“It’s quite interesting to drive thanks to the adequate vehicle physics – the trucks here are heavy and lazy, as they should be. Hence you should take every step with a special care, because even at the low difficulty level your engine may fade out.”

“When you are tired of riding around the state, you can start building your own company. The economic game system is not that sophisticated, and it is pretty interesting to do business here.”

“Dusty cities with bright signs, extremely high skyscrapers, highways – everything seems to be soaked with atmosphere of the trucking USA.”

“When you drive over the rain-covered highway, gaze spellbound at withered trees, mountains with tops slightly touched by clouds, when you witness the amazing sunset – this is when you realize what they spent those long seven years for.”

“Rig’n’Roll honestly fulfills its main function – authentically simulates driving heavy trucks.”

“No matter what Rig’n’Roll is still the best game of the genre.”

“Gameplot missions are a good possibility to take a rest from the driving-around routine.”

“The feel of driving this humungous steel monster has been conveyed way better than in the previous games of the series.”

“The best and the most exciting thing about the Hard Truck series has been, still is and will ever be that the player is the only one to decide what actions to take and where to go. You are to choose the winning strategy, you choose cargo, you make deals with clients etc.”

“At the same time California lives on its own – cargo appears and disappears at the warehouses, other truckers rush somewhere, and the competitors go bankrupt and open new offices.”

The series hasn’t changed at all – we still get the same fascinating game with total freedom of actions.”

“As practice has shown, the game quality does not depend on the change of a birch with a palm and the town of Nizhegorsk with San Diego.”

"They had to retain and multiply everything we’ve enjoyed Hard Trucks for, and the developers definitely succeeded in this.”

Portal ProGames@mail.ru published a detailed review of Rig’n’Roll. Several quotes form the article are following:

“Developers, having spent a fair time on location, reproduced 20000km of roads with almost photorealistic precision. The same applies to other environment, including filling stations, trading depots, repair shops, motels and towns.”

“Free cabin and outside camera views, wipers spreading rain drops all over the windshield, necessity to visit filling station or repair shop to refuel or get some repairs done for your truck, ability to use lane change lights and fine-tune your car, choosing new spare parts and decorative elements – all this adds to immersion and makes you believe you’re a real hauler.”

“In this third installment of game series player controls his own freight company. You can buy new branch offices to expand your business, make contracts, hire and fire drivers and instruct them how to work, form your vehicle fleet, etc.”

“Developers managed to perform their main task well: they made us believe we really are driving a heavy truck with another load of refrigerators through the dead of night once again.”

GameGuru.ru website examined all aspects of Rig’n’Roll and gave their verdict. Here are some quotes from the review:

“Landscape authenticity is a trump card of Rig’n’Roll. Everyone would like to transport goods around California using real West Coast highways, in a condensed, but still realistic form… To see Golden Gate Bridge, Los-Angeles and other landmarks.”

“You’re always thinking about how to gain time and call at a filling station on the way. How to make a return trip worth it and not go without a load. Would you answer the phone to accept a job offer or give a fellow traveler a lift? This is what making the game hard in the finest sense of the word: in Rig’n’Roll you need to think quickly, much and unconventionally.”

“Complex road system requires time to master and players of previous titles in the series must get accustomed to a number of new features – it’s a rare case in our times of casual games.”

New Gameplay video shows small town Weaverville and its surroundings in different weather conditions. It also presents several ingame trucks such as Titan El Dorado, Titan Alpine and Hercules Liberty.

Youtube version can be found here.

This review from one of the leading Russian 3D gaming software and hardware sites focuses on a player’s freedom in the game, where one can travel anywhere in thoroughly modeled California from the start. Game world is in general 10õ compressed compared to real life state, but different factors were used for highways, city streets and other road types to make it feel ‘right’. While trucks are restricted to certain roads and you can’t drive everywhere, most cities have distinctive look and feel, which helps the immersion. There are fourteen drivable trucks in the game (players start with a Freightliner Argosy) and a steering wheel controller is recommended to utilize their capabilities fully. They are also customizable – various truck components are simulated along with their condition.

In RignRoll players can concentrate on whatever appeals them more – developing their company like in a tycoon type game, completing main and side quests or just driving around looking at scenery (it’s really beautiful sometimes, in spite of dated graphics). Economical (there is also main story) victory requires dominating freight traffic market in California.

Bottom line: a game for people who like a car travel and find it romantic.

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Graphics: 7/10, Sound: 8, Singleplayer: 8, Multiplayer: none, General Feel: 8.

An optimistic intro video, where a friend helps main hero Nick to open his own “Nick Trucking” freight company and feature looks unclouded for him, quickly becomes a harsh in-game reality, where a powerful rival company tries to put him out of business (there are 7 competitors in total).

At first, player can only accept orders in Oxnard area and must open branch offices, buy trucks and hire other drivers to expand his trade empire. Careful management of vehicles and personnel is required to overcome the competitors and take the lead position on the freight traffic market. For example, hired drivers have favorite trucks and perform best while driving them; they also have ambitions and may leave if you’re stingy.
Developers chose to model California state because scenery between its parts varies greatly. Police is harsh and can really make your life miserable, so careful driving is advised. Sometimes player receives requests for help from fellow truckers by radio, and in some cases refusing may have grave consequences. There are a full-blown main story (which you may completely ignore) and many side quests like giving a lift or delivering special cargo. It’s a pity that story have only one (happy) ending, but you must work hard and don’t miss main quests to see it. Player may also concentrate on an economic development to receive “Golden carrier” title or try to pursue all goals simultaneously.

Bottom line: a step forward. Game will benefit from some polish, but this is a success.

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Summary: Cool, 8/10.