RoadCraft proved a surprisingly controversial entry in Saber Interactive’s series of grungy vehicle sims after launching in May. It expanded upon SnowRunner’s logistics simulation with systems like convoy automation and an emphasis on constructing road networks (hence the name). But these bigger features came at the cost of a more simplistic driving model, leaving players who preferred the stern navigational challenge of SnowRunner put out.
Now, though, Saber has released an update to RoadCraft that folds some of that driving complexity back in. Or at least, it gives players the option to reinstate it themselves if they so choose. The update adds a “hard mode” to RoadCraft in the form of several difficulty modifiers, each of which can be toggled on or off depending on how granular you want the experience to be.
For driving fans, the key additions are limited fuel and “realistic” gearboxes—the latter of which basically means that RoadCraft now supports manual gear-shifting. Frankly, it’s wild that RoadCraft launched without this functionality. Fuel management and manual driving are standard features in most dedicated driving sims, let alone a game born from the legacy of SnowRunner and its predecessors. Making them optional is understandable, given RoadCraft clearly wants to appeal to a broader audience. But to release without them entirely? That’s a choice.
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Not all the new difficulty modifiers relate specifically to driving, though. Some tighten the purse strings of RoadCraft’s economy by adding extra costs to bridges and vehicles. Others reduce the number of convoys available to players, and implement “realistic quarry zones” (whatever that means). One downside of these options is that you can’t switch them on for your existing game. If you want to play with hard mode enabled, you’ll have to start from scratch.
The 4.0 update coincides with the launch of RoadCraft’s first expansion pack. Titled ‘Rebuild’, the DLC primarily introduces two new maps for you to explore. The first of these is called Contamination, and boasts the exciting premise of containing a derailed train that was carrying toxic cargo. The other, Wash Out, involves tackling “flooding and marsh drainage”, which I’m sure is exciting to someone.
Combined, the two maps add a total of 100 new missions to RoadCraft. The DLC also introduces a new vehicle—the Vostok MU-97 Ant Bridge Layer—as well as four variants for existing vehicles to the experience. All told, it sounds like a decent chunk of new stuff. But it’s those difficulty changes that are most likely to repair RoadCraft’s reputation among the more dedicated corners of the community.
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