Good off-road simulators for the PC are hard to come by, and pretty much all of the good ones are independently developed, or indie games. This means that they are created by teams of enthusiasts who are not pleased with the mainstream offerings and who want to make a game they would want to play, not a game with mass appeal like the big publishers do.
Spintires is like that, and it shows in the execution and thinking behind this Kickstarter project for a serious mud-plugging simulator.
What UK-based developer Oovee Game Studios wants to achieve with the game is to have the player “Take responsibility of operating large off-road trucks and venture across the all-terrain landscapes with only a map and compass to guide you.”
More specifically, the “wild off-road adventure begins in Russia, circa 1980-90. You are supplied with a soviet truck and a set of primitive tools for navigation. The task is to collect and deliver logs from deep within the wilderness, ready for shipment abroad.”
What makes it all really fun is the way in which the vehicles are controlled, how they react to the environment and how they affect it. For instance, if you are stuck in one place of soft mud, if you keep spinning the tires, you will create deep trenches and you’ll barely be able to see the tops of your vehicle’s wheels…
However, all-wheel drive along with locking differentials will get you out almost every time, especially in the 8×8 MAZ 537 truck you drive in the demo. Check it out, but don’t blame us if you end up spending far too much time playing it.
By Andrei Nedelea
VIDEO