Spintires: MudRunner is a 2017 driving simulator that puts you in the driving seat of a series of heavy all terrain vehicles as you attempt to deliver supplies through the Siberian wilderness.
If you’ve ever watched a show like Ice Road Truckers or Deadliest Roads and thought to yourself, “That looks like a fun experience I want to try,” then Spintires: Mudrunner might just be the kind of gaming experience for you. This driving simulation sees you battling against rough terrain and elements using a variety of all terrain vehicles to move logs to the sawmills located around the map in an environment that is as much a test of your patience as your driving ability. The game, available on Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Microsoft Windows since last year is now on Nintendo Switch.
Right off the bat we should point out that this is not going to be a game for everyone, especially when it can feel that every inch is a mile in this terrain. More so as you battle thick mud and rivers to make your delivery. However, it’s a sense of achievement quite unlike any other game you’ve most likely played after you overcome the odds to make that delivery, though that pleasure is fleeting once you also realise that you have to do it all over again. And again. Of course this is not a game that is trying to be unfair to its players as you’re provided with a large selection of 19 vehicles and trailers, all with distinct advantages and many having to be used together to reach your end goal. Vehicles get stuck, damaged or run out of fuel often, requiring you to utilise the other vehicles to ensure that your deliveries are being made.
The game features a decent selection of environments to work through from bogs, flooded landscapes and islands to heavily wooded areas, their size ensuring there is plenty of places to explore on each map as well as variety of routes which can be taken to each location with Watchtowers removing fog from the map, while fuel stations and garages keep your vehicles rolling. Also dotted around each map are new vehicles for you to discover and utilise in your operation as your forced to prioritise how you battle each map, especially with different vehicles being suited to different tasks due to their weight or mobility.
Initially released through Steam, the game has been surprisingly smooth in its transition to the console market with the controls adapting well to the controller setup even if at first they do take some getting used to as I found myself randomly dumping loads while attempting to find the winch. Even on the recently released Switch, the controls are still responsive with the game proving to a fun title on the go as it is at home. However, this is more of a sim game than a driving game but if you up for a challenge than this can certainly be rewarding.