When it was
released on the PS2 a long while back, Big Mutha Truckers didn’t exactly set the
gaming world on fire but it did bring gamers a truck driving game for those who
enjoyed Sega’s decent title called 18 Wheeler. Filled to the brim with redneck
humor, arcade-styled reckless vehicular mayhem and an accurate representation of
the trucking life. Big Mutha Truckers 2 picks up where the last one ended but
darn it if it ain’t as flawed as the first game.
It seems that Ma
Jackson, owner of the Big Mutha Truckers hauling company and mother to four
stereotyped kinfolk, has been arrested on a number of charges including tax
evasion and lewd conduct. This is the same Ma Jackson that announced she was
going to retire from the hauling business and have her four children fight for
first place through a Trial by Truckin’ competition. Now the four are fighting
to free Ma from serious jail time. Thankfully the Don Corleone-like Ma managed
to sneak in a CB radio and is calling the shots from her cell. Her idea is to
find the six members of her jury and bribe them with money, a feat that will
have you hauling everything from much-needed supplies to illegal goods.
Hick State
County is composed of various cities and locales that, once again, contain bars
and stores. You can drive around at your own leisure but in order to bribe
jurors like Slits O’Grady, you must earn money by hauling goods from one store
to sell to another in a different city. As a trucking simulator the game excels
in introducing the concept of commodity demand in that certain items are labeled
risky (items you might not be able to sell at a good price) to Deal of the Day
(items in demand that can fetch a handsome sales price elsewhere). From there,
depending on your trailer (flatbed, tanker and refrigerated), you’ll haul goods
from one area to the next.
Yet hauling
isn’t as easy as simply following the main road to Capital City because you’ll
also have to deal with biker gangs that will attempt to climb on your rig and
steal goods from your trailer, the Sheriff’s men who can smell illegal goods a
mile away, falling boulders and even UFOs. These are minor distraction that
often get in the way of earning that timed bonus but then again there are many
other way to earn other bonus cash. For instance, there are hobos in need of
transportation. The hard part, though, is the fact that the hobos you’ll
transport climb up on your trailer and they can easily fall off if you crash too
many times. Along the way you can also take part in the production of a reality
show interested in massive crashes or break a speed camera record for extra
cash.
While the main
goal is trying to get Ma Jackson out of jail by bribing her jury, you’ll find
many sub-missions along the way and many of them have you driving around in
other vehicles. In one mission you’ll be picking stranded aliens for the
government before the time runs out and in another you’re driving a major movie
star around in a stretch limo. These missions could have been fun had there been
more risks involved but they are a much-needed break from the repetitive
trucking missions. You’ll be able to play any sub-mission you decide to tackle
on the game’s Mission Mode.
The problem is
that Big Mutha Truckers 2 doesn’t improve upon the things that hindered the
first game. We shouldn’t expect a truck with a trailer hitched to it to drive as
smoothly as a Hummer does in Midnight Club 3 but does it really have to feel
this sluggish? Secondly, picking from either Bobbie-Sue, Cletus, Rawkus and Earl
really doesn’t affect the way you drive only the personality of the driver and
the style of rig he or she drives. The upgrades at least offer some better
handling and newer truck skins but don’t expect a different game depending on
what driver you pick. Lastly, the humor is missing in the game. While the last
game had a similar feel, at least the jokes were somewhat witty and actually
funny.
Visually, the
PS2 doesn’t get a very good-looking game compare to the higher resolution seen
in the Xbox version. You’ll find plenty of jaggies in this one and the
environments are not as beautifully detailed as they should be seeing as you’ll
be driving through some interesting landscapes. As for the character models,
they’re fun stereotyped caricatures (Cletus is a bit cross-eyed) but there’s
nothing that really stands out. At least the trucks look good.
As for the
sound, the game once again brings back the radio stations complete with country
music (with a tune from the Marshal Tucker Band) and rock (Free’s excellent “All
Right Now”). The talk radio shows are back and many of the segments are actually
funny but the same can’t be said about the game’s many colorful characters
you’ll encounter. Many of the local folks sound like bad stereotypes of the
Beverly Hillbilly-type but then there are the ones that will surely offend.
Even as a budget
title, Big Mutha Truckers 2 just doesn’t have what it takes to rise above its
weaknesses to be the fun trucking game that it could have been. There are a few
missions here and there that are worthwhile but with a lack of real humor and
extras this is a game you might want to steer away from until THQ finally gets
it right.
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Gameplay: 5.0
For an
arcade-styled game the truck driving feels more suitable as a simulator seeing
as it moves awkwardly, slowly and makes it near impossible to break on time. The
actual hauling is accurate but it gets old quite quickly. Sadly the sub-missions
aren’t as fun as they could have been but they’re welcome additions nonetheless.
Graphics: 5.7
No spectacular
lighting or heavily detailed environments or characters in the game. This is too
bad, really, since there is a lot of map to cover and plenty of characters to
meet along the way but at least the trucks look good and the traffic gives the
environment some sense of life.
Sound: 6.0
The songs
actually work well here and you can always switch the station if you like but
the talk radio shows and commercials have some truly comical moments. That can’t
be said about the actual dialogue in the game but listening to Cletus won’t fail
to put a smile on your face.
Difficulty:
Medium
The police are
a bit better at catching you and the biker gangs can sometimes be a real menace
but challenges overall will not have you yanking your hair out of its roots.
There are timed missions that can prove difficult and earning that extra bonus
really requires some quick driving.
Concept: 5.0
Hauling goods
from store to store might not be everyone’s idea of a good time but different is
good and this game offers something we don’t get often on the PS2. The four
Jackson kin might not be distinguishable gameplay-wise but people react to them
differently. There’s a gallery to art to unlock but other than that there’s
nothing much else worth noting.
Overall: 5.2
Big Mutha
Truckers 2 is not a major improvement from the first game nor does it introduce
new elements to its gameplay and that alone is what keeps this from being a
truck driving game worth twenty dollars. With very little to laugh at in terms
of good jokes and repetitive missions, gamers might want to skip this one
altogether.
