Roadcraft Review

It’s been a busy year for gaming, with many indies, Xbox banging out lots of single-player campaign stuff, and everything in between. I’ve had my beady eyes on Roadcraft since Saber Interactive announced it, partly because I enjoyed the Mudrunner and Snowrunner games. This new experience takes a lot of the fantastic elements the previous games brought to the table and runs as a disaster relief simulator instead. With the previous games, I’ve found them frustratingly addictive, so I was curious to find whether the new road this game has taken scratches the same itch.

Think First, Act Later

I quickly made the mistake of trying to take shortcuts across rocky terrain, sloppy mud, or deep water in Roadcraft. It doesn’t take long to realise that the delicate moments can create sheer frustration, but this is also what would happen in the real world. Luckily you can control these moments somewhat by creating smoother roads to drive across. Filling those boggy areas with sand and levelling off the land will help massively. There is also a sense of satisfaction as you return to areas you’ve worked on and know that it was your work that made the difference.

Everything has to be done with precision and fine-tuning; lifting heavy items can topple your truck if you’re not careful. You will try and fail many times, and it took me hours to get things right the first time around, as you rotate through a plethora of vehicles to get work done. The main premise is rebuilding areas that have been battered by natural events, but in the smaller picture, it’s attempting to make that end goal as easy as humanly possible for yourself.

Unlimited Fuel & Sand

There are some baffling moments, such as sand just casually appearing in your truck when you request it, instead of manually fetching it and returning to the location you require it. It just seemed odd to me, having several ways of performing tasks, but then the simpler tasks, such as fuelling or grabbing resources, become overlooked. This isn’t game-breaking by any means, and most may prefer this approach, but I would have liked to have been mindful of every little detail as I tried to be a hero throughout each campaign. I’d add that this is my only negative outlook on the game, and perhaps they will add this in with future updates.

Visuals & Audio

This has to be the nicest-looking game the team has produced thus far, with every aspect presented in stunning detail on an Xbox Series X. Physics have always been cleverly created in these games, but the realism is on point. The number of times I became stuck and, in turn, became mesmerised by how life-like the surface was beneath me, as my tyres are working overtime to try and free me from my stupidity. The variance of different vehicles is all well illustrated, even from within the cabs themselves, as you can switch camera views on the fly.

Environmental design is superb, with stunning landscapes in the backdrop. While looking at each world map is easy, you’ll need to navigate it first before you can see it all. There is an expanse of fog that covers undiscovered areas, so this gives a reason to get out and go for a drive. Missions will naturally navigate you to explore, though and probably get stuck several times like I did. The weather will change throughout, and also change parts of the landscape, so if it gets wet, then you’ll encounter water-laden areas.

Final Thoughts

Roadcraft takes the same formula as the Mud/Snowrunner titles and makes things slightly different. It’s hard to tell you how many hours are in this one, as there are eight different maps and campaigns. I didn’t manage to see everything on offer, but it took me almost 20 hours to see everything on the first map. Based on how skilled you are at the delicate moments this game has to offer, you have the potential for tens, if not hundreds, of hours of gameplay. The online co-op aspect of introducing friends or even randoms into the mix brings longevity and replayability to the table.

I didn’t like the fact that you can’t refuel, take damage and load certain resources like sand. But this may be more accessible and appealing to some of the more casual crowd. The hardcore lovers of the previous games may dislike this as well, but I feel that we have to remember this is a game that looks to stand alone in its experience. Either way, it is a fantastic game with loads to do, see and become frustratingly addicted to, with or without your friends.