I've always been fascinated with Euro Truck Simulator 2's meticulous attention to detail in both artificial and natural landscapes. By include Romania, Bulgaria, and (part of) Turkey in the Road to the Black Sea extension, SCS has now enlarged its already enormous realm. The Black Sea borders all of these Balkan nations, and SCS's depiction of them is replete with interesting images.
Headed toward the Black Sea
Romania is the biggest of the new pack and has some really fascinating road networks to explore.
I started my adventure with a quick hop into Romania from Hungary. I experienced the most meticulous procedure I've ever come across in Euro Truck Simulator 2 at the border crossing. The procedure of entering Romania consists of three steps. In addition to the standard passport and weight checks, border control agents do a live examination. As a result, traveling through Romania takes much longer; yet, the attention to detail that was used to replicate actual procedures was impressive.
The new expansion's major region is Romania. It owns more than half of the thirty recently registered villages. Unnamed and amazingly detailed are the hundreds of cities and villages that lie in between the main spots on the globe map.
The thing that really struck me about Romania was how much countryside there was. I spent much of my time enjoying the endless fields and rolling meadows that seemed to go on forever when I was driving throughout the country. The nation is mostly covered by the Carpathian Mountain range, and the route between Iasi and Brasov is a quite winding one.
Exploring Romania
Romania has a strong presence in heavy industry.
A few rivers and streams may be found in Romania, in addition to the Black Sea-straddling coastal regions. Nicely drawn maritime terminals illustrate how active the Black Sea is in terms of linking the global trade network. In relation to freight linkages, I also saw that the nation has a sizable rail network. I was usually stuck waiting for a train to pass for a short while. I also rode city trams a couple of times.
The Danube River flows across Romania, which is another great feature. This river is not just in Euro Truck Simulator 2, but it can be crossed by ferry between Galati and Constantina. Although I am aware that ferries are nothing new, this voyage is special.
The most amazing boat trip in the game right now is this one.
It has a cute tiny steamboat that makes the short Danube crossing possible. In contrast to other ferry sailings in ETS2, this one has a brief cutscene that lasts for less than a minute. Even though it was just a small portion of the expansion, it was noteworthy for demonstrating the commitment SCS has made to maintaining its expanding package. Euro Truck Simulator 2 seems more vibrant than before, and little moments like this highlight that. It might have been simply another loading screen and was completely unneeded, but at least it's there and looks nice!
Gazing over Bulgaria's splendor
Regarding its scenic landscapes, Bulgaria excels.After completing my coverage of Romania, I continued southward into the tiny nation of Bulgaria. Although it had X-ray scanners at the border crossing with Turkey, its border crossing was not as scary. Additionally, you must pay 10 euros to enter the country. This is the first border entry cost I've ever seen in
Euro Truck Simulator 2.Bulgaria is a country with a lot of farms and meadows, but it also contains woods and a significant elevation difference. Towering bridges traverse narrow valleys, such as those seen beyond Cernadova, while mountain ranges extend into the horizon. Even if there aren't many roads that go up into these mountains, it's still breathtaking to view them from the countryside when riding. Romania seemed to have a greater concentration of heavy industry dispersed around the nation. Though you'll see more of the natural world than urban development, Bulgaria nonetheless has some. Cities with a distinctly modern and developed appearance include Pernik and Plovdiv. It stands in sharp contrast to the many settlements that are dispersed around the nation.mountains, villages, bridges, and other things. Bulgaria has several interesting places to visit as well.This brings me to my one genuine complaint about the experience of traveling through these nations. The many little communities strewn across the route system cause the speed restrictions to constantly change. Although this is a prevalent occurrence across the majority of the
ETS2 globe, it seems to occur more often this time. That didn't stop me from being impressed by how intricately detailed these little villages are, however. Even the primitive buildings have a certain aesthetic to them in the architecture of the Balkans.
Taking on the Turkish
Turkey is the smallest country in the group, yet it has several advantages.I ultimately shuttled into Turkey by pushing still farther south. In contrast to the other two nations in this expansion, driving across just a limited portion of Turkey is possible. That being said, the rendering quality is still excellent.The map shows just three Turkish villages, the most notable of which being Istanbul, the biggest metropolis in all of Europe.
Euro Truck Simulator 2 most of the Turkey's landscape is more undulating, like that of Bulgaria and Romania. The greenery does, however, seem somewhat different and a little dryer. Actually however, Istanbul is the main subject. Even though it just shows a tiny part of the city, it still looks fantastic. The road system crisscrossing the city's periphery is wide, and the skyline and surrounding structures are intricately rendered. There isn't a large metropolitan area to visit, but what is on display here is nevertheless excellent and lively.
Absolutely the bundle
Europe's biggest metropolis, Istanbul, puts on a great show here.You may now drive from Istanbul to as far north as Norway in
Euro Truck Simulator 2 thanks to the Road to the Black Sea addition. It's a huge accomplishment for SCS and demonstrates the team's progress since the
18 Wheels of Steel series.There are more than 6000 kilometers of roads in this expansion alone. I spent around 14 hours traveling the most of it, leaving Szeged, Hungary and passing through the countries that border the Black Sea. The Road to the Black Sea addition is highly recommended, regardless of how long you've been a player of
ETS2 or how fresh to the game you are. Along the way, you'll notice a lot of interesting elements and its size and beauty.As always, I'm eager to see what else SCS does in terms of next additions. Moving eastward from Istanbul will take you into Turkey's more Asian-dominated regions. Thus, that may not occur. However, Greece and a few other Mediterranean nations are to the east. What will be the next expansion, I wonder?
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