American Truck Simulator will soon receive its third California revamp
Santa Cruzin'
American Truck Simulator's first released version included only the state of California, and its developers have been working their way eastward with each new state added via DLC. Work is currently ongoing on both Oklahoma and Kansas.
SCS Software have got better at replicating the long roads and countryside of the United States, however, so they've also been going back periodically and revamping their very first. Five cities in northern California were updated last year in a second update, and work is ongoing on a third phase of revisions that should arrive soon. SCS Software this week shared screenshots of their new Santa Cruz, which has been "revamped from the ground up".
The "work in progress" screenshots on the SCS Software blog look gorgeous. American Truck Simulator's environments are huge and its details are low-poly, but I find it oddly beautiful. It depicts the kind of urban mundanity that most open world games would design out. "The most interesting spot in downtown Santa Cruz is the intersection around the Town Clock," reads the SCS blog post, "where visitors can enjoy the bustling atmosphere of the city."
In a previous post about phase 3 of the rework, SCS explained how they would be adjusting city layouts and sizes, as well as the state's balance of large and small roads, in response to player feedback. The city of Oakdale will also be replaced by the city of Modesto. Back in March as many as 10 developers were working on the rework.
Ed recently placed American Truck Simulator on our list of the best open world games. Rightly so.