Forza Horizon Is No Longer the King of Video Game Road Trips

American Truck Simulator’s Road Trip add-on lets players drive cars to tourist attractions, giving the trucking simulator a new kind of appeal: long, realistic scenic journeys. The writer argues that its sense of distance and travel can make it a more satisfying virtual road-trip experience than Forza Horizon’s beautiful but compressed maps.

The add-on currently includes four Ford models, with a Dodge and Ram pack due soon, and tourist itineraries in seven of the game’s 21 states. Routes link attractions such as Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge; visiting all the stops on an itinerary can take over an hour and several in-game days. The article contrasts the game’s realistic landscapes and steady highway driving with Forza’s more spectacular, condensed recreations.