Big Mutha Truckers 2 Impressions

Earlier today, THQ stopped by the GameSpot office with a work-in-progress build of Big Mutha Truckers 2, which is currently in development for both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Like its predecessor, Big Mutha Truckers 2 will see you assuming the role of one of Ma Jackson's four offspring (Bobbie-Sue, Cleatus, Earl, and Rawkus), and you'll be doing your best to impress the old bird (to whom time and gravity have not been kind) by making a ton of money driving one of her rigs. Specifically, you'll need to make enough money to hire a lawyer (known in-game as a "fancy-talkin' legal fella") for Ma, who is in jail facing charges of tax evasion. You'll also need to locate six jurors as you travel around Hick State County, and bribe them with cash or by running errands for them.

For the most part, you'll be making your money simply by hauling various cargo items between towns, buying stuff where supplies are plentiful and then selling it where they're in demand. It's not nearly that simple, though, because even once you've mastered the art of driving an 18-wheeler, you'll have police, biker gangs, and UFOs to contend with. You'll be able to choose your own routes between the various towns that make up Hick State County, and you'll receive warnings and updates from other drivers via your truck's dynamic CB system.

Each of the towns you visit will boast, among other things, a store and a bar. Stores are not only where you'll be buying and selling your cargo, but also where you'll be able to purchase upgrades for your rig, such as a more-powerful engine, a larger trailer, or a custom pink paint job. Bars, on the other hand, are where you'll find jurors hanging out, and they're good places for talking to people with advice or special missions for you. During our demo, we encountered a heavily tattooed female juror named Slits in a bar, who, unimpressed by Bobbie-Sue's considerable cleavage, agreed to vote in Ma's favor at the upcoming trial in exchange for $100,000. All of Ma Jackson's children have different skills and attributes that you'll want to bear in mind when deciding who to play as, and we'll wager that Bobbie-Sue's curves will make dealing with some of the male jurors a lot easier than if you play as one of her brothers.

The "special missions" that you take on as you progress through the game will be vehicle-based, but you'll occasionally be required to drive something other than your truck. Limousine and ambulance missions were mentioned during our demo, and we got to take a look at another mission that'll see you picking up aliens for the government in a black SUV. The mission was basically just a checkpoint race, but the different handling characteristics of the various vehicles should make for a welcome change every now and then.

We weren't able to get behind any steering wheels ourselves on this occasion, but it was evident during our demo that the handling of the 18-wheelers will be every bit as challenging in Big Mutha Truckers 2 as it was in the original game. It's also apparent that a lot of effort has gone into making Hick State County a much more interesting place to drive through, with more detailed and varied scenery wherever you look.

Big Mutha Truckers 2 is being developed by UK-based Eutechnyx using an improved version of its Street Racing Syndicate engine. The game is currently scheduled for release toward the end of August, and we'll bring you more information as soon as it becomes available.