Could be. From the site, it looks like it’s marketed at (rich) civilians.
I’d heard somewhere in the past that when racing games use real vehicles, they aren’t allowed to show damage to the vehicles. Maybe whoever told me that made it up and it was actually just that the developers didn’t make the effort because that wasn’t their focus. In this game, the branded vehicles can take all kinds of damage. Also interesting that in many cases they start out weak and can’t do the jobs you’d like them to.
Here’s me tipping over just before reaching my destination again. Even the autonomous winch doesn’t help when there’s nothing to grab.
I’ve learned that I should have been mixing the contracts in with the objectives all along, because in many cases they unlock additional warehouses and things. They are also in some cases interesting challenges, such as nervously towing a huge object across a map or two.
Another thing I’ve learned is that sometimes when I don’t plan carefully enough for a multi-area operation and/or decide to try a shortcut on impulse, this can be quite costly (in time). Last night I wanted to get one more thing done before going to sleep at a reasonable time. There were . . . complications and I did not go to sleep at a reasonable time.
I like the anticipation of having so many DLC areas I haven’t even looked at. I decided to try the one that seems to be universally considered the worst (Tennessee). It did look and feel kind of off and had an uninteresting theme and tedious-looking missions, but I found a tiny vehicle there that’s fun if maybe useless.
I beat the final “boss” of Michigan last night. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to do it. I got stuck at one point and turned the game off but during the next session I resolved the situation.
I’m also getting close to the end of Kola Peninsula. I decided to venture into Taymyr, Russia next because that’s where a lot of the upgrades can be found for trucks I’d like to use more. So far, it’s easier than Kola.
Here I am pulling along the requirements for three different objectives at the same time. I balanced some bricks on the connection point of the gooseneck trailer because it was already full of oil barrels and I needed them all.
The final key contract in Kola Peninsula was absurdly punishing, but every setback made me more determined to finish it. At the very end I realized that a misunderstanding on my part probably made it more challenging than it had to be, but I’m not entirely sure that’s true. (Based on an error message I didn’t think I could “pack” the airplane pieces. It turns out I could have all along, but I don’t know how much that would have helped since my possibly misguided approach was to stack and haul all three at once on a single trailer.)
The challenge of it wasn’t simply the task itself but the way the game sets you up for countless small setbacks along the way. A single rock can be a serious obstacle.
Here I am finally at the end, with what have become my three favorite non-scout trucks to use (two Azovs and a Kolob). The crane truck had a fuel leak for the last hour or so from damage it had taken.
This game has made me aware of vehicles in real life in a way I haven’t been before. For example, several times I’ve seen one of the trucks in the game in the real world while out driving, when I never would have recognized them before.
I’ve been spending some time in British Columbia, and it’s another well-designed area. And both of the new trucks I found there became immediate favorites.
One thing I like about this area is that it forces me to do some logging (to build temporary bridges, etc.) so I get some practice doing that.
I think many of the game’s generic logging missions assume you’re playing co-op, since they’d require so many trips otherwise. Or maybe they are just intended for people looking for an excuse to play the game more.
That said, there’s a sort of exploit that makes logging easier and more efficient. I tried it last night and it works. (You get a load of logs, unpack them, and load more manually on top, leaving them all unpacked. If you can get to your destination this way with an extra truck or trailer you then transfer them three at a time with a crane to the empty truck or trailer, pack, and deliver.)
I think I’ve played this as many hours as I played Death Stranding at this point (easy comparison because the games feel very similar in some ways), and I’ve only completed two areas (not 100% but the major contracts on the map screen), with two other areas at around the halfway point. Many others I haven’t even looked at.
Incidentally, this game is half price on Steam at the moment. (It support cross-play with any combination of platforms.)
If you don’t already own the game, I would recommend getting the “Year 1 Edition” for just slightly more. I’ve only played through one of the areas it comes with (Kola), and that area alone is worth the price.
I’m playing on PlayStation, myself, where that edition is not quite as cheap. (When I bought it, everything was discounted and so I got all of the DLC areas at once.)
Also, I think the base game comes with both Game Pass and PS Plus, so no need to buy anything immediately if you have either of those.
That said, it’s hard to overstate how much of a time sink this game is if you end up finding it compelling, so I’d offer that warning.
Sure, I am still addicted and so I play most days, so just let me know when you decide to try it out.
My initial impression of the game was actually not too positive because you can’t do much with the starting non-upgraded trucks, but I would be happy to give you some tips to get started if you’d like.
And if anyone else, new to the game or otherwise, feels like jumping in as well then we can coordinate.
I saw some random comment on the Internet saying that the Tatarin is so stable you don’t even need the autonomous winch. Listening to that comment and not using the autonomous winch at first set me back a couple times. I guess I’m just good at tipping over any vehicle.
I’d call SnowRunner a puzzle game before I’d call it a racing game. You start with logistics puzzles and then, while executing your solutions, every minute of the game is a physics puzzle.
That said, there are time trials in every area. Like everything else in the game, they are optional and I don’t typically bother with them. But I was thinking of seeing if I could 100% at least one area so I did a couple. One was on an actual race track.
The checkpoints had traffic cones or barrels and I was wary of those because I’ve experienced glitches with them in the past. They can get you stuck permanently by becoming fixed to a point that’s entangled in your undercarriage. When this happens, you can just exit to the menu and reload to correct the situation but when I inevitably encountered such a glitch during the race, I didn’t want to do that and have to start the race over again. So of course I spent much longer than that would have taken extricating myself from the situation.
A barrel got stuck under the Tatarin and caused enormous damage. Additionally, it flipped me into a vertical position, partway buried in the ground. Fortunately, I was able to repair enough damage to at least stop the fuel leak so I had time to very slowly fight the physics engine, bouncing along like a hand saw, and eventually get free by approaching a solid surface.
In other news, I was passing a church in the game and noticed this sign. Some kind of subtle attempt at indoctrination, or just a random thing that the devs thought might be on a church’s sign? I’m not positive but I think different churches have different music coming from inside when you pass by them.
I happened to be driving the Kolob truck when I passed by this church. What’s the significance of that? I don’t know. Maybe the makings of some kind of esoteric joke.
The reason I was in the Kolob was that I was on my way to tow this enormous thing over a mountain, Fitzcarraldo style. But I ran out of gas because it was taking forever and will have to send out a rescue truck later to continue the operation.
You might remember from my previous truck adventure that the Kolob was out of gas and needed a rescue. I always try to accomplish at least two things with any major trip in SnowRunner, and so in addition to the fuel tank I loaded the rescue truck with the materials to complete another task.
I’d initially assumed that the manual loading option at warehouses was just for those who want a more realistic/tedious experience, but I eventually realized that it’s for situations like this, since you can’t auto-load packed cargo beyond capacity.
So I brought in the Kolob that had earlier been investigating religion (not pictured) to straighten things out so I could get those concrete slabs moved to Zimnegorsk.
Still playing this game too much. I’ve been working in Wisconsin, which turns out to be one of the areas that has “crafting.” But that’s really nothing more than another logistics layer that requires some additional trips in different directions.
The Azov 64131 remains my favorite midsize truck for jobs that are too big for a scout but don’t need something huge.
It doesn’t always work out, as with this small bridge after a sharp turn. I could have retrieved these but I didn’t feel like it and had no known use for them so I just left them.
Too bad this particular green color isn’t an option in SnowRunner. I like it. This game has made me not only notice trucks constantly in real life but find them aesthetically appealing in a way I never did before.
I thought I was done with Kola Peninsula but it pulled me back in and became my second 100%. What an ordeal (in a good way, I think, maybe). Probably not really worth the time and effort but this game is good at creating an illusory sense of accomplishment.
