American Truck Simulatorfor Windows

It may be odd to think that the simple idea of driving a truck around while obeying traffic laws is enjoyable, but this title is very popular and has multiple spinoffs.

Shifting gears on the open road

Experience life as a trucker as you travel from city to city in American Truck Simulator.

The Truck Simulator series has multiple titles such as American, Euro 1 and Euro 2 which is a testament to how in-demand this game is. The reason ATS is so popular might lay in the relaxation it offers as you’re allowed to drive peaceful roads and scenic routes, and it’s all without the road rage you’d normally see on a long highway.

You can drive the vehicle to a variety of locations within the two available states of California and Nevada. As you travel along the roads in this beautiful world, you can turn on your favorite tunes as the radio blares out live radio stations straight from the web.

Over time you’ll start to drive on autopilot mode, where busy roads can begin to feel as empty as Route 66. Because the traffic models are not very detailed, it takes away from the immersion aspect of the game. Fortunately, your focus is on the inside, where the models and details are beautiful to behold.

Should you start to get bored, you’ll quickly find that there are many things you can do besides the main goals of the game such as taking detours and pretending to have road rage. If you follow the game’s progression system, you’ll notice that management becomes just as important as transporting loads from point A to point B.

Where can you run this program?

ATS is available for computers using Windows 7 or newer as well as Mac OS X.

Is there a better alternative?

No, this is the best way to drive around the Southwest as your backdrop, but options do exist if you wish to do the same thing but drive around Europe. However, Euro Truck Simulator may confuse people since the road rules are different.

Our take

ATS is a great way to escape reality for a bit and gives you something to do while listening to satellite radio.

Should you download it?

Yes, it’s a great game to play and allows people to go places that they would normally have to go on a road trip to see.