Buried in Backlog
Buried in Backlog
RoadCraft is Saber Interactive’s newest title in driving simulation games, but this game combines Saber's work over the last several years, with features from all of their previous titles and exciting new ones. This game puts the player in charge of a Recovery Company that goes to areas devastated by natural disasters to help repair infrastructure like power, roads, pipe replacement, and even supplies. You can do this alone or with up to three of your friends.
Image Source: Steam Store page
The game plays like other Saber games. You have Main and Side missions, and with this game, you also have the option to pave roads onto the entire map to make travel easy. Each of these missions will give you XP and cash to unlock new vehicles and expand your arsenal of heavy machinery. Some vehicles are unlocked by playing specific maps; others by leveling up. A change from SnowRunner to this game that I liked is that the DLC vehicles have to be purchased before you can use them, instead of just having them in your arsenal at the start.
Overall, the game feels great, and I enjoy every second of it, solo and with the boys. The maps are relatively long, and we completed Incommunicado in about 6-8 hours. That is doing all of the primary and side quests. The game runs really smoothly, and we’ve yet to encounter any graphical issues.
Image Source: Wingamestore Store page
As someone who has spent far too long in SnowRunner, I was surprised initially by what mechanics were not included in that game. Vehicle damage and gas mechanics were left out. I was disappointed initially, but the more I played, the more I realized how often those mechanics would bog down the gameplay of RoadCraft. With you having to manage so many other things and perform new tasks, stopping for gas or a repair just to scrounge for scrap would be an annoyance. They also simplified the shifter down to just button presses depending on the vehicle for the all wheel drive, low gear, and differential lock. I wasn’t a fan of this initially, but it’s grown on me
Our complaints are relatively small in the grand scheme of the game, but we’ll point them out anyway. It rains way too often. It’ll stop raining then; if it feels like 5-10 minutes go by, another rainstorm rolls in. The AI for the convoys can flip, roll, and get stuck on some of the most minor things. It’s not a huge deal or all that often, but it can be frustrating when you’ve spent 20 minutes clearing a path for them only to get stuck. Lastly, Saber's games' more hardcore fan base seems to have been left out with no modifiers to make the game more realistic or challenging as of the release.
Image Source: Epic Games Store page
RoadCraft is an excellent simulation game for those who want to relax and run a recovery company, building roads and impacting the game's environment. The multiplayer system is simple and easy to use, and it looks and feels fantastic, with only minor issues and no game-breaking bugs. The game reminds me of when I was outside as a kid playing in a dirt hole I was told not to make with all my Hot Wheels and construction vehicles.