Czech developer SCS Software
released Euro Truck Simulator back
in 2012, and the game has since
developed a cult following—including
several members of the PC Gamer
team. But why? Fundamentally,
because it’s good. It has satisfying
driving physics, a vast, atmospheric
map, and a peaceful, stress-free way
about it that you can lose an evening
to. Fans of the game often describe it
as hypnotic, and it really is.
But as the small development
team added the finishing touches to
its new game, it didn’t even know if it
would break even. “When we first
released Euro Truck Simulator 2 into
the world we weren’t even sure it
would be popular enough to cover
the cost of development,” explains
Pavel Medek of SCS. “The scale of
the game was much bigger than
anything we’d ever attempted before,
which made its development feel like
a huge risk for us.
“We’d created a few other truck
sims before, so we had a lot of
passion and experience to put into it.
A few weeks after launch we were
surprised by its popularity—and not
just among fans of hardcore driving
sims. People were excited and already
asking for more! And six years later
we’re still supporting and developing
it. It’s by far our most-played game.”
Part of what makes ETS2 so
compelling is the fine balance it
strikes between being a simulationand being fun and accessible. Not to
mention the variety of ways to play,
from simply enjoying a road trip to
building an empire. “At the time of
release, this combination was quite
rare in simulator games. Some of our
players enjoy exploring the world;
some like customizing and tuning
their trucks; many enjoy the
rags-to-riches aspect of building their
trucking company up from one small
garage to a huge logistics operation.”WIDE REACH
Not once in my life have I ever
thought about being a truck driver, or
really had an interest in them as
vehicles, yet I find the game utterly
captivating. This was something that
surprised SCS—when it realized how
broad its player base was. “For a long
time we thought we were making
simulators for those people who love
trucks. But then it dawned on us that
plenty of people play Euro Truck
Simulator 2 who don’t have any
interest in them at all.”
I ask Medek what particular
magic he thinks the game has, and
why I can play it for two to three
hours at a time without realizing. “I
think it’s because the game doesn’t
stress you out or ask for 110% of your
focus,” he says. “You can just enjoy
yourself, drive, and relax. Exploring
cities, enjoying the weather effects,
trying one of the many different
fan-made mods, or just flicking onthe in-game radio and driving
wherever the road takes you.”
But what about hardcore players
looking for the most realistic
simulation possible? I wonder if
catering to them is at odds with
keeping the game accessible. “We
work hard to keep both types of
player in mind,” Medek says. “We
have lots of new features in
development that will increase the
satisfaction of exploring the world,
which we believe both casual and
hardcore fans will enjoy. But we do
have to be careful not to get to the
point where the game is too hard,
where you feel like you need a
commercial driving licence to play it.”
As for creating that enormous
map, which spans an incredible
distance and is growing constantly
thanks to frequent DLC expansions,
SCS has learned a lot over the years.
“As time has gone on, the game world
has become more and more
elaborate. Six years ago the whole
company was a small team of around
15 people at its busiest times. Now wehave about half our company
developing ETS2, which amounts to
over 70 people working full-time.
Previously, creating the whole game
was a task for two to three people,
and now the team working on the
map alone consists of over 40
different designers.
“Admittedly, early in development
we had very basic techniques and
limited knowledge of the areas we
were recreating. But as time has gone
on we have new tools and skills that
help us bring extra immersion to theTOP: The game’s
subtle rain effects are
incredibly
atmospheric.
ABOVE: A recent
update added
random road events
from minor crashes
to emergency plane
landings.Euro Truck Simulator 2
FEATURE
“WE’RE ALWAYS UPGRADING
THE ENGINE, ASSETS,
PHYSICS AND SCENERY”