This Euro Truck Simulator 2 mod is so realistic it's tricked people into thinking they're watching real-life footage of Japan's roads: "It took me more than 10 seconds to realize"

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Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

Euro Truck Simulator 2 Project Japan mod screenshot showing a suburban street with a house, garage, and truck parked outside
(Image credit: Project Japan / SCS Software))

Euro Truck Simulator 2 continues to stand strong as one of the best simulator games around, and dedicated fans are making it even better with mods - like this Japan-themed one that's so realistic, its footage has briefly convinced some players that it's real life.

Project Japan is the name of an ambitious Euro Truck Simulator 2 mod hoping to recreate Japanese roads and scenery in-game. The mod started back in 2017 when the project's solo founder meticulously made the Hokuriku region of Japan for the simulator. As more people joined the team behind Project Japan, the map grew in size and detail - to its 1.0 release in 2020 and beyond. The map itself was made on a 1:10 scale to allow for more complexity.

This doesn't mean hyper-realism was the goal, though - according to Automaton, the project’s PR officer Hiroshi Haruyama says the mod "does not aim to recreate the real world.” It might not "aim to" per se, but Project Japan's striking resemblance to reality has fooled some fans online. Clips of the mod have been making the rounds on social media, especially in Japan, thanks to how convincingly well-crafted everything is.

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There's an unavoidable digital veneer to some Euro Truck Sim assets, but the detail and presentation here is downright convincing. One video has netted thousands of reposts and (here, machine-translated) comments from viewers trying to discern whether or not the mod is real. "It took me more than 10 seconds to realize it was CG," one user wrote in response to the footage. "For a second, I thought it was a live-action photo," another exclaims. From the sounds to the visuals, the thread is full of people pointing out just how realistic Project Japan looks in action.

The mod, which its creators have referred to as "a long-time and large-scale project," is one of the smoothest I've seen myself - not only does it accurately depict Japan, but it also seems to fit seamlessly into Euro Truck Simulator 2 as a fully functional new map. If it caught your eye, too, you can download the current version of Project Japan via its official website for free right now.

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Anna Koselke
Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.