In 2023, Truck Driver: The American Dream, developed by Kyodai and published by SOEDESCO, received a mixed reception. Our own Sammy Hanson reviewed the game and felt it lacked in certain areas. If you want his full thoughts, you can read his review here.

In this re-release/update of the game on PC, there are a couple of new features included that weren’t in the original release, as well as some small changes to the world, including updated graphics and a larger map. 

The biggest additions are brand new missions and a new truck in the free roam mode, similarly named Freedom to Roam. In this mode, players don’t have to worry about the narrative and can let their trucking experience play out at their own pace. The missions come in three forms: short, medium, and long, with each determining how far you have to drive.

It’s a good addition to an already fun mode, especially if you’re someone like me who thinks the story in these types of games is a bit of a moot point. So it’s good to see the mode hasn’t been neglected. The map has also been slightly expanded, with a few more locations to visit; however, these small towns and truck stops do tend to look quite similar.

The new hunger system requires you to stop at rest stops to grab a bite to eat to refill your bar, in the same way you had to stop for fuel in the original game. It’s just another added layer of challenge. 

The switch to Unreal Engine 5, along with the addition of DLSS 4 and HDR support, increases overall fidelity compared to the 2023 version. Though at times it still feels like an Xbox 360 game, even with the lighting and water textures having been drastically improved. 

This update also adds the option to use a racing wheel. While I don’t own a wheel myself, support and compatibility have been added for popular models, including the Logitech G29 and G920, as well as various Thrustmaster models. This is a great addition for sim drivers and honestly feels like something that should have been standard from the start.

Sadly, a lot of Sammy’s original gripes with the game still persist, particularly the horrid AI. At one stage, I was driving down the highway when a car in front of me switched lanes, slowed down to a near stop, then switched back into my lane at the last possible moment, meaning I slammed right into them.

Another issue comes down to simple traffic behaviour, with AI vehicles taking an eternity to complete basic actions like turning corners at traffic lights, often bringing the flow of traffic to a crawl for no real reason. 

The handling of the truck itself, at least on the controller, still feels quite nice though, especially when it comes to the more delicate processes of truck driving, including hooking up trailers and carefully manoeuvring a giant hunk of metal into a tight parking space. Though at one stage, my truck got stuck on what felt like thin air, which flung the trailer sideways. Even with this new update, small bugs like that still persist. 

Overall, the addition of new content will appeal to new players, and the expanded wheel support is commendable. Some major issues still persist, especially with the AI. That said, it’s still an improvement over the original, and hopefully the developers can continue to take steps in the right direction. 

Written by: Dylan Kocins