Hard Truck Apocolypse: Gear Up for the Armageddon Company: Buka Entertainment You can always expect off the wall stuff to come out of Russian developers. Buka Entertainment?s Hard Truck Apocalypse reinforces that idea. Think of Morrowind meets Mad Max. But instead of running around on foot, you cruise the desolate wastelands in an armored killing truck. It?s clan warfare and survival of the fittest here, and from the look of things in this early preview, there will be no shortage of either. The preview begins with you, as a disgraced member of a clan, out for revenge against he who has shamed you. With a tank full of gas and a hull mounted gun full of ammo, you set off on your quest. As you roam the world, you find many different things, some friendly, others not so much. Ruins, rogue bandits, and towns populate the large map (though only a small portion was playable in this version). From the look of the world map, it seems that the game takes place in what was once Europe. The area has become a playing ground for those who survived, and they band together in makeshift towns. At each town you go to, you can find gossip, purchase upgrades, and look for work. The game promises hundreds of different customizable options for your wheeled killing machine. Different guns, chassis, and all other manner of equipment can be combined to your taste. Each town also has stores in which you can buy and sell goods, and it seems that things may take on a kind of Sea Dogs style of commerce here. You may opt to kill for money, or you may be able to buy low at one town and sell high at another. The exciting aspect about Hard Truck Apocalypse is that it may be as freeform as games like Morrowind and Sea Dogs. There is a main linear storyline, but hopefully, if the developers are clever enough, you will be able to branch out on your own, or even neglect this story altogether. Though it is all speculation at this point, the game looks very promising, and even at this early stage, the graphics are on par and the control is tight. This is definitely a title that merits an eye being kept on it. -Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications AKA Andrew Horwitz Related Links: Buka Entertainment Hard truck Apocalypse Official Site