A while ago, my stepdad asked for me to check out a mobile game called Truck Star.  He’s driven trucks and car haulers most of his life, so he wanted to know if I think he’d like this game.  He showed me an ad on Facebook he saw for this game, and in the ad, it shows a behind the wheel view of driving a truck.  Another truck cuts you off and you hear someone yelling out “F-you!” and then the truck crashes and explodes.  And then the video showed scenes of you putting trucks together and repairing and customizing them.  So it was a big surprise for all of us when I downloaded this free to play mobile game (reviewed on iPad here), and found out it’s just a pretty standard match three puzzle game!  You do get to repair and customize all kinds of trucks by playing the puzzles, though, and you’ll get to work on haulers, flatbeds, and even monster trucks!  But there’s no behind the wheel driving, cursing, or explosions!

As a match three puzzler, it’s pretty standard stuff.  Match three of the same color to make them disappear, and if you match four or more in different patterns, you’ll get power-ups like dynamite and rockets to help you clear out more stuff.  By finishing stages, you’ll earn wrenches you can use to repair and customize the trucks.  I do wish you could go back and change stuff on the trucks if you changed your mind, though.  I’ve kind of stopped reviewing these match three puzzle games since they’re kind of all the same, but I wanted to review this one as a reminder to always be weary of Facebook ads because they’re not always what they seem.

Kid Factor:

Despite the Facebook ad having explosions and cursing, the game itself is pretty non-violent.  Reading skill is helpful but not necessary, and parental supervision is recommended for the in-game ads and purchases.

Tags: Game Reviews