Star Trucker: Burning oxygen in a cosmic ride

Look, man, imagine mixing “Euro Truck Simulator” with “No Man's Sky”, but without the part about being ecstatic about the vastness of space and more like “I'm going to stay here changing a tire on the interstellar”… That's pretty much it Star Trucker wants to be. The game, from the guys at Raw Furythrows you into outer space with a space truck that, if you're not careful, consumes more energy than my old internet cafe playing “Crysis”. But, come on, hold on tight because the analysis is about to begin, and I'll tell you right now: there are more holes here than on a street in a peripheral neighborhood.

A trucker in space?

Man, I've seen creative people in this gaming industry, but “What if we put a space trucker to deliver cargo between planets?” seems to have come out of a meeting where the devs were more stoned than the Trevor in GTA. The game starts off nicely, you're in your space truck, full of buttons and monitors that almost ask you if you know what you're doing. Then you get that déjà-vu: it's like trying to assemble an IKEA piece of furniture without a manual and in zero gravity. Remember “Hardspace: Shipbreaker”? Well, Star Trucker It tries to get that boring but relaxing work vibe, but the effect is more or less the opposite. Instead of relaxing, it feels like I'm playing Soulslike with my patience at its limit.

Dude, let me give you a tip from someone who's already been through the ringer: it doesn't even cross your mind to start at level Hardcore of Star Truckerseriously. That's asking to go bankrupt in space faster than a newbie in Dark Souls. Take it easy, start slowly on the normal level, because in this game, if you want to act like you're in a hurry, you'll end up with no air and a ship that looks like a sieve with so many holes. On the hardcore level, you'll spend more time fixing the ship than enjoying the view of space. So, relax, take it slow, otherwise you won't even be able to deliver that cargo on time, mate!

The adventure of patience – or lack thereof

Star Trucker It sells itself as a relaxing simulator, but let me tell you, it's easier for me to relax while playing Dark Souls naked with my health bar at minimum. For starters, controlling this space truck feels like your drunk cousin trying to maneuver his car at the end of the year party. The game wants you to maneuver your 30-ton truck as if it were a spaceship. Elite: Dangerousbut here the DANGER is that you'll crash into asteroids, make cargo float in the vacuum and, I don't know, kill some aliens in the process. And yes, you'll spend a good part of the game changing parts and repairing the ship's hull, because apparently that's what space truckers do – repairing the thing all the time, as if you had bought the ship on a space OLX.

Yes, the space is beautiful… but not that much

And hey, you can forget that “Elite: Dangerous” vibe, where you’re doing insane stunts and thinking you’re the best. Han Solo. This is more like “Starship Carrier of the West”: pick up the cargo, deliver the cargo and try not to blow anything up along the way. Okay, I like simulators, but this seems more like a version Hardspace where changing tires and fixing the engine became the most “fun” part. And speaking of fun, if you think you’re going to go on a trip to space stations and have a beer with space truck drivers, forget it! The interaction here is based on straight talk with dialogues that are drier than yesterday's bread. There is no life outside your ship, my partner.

Resource management? It’s easier to pass the Enem…

Now, what really gets me is the blessed economy of this game. Seriously, it's not enough to be a lone trucker in the eternal vacuum, you also have to keep track of everything: oxygen, fuel, energy… and, of course, no money for anything. Dude, it seems like Raw Fury wants you to learn how to be poor in space too, because the prices of stops here are ridiculous. Oh, and if you spend it all at the beginning, like when you think you're going to get a cool upgrade on your ship? Congratulations, now you have one Game over in the form of a broken ship with no money to fix it.

In Star Truckereach mission seems like another attempt to avoid galactic bankruptcy. Be careful with the ship's maintenance, because it consumes more energy than the internet café playing “Crysis” from 2007. And do you know what's worse? The blessed energy cells are not rechargeable. Yes, in the year 5000 and there goes a stone, humanity still hasn't invented a battery that recharges. Is that right, Arnaldo?

BII-BIIIII (read as a HORN)

Okay, I'll admit that after about five hours of gameplay, when you've already memorized the controls, the mechanics start to make sense. You get into a zen vibe, like: “Okay, I’ll just take this load here and listen to the radio.” The feeling is kind of like driving down a deserted highway at 3 a.m., only in space. But here comes the problem: there's no variety. You won't see other players, there's no “pvp” crazy or random encounters. And the people you chat with? It sounds like a low-budget movie script. I expected funnier dialogues, like some “Shall we overthrow the Empire together?”but it's one more “Hey, be careful with Route 72, okay?”.

Pros:

• Nice look of the space (beautiful as hell)
• When it gets going, you can even relax.
• Soundtrack with that retro vibe

Cons:

• Economy more broken than my bank balance
• Controls are hard to get the hang of

Final Grade: 7/10

In the end, Star Trucker is that game that has potential, but feels like a missed opportunity. If you like truck simulators, you will find the slow pace and lack of excitement strange. If you are in the mood for a “Elite: Dangerous”you'll want to play something else after about three hours. Now, if your vibe is more of a stylish party “I'm tired, I want something different and I have nothing better to do”maybe you can get some fun out of this space trip.