Hard Truck Apocalypse / Ex Machina
- March 14, 2014
- Targem Games
- 17h median play time
Get on SteamIn Hard Truck Apocalypse / Ex Machina, players navigate a post-apocalyptic wasteland as a truck driver, delivering vital supplies to towns while battling bandits and maintaining their vehicle's condition. The game features intense combat and customization, with the ultimate goal of restoring order to a lawless world. This experience is included in the Ex Machina Gold Edition.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Unique gameplay that combines vehicular combat with RPG elements, allowing for truck customization and upgrades.
- Engaging post-apocalyptic atmosphere with a variety of quests and exploration opportunities.
- Nostalgic value for players who enjoyed similar games in the past, providing a sense of charm despite its flaws.
- Frequent crashes and bugs, particularly when loading saved games or transitioning between areas, making it frustrating to play.
- Poor voice acting and translation issues that detract from the overall experience.
- Dated graphics and clunky controls that may not appeal to modern gamers.
- story382 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and filled with interesting twists, while others criticize it for being weak, generic, or poorly executed. Many reviews highlight the linear progression and the potential for bugs that can disrupt mission flow, necessitating frequent saves. Overall, while the narrative has its flaws, it offers a backdrop for the gameplay that some players find enjoyable, especially in the context of a post-apocalyptic setting.
“The story in this game, for me, is very interesting; the story progression has always kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happens next, and when I failed, I grind hours trading between towns to get that next upgrade that will give me the edge I am looking for in the next mission that I need to do.”
“You take your starter truck and upgrade it and buy better trucks by defeating enemy trucks and running freight between towns while playing through a story that is better than most modern AAA games these days.”
“This is a one-of-a-kind game; you drive a truck, fight other trucks, collect and trade gear, go on missions, talk with people in cities, buy new gear and trucks in said cities, visit several lands, all the while trying to discover who killed your father.”
“The story is shit, and all the endings (which there are 3) are extremely anticlimactic, but it's a fun game for those who like to upgrade and shoot with a truck.”
“The game falls down in its characters, dialogue, and story in general.”
“Voice acting is awful, the plot is stupid, and the graphics are sub-par for the time.”
- graphics152 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, reflecting its 2005 release, with many users noting that they resemble those of early 2000s titles. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and art style, others criticize the basic textures and lack of modern features like widescreen support. Overall, despite the dated visuals, many players find the gameplay enjoyable enough to overlook these aesthetic shortcomings.
“Amazing game with great graphics, great storyline and clearly ahead of its time.”
“The visuals, particularly the trucks, are the best aspect of production.”
“Stylish graphics.”
“It's a product of its time, so the 2005-era graphics are quite dated, it doesn't have a widescreen mode, and some of the controls feel a little awkward.”
“Textured poorly done: the graphics generally look like absolute garbage and I have seen on several occasions patches of grass floating a few feet above the ground.”
“The graphics are low rent.”
- gameplay136 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a solid driving and combat loop set in a post-apocalyptic open world, where players engage in quests, upgrade vehicles, and battle bandits. While many find the core mechanics enjoyable and immersive, criticisms arise regarding repetitiveness, simplistic fetch quests, and occasional bugs. Overall, the game offers a unique experience with a mix of RPG elements and car combat, appealing particularly to fans of the genre despite its flaws.
“The gameplay is amazing and the quests are a bit okay, but hey, you still get paid.”
“The game's attention to detail and immersive gameplay create a world that is both thrilling and unforgettable, making for a truly unforgettable experience.”
“Amazing gameplay, fun open world, and you're in a big truck shooting Mad Max-style bandits.”
“The missions are of the dullest fetch/kill type and there is almost no variety or depth in the gameplay.”
“The gameplay is quite monotone - you drive, look around for respawning bandits, kill 'em all or run from them, collect the loot, sell it and buy some new upgrades.”
“The gameplay is full of tired and lazy conventions like FedEx quests and tedious backtracking across the world, but cheat codes can help some with overcoming the grueling grindy parts.”
- music82 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising its atmospheric qualities and ability to enhance the post-apocalyptic setting, featuring a variety of rock tunes and region-specific melodies. However, some criticize it for being repetitive and bland, suggesting that it can become monotonous over time. Overall, while the soundtrack is often highlighted as one of the game's strengths, its repetitiveness and occasional technical issues detract from the experience for some players.
“It's got some really cool ideas, nice atmosphere, the basic gameplay loop is enjoyable, exploration is often rewarded, the story throws you several genuinely unpredictable twists, and there's some good trucking music both hard and mellow.”
“The music further helps this with different melodies depending on what region you are in and whether or not you are in combat.”
“Quite honestly, the soundtrack is one of the best things in this game, which was made by Anton Popov.”
“The music is bland, the writing and voice acting are terrible.”
“The game is very monotonous, from repetitive gameplay to soundtrack.”
“Probably the most intolerable part of the game is that it has the worst music in the history of gaming.”
- stability62 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay, especially on modern systems. Players have noted issues such as soft locks, black screens, and game-breaking glitches that can prevent progress, making it a frustrating experience for those unfamiliar with troubleshooting. While some find enjoyment in its nostalgic charm despite these problems, many agree that the game's instability makes it difficult to recommend without reservations.
“The only issue I had was that the game wouldn't start up; the only fix for it is to delete all the video files in the video folder, and the game runs great after that.”
“This game is an unstable, buggy mess.”
“Sadly, it's so buggy it's simply not worth the effort required to make it run.”
“If the game just shows you a black screen and then freezes, it's not a game, it's a waste of hard disk space.”
- humor28 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by hilariously poor translations and voice acting, which many players find amusing despite detracting from the overall experience. The dialogue and cutscenes are often described as comically bad, contributing to a lighthearted atmosphere that keeps players engaged. Additionally, quirky elements like nonsensical character interactions and amusing gameplay glitches add to the game's charm, making it a source of unexpected laughter.
“The 'cutscenes' and dialogue are hilariously bad, and the gameplay is pretty basic, but it really makes you want to keep going for that bigger, better truck, or that one super cool gun that one-hit you before.”
“Now, I find it funny that every character wears a ghost-of-the-opera-esque mask, and lore-wise they explain they're basically a more ornate and compacted gas mask.”
“This one is hilarious: your minimap has an 'n' at the top meaning of course 'north', but it also has an 's' at the bottom meaning of course 'south'.”
- atmosphere22 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its immersive post-apocalyptic atmosphere, enhanced by a compelling soundtrack and rewarding exploration. Players appreciate the unique setting where toxic air forces characters to wear masks, contributing to a steady role-playing vibe despite a lack of depth in the story. Overall, the atmosphere is considered one of the game's strongest elements, making it a memorable experience.
“It's got some really cool ideas, nice atmosphere, the basic gameplay loop is enjoyable, exploration is often rewarded, the story throws you several genuinely unpredictable twists, and there's some good trucking music both hard and mellow.”
“Interesting, atmospheric game, with a good soundtrack and interesting gameplay that will allow you to fully immerse yourself in the post-apocalyptic world.”
“Then they proceeded to vaguely explain the story but putting emphasis on that everyone wears magic masks that save them from the bad atmosphere, when it is just a rationalization for not bothering to properly animate speaking or give any kind of quality to face construction or color.”
“I mostly kept playing because of the atmosphere, exploring new locations and upgrading my vehicle.”
“It sports one of the best soundtracks ever, which adds to the post-apocalyptic atmosphere.”
- grinding22 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to excessive backtracking and low rewards for early grinding efforts. The constant random encounters intended to alleviate slow pacing instead contribute to a grindy experience, making gameplay feel artificially prolonged without meaningful content. While some players appreciate the variety of weapons and gadgets, the overall sentiment is that the grind detracts significantly from the enjoyment of the game.
“The biggest issue is that the game forces you to backtrack multiple times over multiple, fairly big maps, in a tedious waste of the player's time.”
“The roc tried to fix the slow-paced parts of the original by making the random encounters constant, but it just made the encounters grindy and tedious, especially at the point where the weapons deal so much damage that you either die and reload or survive relatively unharmed.”
“Towards the middle of the game, all the long-range errand-running starts getting tedious, artificially stretching the game without adding content.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, including a lack of support for modern display resolutions and widescreen monitors, leading to performance problems on contemporary gaming PCs. While it offers enjoyable gameplay and various endings, players report bugs, stuttering, and crashes that detract from the experience, making it difficult to recommend. Overall, the game's failure to modernize and optimize for current systems hampers its potential.
“It's a fun game, but I can't recommend it because it has too many problems due to not being optimized for newer systems.”
“You can equip your weapons and other upgrades to improve the vehicle's performance, as well as new components to further strengthen the truck.”
“- Performance: while the game runs great, it has a problem with the resolution and also lacks V-Sync.”
“It's a fun game but I can't recommend it because it has too many problems due to not being optimized for newer systems.”
“Pretty good, has many possible endings, a few bugs and mistranslations here and there, some stuttering, but has many fun missions. You do need to delete the 'video' folder to prevent the game from crashing when you try to load a save.”
“* Acting/bugs/performance issues.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its high replay value, with players enjoying the engaging mechanics of driving a truck loaded with weapons and battling through a vibrant world. Despite its 32-bit graphics, many users express a desire for improvements to enhance its playability and replayability, indicating a strong foundation that could benefit from updates. Overall, it remains a beloved title that continues to captivate players even after many years.
“Just an awesome game, drive a truck, load it with guns, and battle your way across an amazing world. I'm really surprised it didn't take off; even after all these years, it's still a quality game with high replay value.”
“This is a 32-bit but a great little game that I hope to see improvements on to make it more playable and replayable.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players find it heart-breaking due to technical issues and frustrating gameplay mechanics, others express disappointment with the story, describing it as boring. Overall, the emotional engagement seems to be hindered by gameplay frustrations.
“Really boring story”
“Really boring story”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is likened to the Wing Commander: Privateer model, featuring an open world and horizontal gameplay that allows players to shape their characters while following a narrative. This structure provides a blend of freedom and guided storytelling, enhancing the overall experience.
“It's very similar to the Wing Commander: Privateer model of a golden path, where you have an open world, horizontal gameplay, and character development with a game story waiting for you to follow.”
