Star trekking is fine, but have you ever given thought to star trucking? If so, I have good news (and if not, you might want to pay attention anyway): A new game called Star Trucker was revealed at today's Future Games Show, and it's giving me serious Euro Truck Simulator in Space vibes.
The trailer doesn't say too much about the game, except that you'll be behind the wheel of a sci-fi Mack truck, hauling goods of indeterminate sorts through asteroid fields, jumpgates, and orbital stop signs, while dealing with the sorts of headaches you might expect from fusion-powered big-riggin': There are no flat tires in space, but hull breaches? That's a big ten-four, good buddy.
Fortunate, there's a Steam page to tell us more:
"Plan your routes along the hyper highways of a vibrant galaxy filled with opportunity. Invest your hard-earned cash in new components and essential supplies to keep your trusted truck firing on all cylinders and ready for the next challenge.
"Immerse yourself in the retro-futuristic Americana vibe with an original soundtrack packed with constellation cruisin’ rock, galactic country and starburst blues while taking in the sights of fog-enshrouded asteroid fields, stunning nebulae and bustling space ports."
Space trucking as a sub-genre is more common than you might think. Oldsters will remember games like Elite and the old Trade Wars series of BBS door games as early examples of going into space and getting a job, while Elite Dangerous and Egosoft's X series are both great ways to indulge that very specific fantasy in the modern era.
But none of them really embrace the open road lifestyle like Star Trucker promises to. There's no mention of combat or aliens or anything like that: Instead, you'll "unlock a wide range of haulage jobs, trailer types, suppliers and cargo" while star-trucking through "a dynamic galaxy populated with fellow truckers, stellar events and hazards."
There will be some danger—you'll need to make occasional spacewalks to take care of repairs or collect interesting-looking stuff left at the side of the road—that is, floating in space—but it really sounds like you're going to have a lot more in common with BJ McKay than Han Solo. This is the line from the Steam page that really seals the deal for me: "Use your CB radio mic to interact with a fully-voiced cast of characters for an authentic trucking experience."
CB radios in space? Yeah, I want to give that one a 10-32. Star Trucker is set to come out sometime in 2024. In the meantime, here's some Star Trucker you can enjoy right now.
