Hard Truck 2: King of the Road Review Summary

A nostalgic childhood classic with a great soundtrack and realistic police chases, but resolution issues, crashes, and outdated graphics hold it back.

Nostalgic childhood classic: Many players express strong nostalgia, recalling childhood memories and calling it a classic or masterpiece. The game evokes feelings of returning to the 2000s and is described as a legendary title.

Welcome Steam release: Players appreciate the game's release on Steam, including features like achievements. There is gratitude for making an old game available on a modern platform.

Runs on modern systems: Feedback confirms the game runs well on modern systems, including Windows 11 and Steam Deck. Many report it works out of the box.

Realistic police and chases: Players enjoy realistic police behavior, chases, fines, and encounters with racketeers. Fuel prices are also noted as realistic, adding to the authentic atmosphere.

Dynamic open world: The dynamic world with weather, road conditions, and secret paths is praised. Realistic fuel prices and open road categories are also valued.

Resolution and display issues: Multiple users report lack of support for modern resolutions like 4K, Full HD (1920x1080), and widescreen formats. The game often forces a low resolution like 800x600 and offers no configuration file to adjust it.

Crashes and stability problems: Frequent crashes to desktop, freezes every 7-10 seconds after 30 minutes, and instability on Windows 11 make the game unplayable for many users. Some crashes occur with no warning.

Physics and collision bugs: Cars and trucks exhibit unrealistic behavior such as flying like a helicopter, bad collisions causing the player to get stuck, and helicopters that can destroy the player's truck. Collisions with trees or passing cars are also problematic.

Long loading and freezing issues: World loading times are very long, and the game stutters or freezes heavily on many configurations. Some users experience lag even on older hardware.

Missing cutscenes and soundtracks: Critical introductory cutscenes that explain the game's gangs and objectives do not play, and the original soundtrack is absent. Users also note missing second disc materials.

Truck cargo driving missions: The core loop involves driving a truck with cargo across multiple tracks and cities, including the Diamond location (Almazny). This is a central theme that combines simulation and racing elements.

Aggressive police chase system: Police AI aggressively pursues the player, with a police chase mechanic and a traffic fine system. This creates high-tension chases and consequences for law-breaking.

Combat and obstacle challenges: Combat elements include helicopter attacks as obstacles, racing and chases with shooting, and driving simulation with key bindings. This blends action with the trucking gameplay.

Road disruptions and exploration: Detours and road disruptions are part of exploration of hidden areas and secret paths across multiple tracks and cities. This enhances the open-world feel.

Fuel and repair management: Simulation mode requires managing fuel and repair stops, with vehicle repair mechanics for addressing car problems. This adds a layer of depth to the simulation experience.

Major frame rate and stuttering issues: Users experience low frame rates, stuttering, and freezes, especially on open maps or every few seconds, with FPS dropping to 15-22, far below 60 fps.

Works on some modern platforms: The game runs well on Windows 11 and is compatible with Steam Deck, indicating some platform-specific success.

Outdated DirectX 9 dependency: The game relies on DirectX 9, which is outdated and causes compatibility problems with modern hardware.

Conflict with MSI Afterburner: The game conflicts with MSI Afterburner, causing a white screen, which suggests software interference.

Technical issues hinder purchase: Multiple reviews cite technical issues such as lack of 4K support, car collision problems, optimization needs, and a general unplayable state as reasons not to buy now, though some express hope for future fixes.

Passionate recommendations exist: A minority of reviews strongly recommend the game, with high ratings and praise for fans of the original Hard Truck series or old-school trucking games.

Hope for future improvements: Some reviewers advise not buying the current version but also note they are not refunding, implying they trust the developers will eventually fix the game.

Prefer original over remaster: This cluster groups two reviews that explicitly advise against buying the new version and instead recommend playing the original release due to dissatisfaction with the remaster.

Nostalgic value recognized: These reviews find value in the game for nostalgic reasons, with one stating even 30 minutes of nostalgia justifies the cost, and another recommending it for old-school fans at a very low price.

The Windows <8GB VRAM cohort has a recommended review reporting occasional FPS drops to 15-22, while the Windows 12-15GB VRAM cohort has a not recommended review citing missing 4K support and car collision issues.

Windows <8GB VRAM: positive. A recommended review notes occasional FPS drops to 15-22 but still recommends the game.

Windows 12-15GB VRAM: negative. A not recommended review reports missing 4K resolution support and car collision problems affecting playability.

Request for VR mode: Players are expressing interest in the addition of a VR mode, which would allow them to experience the game with immersive virtual reality technology.