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HTA has a number of aspects to it, not the least of which is that you get to drive around in a truck loaded-for-bear and be shot at constantly. There is running storyline where you are seeking out the truth about your own past and that of your real father. There is the mercantile part of the game where you can earn a living buying and selling goods based on the needs of each township. There are a number of mini-missions that you can perform for various personalities in each town, be it transporting a package, dealing with a specific issue like a bandit chief or hunting raiders. Or, you could just drive around the countryside and explore the post apocalyptic world in which you live.

Your story begins as all good tragedies, when your father declares you a man and sends you off on your own for the first time in your life to run an errand for him. When you return, you find that bandits have burned down your house, your father lies dying in the mud and has just enough breath left in him to tell you that he isn't really your father, that your real father may be dead but he doesn't know for sure because he disappeared long ago. He gives you a trinket and sends you off to speak to that guy over there that may be able to send you to where your father may or may not have been. And so the adventure begins…

As you progress through the game you will travel from town to town, either on errands or to find that next all important clue about your real father. In each town you will have the opportunity to refuel, and most likely need to repair your vehicle. Some towns will sell upgrades to your vehicle either in a bigger better body or perhaps new weapons or accessories like a bigger fuel tank. There is usually a bar tender in the local tavern that may have the odd job for you to perform, like taking some equipment to another town or gas station. Or perhaps the townsfolk are perturbed at the local bandits and have offered a bounty for their destruction that you could then collect by hunting them down.

Some of the towns also have other personalities that you can encounter - some have information for you, others will have odd jobs and still others have nothing at all of any use to say and are simply window-dressing for the town.

One thing that I have noticed, the hard way, is that the game responds to your scales as you progress. Meaning, if you buy upgraded parts and add better weapons, all of a sudden all of the bandits are a step better than you in their available weapons and size of vehicle. So beware, if you upgrade too fast you may find yourself unable to safely travel the roads.

Each town has a mercantile screen where they list what they will pay for certain items like bundles of wood, potatoes, scrap metal, empty bottles, etc. If you pay attention to each town's specific needs you will have the ability to buy low in some towns and sell high in others. This is always a good way to make an extra buck here and there. Though sometimes you may find that the cost of repairing your vehicle will cost more than what you made on that run.

HTA is laid out as a series of zones, each one has its own map, which is hidden in a fog-of-war style. And, as you complete your quest to find your father in one zone, the quest will send you onto the next one to continue the story. The game is open and free enough so that you can basically travel where you want and choose to continue with the story or just go off and do your own thing, trading goods or hunting bandits. There are enough mini-quests at the various towns that keep popping up to keep you busy if you choose to go that route. And, there is always the fact that most of the map is hidden initially and for those that like to go site seeing, the game offers some interesting terrain features to make adventuring worth while.

Game play is fairly simple; you drive using the basic ASWD keys and control your weapons using the mouse. Graphics are nice and if your system will handle it I'd recommend cranking up the graphics quality all the way. Plus, as your vehicle starts to take damage it visibly changes with pock marked sides, wheels that are off kilter etc… Sound effects are pretty simple; truck engines and gunfire are the main sound themes.

Whether you choose to delve into the secrets of the post-war world that is HTA or just want to roam about getting into gun fights trucko-a-trucko, the game is a fun diversion that doesn't take a lot of thought or concentration. If you're looking for some hard driving gun toting action this is the game for you. Just remember to wear your rad suite when you play, you never know what type of environment you may be driving through.