Truck-driving games have never really been presented properly. Titles have been few and far between, and the likes of 18 Wheeler failed to deliver any feeling of the wide-open road. It was just an excuse for some novel vehicle physics, a garage and store. You can attempt to go to any town you choose, but in this game profit is king and ultimately your destination will be dependent on where you can get the best price for your goods.

The trips from town to town are fraught with hazards. You have both limited fuel and damage tolerance, and each has to be managed carefully or you'll be grinding to a halt. There are also the cops to worry about, as well as fiercely annoying biker gangs that will climb aboard your wagon and steal the load. And if that's not enough, you also have some of the world's worst drivers clogging up your path.

There are certainly a lot of cute ideas in Big Mutha Truckers. But the problem is that it falls between the poles of a driving title and a trading simulation without really excelling in either. Trucks are big cumbersome monsters but they should still be fun to drive, and here it's all too easy to jack-knife your rig or just crawl along without any feeling of speed and, ultimately, fulfilment.

Control is sluggish in the extreme and after a while you end up wishing you weren't stuck in a big old rig, which kind of defeats the purpose. The trading is a clever touch and because cash is so important it adds a heavy element of strategy. But once you learn that bartenders give tips on where to sell the goods, even this becomes a little routine.

This is a game that has dared to be different. And although it's not been entirely successful, it still gets a nod of respect from those of us who crave innovation rather than imitation.

1. Original idea
2. You get to explore the open road
3. Strategy element gives depth

1. Driving is no fun
2. Handling can be horrible

Power
Graphics are passable but far from great. No multiplayer options either.

Style
More Redneck references than you can fire a blunderbuss at And we all love laughing at hicks.

Immersion
The quest for cash through trading adds twist to an otherwise unremarkable racer.

Lifespan
Quite a non-linear game with a lot of challenges and incentives to continue playing.

Summary
Valiant attempt to create an original game by combining trading with racing. But the execution lets it down at times.