Recent reviews by Red Panda

As an employee in the petrochemical industry, i enjoy the micromanagement in keeping everything balanced. keeping enough power and materials flowing to keep everything running, and managing the use of bi-products, and yes, following pipework and getting lost is a very real thing even in the real world!

I'm a long standing user of the farming simulator series, and each version is better than the last. However, there are some things that should have been changed that weren't from previous editions, but we can live with that.

The most annoying thing about the game really is the multiplayer listings, you never seem to be able to find the server your want, and as a FS22 community owner, it's annoying not being able to find my own servers sometimes.

Nevertheless, I would still highly recommend the simulator, it's got a great mix between a fun, casual game, and a realistic simulator, so it definitely suites all play styles. The machinery gets more realistic every time a new version releases, bringing modern farming technologies into the mix, and if there's something missing, then there's a mod for that.

The global community surrounding the sim is generally friendly and willing to help you out when you have issues.

The.... (not) bad points

1. It would have been nice to see more root vegetables in this version. Carrots, peas etc.
2. Additional animal options would have been nice too. Fish, Geese, Alpacas, Goats etc.
3. The physics still arent as realistic as they could be, although better than previous

It wasn't the smoothest release, and the updates have some work to do, but overall this simulator (the latest of a long line in the series) is a graphically stunning marvel of a game; but i'm afraid that's just what is is for most. Now that Microsoft have decided to release their newest simulator across multiple platforms, I feel that the magic of flight simulator has been very much lost. There are facebook groups like never before, everyone is talking about mod this and mod that, as if it were Grand Theft Auto, or an arcade simulator. There definately seems to be a lot of depth missing from what I would have expected to be a next generation flight simulator.

We have the graphics and the technology, but I still think this simulator requires some of the new generation of some old fashioned addons to really satisfy the average flight simulator enthusiast. I personally can't wait to see what our old friends at Aerosoft, PMDG, QualityWings and others who delivered fantastic, high detailed and very realistic additions to previous editions of the sim that just made the experience better. I really do thing this is needed if this simulator is going to get past the "game" label it's been given.

Ive been playing truck games since hte early versions of 18WOS and as a kid, that series was brilliant. But the advances in programming technology, SCS have done a fantastic job with ETS2! As a single player simulator, the game offers a challenge to build up your company, hire drivers and buy trucks, putting you in the management seat as well as th driving seat. With the addition of the multiplayer mod, the game was bought to life and has since exploded in popularity in my opinion. ETS2MP bought the world of virtual truckers together, enjoying the game together, driving in convoys, working for virtual trucking companies and generally having even more fun than single player!!

Overall, the game on its own is fantastic, but with the addition of official DLC's it is becoming an incredibly immersive environment, and some of the mods you can download really make the experience unique to the player. Ive truly not seen a better truck simulator than Euro Truck Simulator 2.

But dont take my word for it, my hours are good, but i know a few people with 500+ hours on the game!! Creating an experience that good is most certainly something for SCS to be proud of.

Now, no game review is complete without pointing out some of the bad points. ETS2 itself has been out for a while and technology has advanced greatly since its initial release, therefore the physics engine could be improved. eg. why not have the road become slightly slippy when its wet during/after rain? However, I know that SCS are working on improving various elements of the sim whilest creating new exciting DLS's at the same time.

The ETS2MP Mod (the most popular unofficial mod) shares similar downfalls as many other mass multiplayer games (Call of Duty, Battlefield, GTA Series) whereas the servers become filled with people just wanting to ruin your day by not playing the game properly. It was suggested by an ETS2MP admin that new players should be made to "take a driving test" before being able to play on hte main ETS2MP servers, however I dont think this will take off.

I hope this review is helpful, I truly think SCS will one day create something better than their capabilities, but that hasnt, and wont happen with ETS2. WELL DONE SCS SOFTWARE!!