out now – https://www.thexboxhub.com/star-trucker-hitch-a-ride-on-the-ultimate-space-highway-with-xbox-and-game-pass/
Buy Star Trucker from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/star-trucker/9mt19q3crmqz
