A punishing yet deeply rewarding experience
SnowRunner is nothing short of a slow-burner. Agonisingly gaining ground on an inch-by-inch basis while the threat of failure persistently looms over you sounds ominously similar to a certain Kojima release a few months back. The main difference between the two titles is that SnowRunner is a game about a delivery service, while Death Stranding is a game about a delivery service that spends the entire time trying to tell you its about something else.
SnowRunner puts you in the driver’s seat in a range of trucks in some thrillingly hostile environments from mud-soaked Michigan, through icy Alaska to the parched landscape of Russia’s Taymyr peninsula. SnowRunner’s predecessor – MudRunner – featured similar maps, cargo types and objectives, but SnowRunner brilliantly expands and improves on virtually everything offered by its 2017 forerunner. SnowRunner is a game largely based around deliberate, thoughtful decisions. There’s nothing twitchy about lugging many tonnes of steel across a hostile landscape, but SnowRunner rewards smart driving and patience like no other game in the genre.
Completing objectives earns cash for new trucks, or simply upgrading the trucks you already own. What is rather baffling is SnowRunner’s insistence on arbitrarily locking parts upgrades behind level requirements that you could otherwise afford. Luckily, cash isn’t everything in SnowRunner as there is a healthy amount of new trucks scattered around the maps that you can claim as your own.
Perhaps SnowRunner’s most impressive feature is in the physics and handling of the trucks. Each of the larger vehicles feel satisfyingly hulking and monolithic. The sheer sense of bulk in these things is quite literally palpable and that, combined with the ear-shattering engine sounds make for an entirely visceral experience.
As if to place the cherry on top of an aready delightful gaming experience, SnowRunner can also be played from start to finish in up to four-player co-op. The arid landscapes can sometimes make for a decidedly oppressive experience, so it is immensely relieving to be granted the opportunity to share the experience with friends.
SnowRunner is a punishing yet deeply rewarding game and should be considered a must-buy for any truck simulation enthuasiasts.