SnowRunner

Genre: Open-World Driving Simulation

Players: 1-4 Co-Op (Local Wireless / Online)

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Review:

When I reviewed MudRunner: American Wilds a while back, I said that I did not enjoy my time with the game, but I still respected what it was doing, and its dedication to the small niche it aimed to cater to. This was a game that was very firmly about Driving, not Racing, and the challenge within the game was trying to navigate harsh environments rather than beating an opponent or a timer. I absolutely loved how much love and care went into that game, but I found the experience playing it to be frustrating and nerve-wracking in a way I just could not enjoy.

Now that I’ve played its sequel, SnowRunner, I think I finally get it.

Released in 2020 on PC and Xbox One, and ported to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in 2021, SnowRunner was originally meant to be released as MudRunner 2, and it’s easy to see why, as the gameplay here is clearly an expansion of what we already saw in the original MudRunner. However, there have been some changes here that really benefit the game and help to highlight the actual fun here.

The map size of SnowRunner is greatly expanded compared to MudRunner, and in part because of this, this sequel is better able to capitalize on the open-ended design that was already present in the previous game, but never put to good use. SnowRunner takes that open design and actually uses it to make this a true Open-World game, complete with towers that reveal parts of the map (thankfully, you don’t need to get out and climb them to do so), quests that repair bridges that can allow access to new areas and upgrades hidden around the environment that give players a reason to explore the harsh terrain.

While I know many have grown weary of Open World games, here they absolutely make the difference, because it’s that much sweeter after you spend a half hour struggling to get your vehicle out of a ditch when you crest the hill you’ve been looking at to discover what’s on the other side is a new truck, or a mission you couldn’t access before, or a new upgrade.

And yes, let me make it absolutely clear, if you play this game, you will spend a half hour struggling to get out of the same ditch. These games are hard, and not because you’re given some impossible task, but because the game will absolutely make you work to accomplish that task, even if it’s just getting from point A to point B, even if point A and point B are within line of sight of each other. Traversing that distance often means navigating through a metaphorical minefield of mud, slush, water, snow, and ice, struggling to get just a few feet at times, or trying to jostle your car just far enough in one direction that you’re within range of an object you can attach a winch to so you can drag yourself out of the muck.

That much has never looked prettier though, at least on Nintendo Switch. To be sure, there have definitely been some severe graphical downgrades from other versions of the game here. The low resolution makes everything a bit blurry, and there’s plenty of pop-in for bushes and other details, and transparency for chain link fences that pops in mere feet ahead of you. Yet even despite these graphical issues, the incredible textures, deforming environments, excellent changing weather conditions, beautiful lighting, and wonderful reflective surfaces. And while this game retains its predecessor’s beautiful-looking mud, it adds to that what may be the best-looking snow I can ever recall seeing in a videogame. This is paired with some decent vehicle noises and a soundtrack with a lot of acoustic guitar and some vaguely old-fashioned eidetic radio music.

Beyond the gameplay that some may find frustrating, and graphical downgrade to get the game on Nintendo Switch, there are some other issues as well. The menus are needlessly confusing, and make some questionable choices. For example, you will use the winch a lot in this game, but after you go into the menu to set up where you’re winching to and from, the game makes you exit the menu manually, forcing an extra step every time you do this.

Also, I need to mention that while the Nintendo Switch release of MudRunner contained the American Wilds expansion, perhaps in exchange for the game’s late release and downgraded visuals, the Nintendo Switch release of SnowRunner has no such content included here – if you want extra content, you’ll either need to buy a bundle or get the paid DLC separately.

In the end, SnowRunner still has a lot of rough edges, and the core experience is not one that will appeal to everyone, but this is still a huge leap over the previous game. I could actually see myself enjoying being stuck in the mud for a half hour now, which seems like an odd thing to say, but it’s a testament to how well-done this game’s niche gameplay is.

tl;dr – SnowRunner is an Open-World Simulation-style Driving Game that is a sequel to MudRunner, and improves on it quite a bit with its Open-World elements making the game’s punishing, slow-paced gameplay more rewarding. And while this game definitely received a visual downgrade on Nintendo Switch, it remains gorgeous despite the graphical issues this version has. Overall, SnowRunner is still an extremely niche game that not everyone will enjoy, but it is much-improved over its predecessor, and those who this game speaks to will surely be delighted.

Grade: B-

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