SnowRunner - Challenge Your Limits in These Freezing Conditions

Edited by Editorial Team2022-03-07

The snow covers the entire valley with a silver-white coat, and the once lively lake is now frozen solid. Even the bravest people would be shocked by such a scene. Under the cover of ice and snow, the force of nature releases its power to its fullest, using extreme weather and steep roads to test every driver who wants to conquer it.



Ice, snow and speed, these three elements are intertwined to form a passionate steel symphony. If road driving is a test of spirit and skill, then running on mountain roads and snow is a test of courage and willpower. But have you ever thought that we can also feel this kind of fun and passion in the video game world? It's up to you to become the king of the mountains with the truck as your steed.



When it comes to mountain cross-country games, I believe that many people will think of the name Dirt. It is true that in the past ten years, Dirtt has gained a bunch of fans thanks to its real sense of off-road mechanics and an adrenaline fueled racing experience. However, this year's SnowRunner game developed by Saber Interactive, interprets the charm of mountain driving from another perspective.



For Saber Interactive, I believe that players who know about driving simulation games will be familiar with their previous games. For example MudRunner has received a lot of praise for its highly detailed terrain and physics. Saber Interactive once again challenged the mountains. SnowRunner allows us to drive off-road vehicles and trucks to freely traverse the snow and mountains. The difficulty of the game is more diversified. It not only tests our responsiveness, but also emphasizes the players' grasp and judgment of the timings for acceleration and speed. Compared with ordinary racing games, SnowRunner will put more emphasis on the player's decision-making ability. For players who are used to racing on the track, the slow-paced mountain trek will be a test of the player's patience.



Compared with BeamNG. Drive which offers a more realistic simulation experience, SnowRunner is more inclined to hard core and slower pace, but offers a strong sense of accomplishment. The game takes place in a sandbox-like open world. Time does not appear to be very important here, but it comes with harsh terrain and extreme weather conditions. The innovative level design of the game allows us to deeply experience different situations, such as swamps that will sink tires, muddy ponds with potholes, and snowy roads which will have you sliding around if you aren't careful. SnowRunner asks players to concentrate and focus on the extreme conditions while also transporting goods from one location to the next.



SnowRunner doesn't only reward players for reaching their destination. Similar games will have players tackle highly difficult situations and give them a reward for completing the task, SnowRunner rewards players for their patience and decision making.


SnowRunner has excellent level design which requires us to plan and use the correct tools, reasonably use what fuel you have, in addition to testing the player's vehicle skills. The judgment of the overall route and the difficulty of the task will affect our entire transportation process. Experience is key. However, it is worth mentioning that in this game, failure doesn't mean the game is over, and sometimes some small mistakes such as your tires getting stuck in a swamp, the engine stalling and even difficulty climbing slopes, will lead you to failing the current task but you can always complete another one.



The game has a very accurate weight recognition and physics system. When the tires of the vehicle drive through different terrains, the terrain will change due to the weight of the vehicle. This system is also used by Saber Interactive in their previous games, so they are experienced in simulated such environments and scenarios. However, the difficulty of the game is not as simple as being easy or hard. As long as you plan your routes in detail before setting off, you shouldn't have too many difficulties unless you stray from your path. It's possible to gain the upper hand in this battle with nature. But if you embark on the journey without thinking, it will only end in disaster.



Whether it's the swampy Louisiana, the windy Colorado, or the frozen Alaska. We can all experience the different charms of these scenes in the game. SnowRunner brings us a much richer experience compared to their previous titles. The tasks and missions you can undertake are plentiful as well, not just relying on the usual get from Point A to Point B style missions. In addition to freight tasks, we can also help local trucks drive out of the mud, or rescue drowning vehicles, and assist broken-down vehicles returning them to the road. The overall play time of the game can feel a little too long. After all, it is not easy to transport the goods once, so repeating this time and time again can be a little boring. Due to this, the time it takes to complete all these means could easily exceed 100 hours.


However, what is regrettable is that even though the game has just been released, many functions and features need to be further improved. For example, the driving experience of certain vehicles feels a little off. High-horsepower vehicles like these will show excellent ability when facing the harsh terrain, but on flat roads, they will sometimes shake from side to side similar to skidding for no reason. The sound of the vehicle is also a little lacking. However, as a transportation game, although there is still room for improvement in the driving experience of some vehicles, the truck performance in the game still has the heaviness and muscle power we would expect. In the game, we spend most of our time in these trucks. Whether traveling on winding roads or in mountains, these huge metal horses with wheels can become our reliable partners.


In addition, although the game is not a racing game in the traditional sense, the perspective inside the car is extremely realistic. We can even feel the sensation of bumps and tremors during driving, such as when climbing a mountain or driving along a trail.The perspective of the car will change due to the terrain, which enhances the experience of simulated driving, but this can be experienced only from the first-person perspective. The third person view definitely feels more catered towards action games like GTA, whereas the first person view has much more charm to it. At present, the game can support up to four players in online mode. Some of the levels and tasks are specially created for cooperative mode. Even some mechanics, such as car overturning, anchoring and fuel sharing give this game a unique social experience.Even if someone isn’t used to this game, you can easily tackle these tasks together. In the face of more difficult tasks, establishing your own transportation team and solving problems with your companions will raise the overall experience of the game to a higher level.



As a realistic transportation simulation game, SnowRunner stands out when compared to many other games in this genre. Players with a wider sense of imagination will get huge amounts of enjoyment from this game and experiencing this with friends only enhances the fun further. So now it's your turn. Turn the key, let the engine roar and conquer the terrain!


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