I created an account just to post a reply to this.
I was just reading the interview tales when the sidebar WTF showed me this forum message. I knew it was probably big rigs. But the real WTF isn't the game itself. It's the user review by UmmaGumma. If you ever need a PR person in your company, you should hire him.
You can find the review here @ http://www.gamespot.com/pc/driving/bigrigsotrr/player_review.html?id=143779
But I feel compelled to post the actual review text here so here you go:
-- (He rated the game 10/10)
A Truckload of Tragedy.
<div class="content lh16 cl pb10">
I'm speechless at this travesty. Gamespot has made some iffy calls
before, but the lambasting it gives Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing is
completley off the mark. It is clear from the beginning that the
reviewer simply did not fathom the complexities and allegory of this
game.
First off, he laments about the lack of goals in the game. He whinges
on that there is no cargo to haul, no police chases, not much of
anything. What he fails to grasp is the message Big Rig sends in the
very futility of attempt. What point is there of hauling cargo that
will ultimately be consumed in robotic fashion by an uncaring populace?
Criminals incarcerated during a police chase, despite their victim's
blood dripping from their hands and a confession pinned to their
jacket, are simply set free via the efforts of slick lawyers and the
failings of judicial machinations. What is the point of even trying?
comes a plaintive cry from Big Rigs. The answer is apparent. There is
no point. Time to lay down and die. This comment on society is driven
home (or in fact, not driven at all) even further by the computer AI.
It doesn't even leave the starting gate. Much like the dreams and
aspirations we harbour as youth, reving our engines on a starting line
where the crack of the pistol never comes. Meanwhile, those of
privledge cruise to easy victory, unconcerned over such mundane things
as rent or grocery bills or collideable landscapes. The societal
implications here in the game are staggering.
Perhaps the most stunning allegory is the limbo a driver finds
themselves in if they venture off the beaten track. Here the game seems
to provide an escape hatch for those willing to take a risk and explore
the more remote possibilities of life. It also serves as a stark
reminder of the ultimate destination we all are headed for. All roads
lead to purgatory; where you go from there is anyone's guess.
It's been awhile since a game of such staggering implications has come
along, so I suppose it's not surprising it might knock mainstream
reviewers for a loop. But if you open your minds to the possibilities,
all roads lead to nirvana.
--