GamesSimExpeditions: A MudRunner Game is a change in focus for the series, but mud is still the starWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesSimExpeditions: A MudRunner Game is a change in focus for the series, but mud is still the starWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Focus Entertainment)
It was meant to be the most simple part of my mission: get from A to B so I could start using the hefty metal scanner attached to the top of my truck to search for resources. A mere two minutes into this challenge and my truck was upside down, the engine was knackered and I was using every curse in my vocabulary. This is off-roading life.
(Image credit: Focus Entertainment)
The shift from being part of a trucking company that hauls hefty cargo to being part of a scientific research team also means you get a lot of new gadgets. Particularly useful for reckless drivers like me are the jackscrew that lets you flip over upside down vehicles and reusable anchors that let you use your winch even when there aren’t any trees around.
Some items are a bit more high-tech. I found the echo sounder particularly handy, as it shows you how deep the water is when you’re trying to ford a river or swamp. If water gets into your vehicle it can cause damage, and it’s easy to get stuck when you’re out of your depth, so this wee toy is invaluable. The drone, meanwhile, emphasises scouting ahead, letting you take to the skies to sneak a peek at upcoming obstacles.
(Image credit: Focus Entertainment)
Even with a vehicle full of gizmos, though, there’s a lot of trial and error involved as you go to war with Expeditions' rugged terrain. When my truck was flipped over for the first time, I attached the winch to a tree on a cliff above me, dragging my vehicle into a vertical position, leaving it part of the way up a cliff before I got stuck again. Detaching the winch sent me plummeting back to the ground, where I once again landed upside down. More swearing ensued. But also plenty of laughter.
If you keep your foot on the pedal and keep spinning the steering wheel, maybe you’ll free yourself from this prison of mud and rocks.
If you keep your foot on the pedal and keep spinning the steering wheel, maybe you’ll free yourself from this prison of mud and rocks.
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Sometimes you just need to persevere. If you keep your foot on the pedal and keep spinning the steering wheel, maybe you’ll free yourself from this prison of mud and rocks. These moments transport me back to road trips with my family, where my dad would stubbornly refuse to turn around even if we were lost or about to get stuck. Most of the time it wouldn’t pay off, but when it did, well I’ve never seen anyone look so satisfied to not learn any lessons.
(Image credit: Focus Entertainment)
(Image credit: Focus Entertainment)
Completing missions nets you cash you can spend on upgrading your vehicles, and your garage will fill up with new trucks and 4X4s with different specialties. You’ll also be able to spend some of that cash on hiring flesh and blood humans, who’ll join the research team. These new friends come with bonuses, so you can take less water damage, or the effectiveness of your gadgets is improved. I’m a fan of the largely pointless biographies that they come with, too. I don’t need to know that my logistics expert used to be a complete horndog and was once a pilot, but it’s good to know who you’re working with.
The change in focus from hauling cargo to exploring really appeals to me, but it doesn’t seem like anything has been lost in the switch. You’re still trying to force hefty vehicles through unforgiving wildernesses, and you’ll still be making deliveries and embarking on familiar activities like rescuing stranded vehicles, towing them out of rivers and mud. There’s just a greater emphasis on exploring even more untamed maps. It feels more additive than completely transformative, which feels right for a formula that’s proven to be so compelling.
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