Spintires: Mudrunner/snowrunner

[Wolfe]

This is the closest to a 'green-laning' sim that I have come across, its great fun even if I can't reverse a semi for toffee.

Four-wheeling games have been done before, but Spintires is one of a kind. 👍

Timing didn't work out for me to get Mudrunner yesterday, but it's ordered now. The comments here have me looking forward to the improvements and challenges.

 

[Flash_Sweden]

Just finished the Climb a Hill challenge. That was tough using the dash cam. I finally had to give up, do the challenge outside so I could see where the "road" was, and then go back and do it with the dashcam to get the final star.

I had no idea the slowest driving game in existence could also be the most fun.

That’s a challenge that lives up to the name “challenge”. At first, I just do them as easy as possible, to unlock the next one. That way I won’t get stuck on one and get frustrated that I can’t get 3 stars.

I really wanted to shoot myself last night. I knew it was a bad idea to take a shortcut to deliver a semitrailer to unlock a garage, but did it anyway.
First of all, on my way to the garage, I made a small mistake by attempting to take a shortcut across a small deforestation. At night. The number of stumps that I got stuck at is ridicolous.

After that, the trailer got stuck in a small stream of water. I winched my way out of the water, only to get stuck immediately after, with nothing to winch to. So, switch to an 8-wheeldrive truck to drive over to tow myself out of there. Winch myself loose again, and all is good. Drive the 8WD out of the way to drive the last 40 meters to the garage.
Now, there’s a slope just before getting to the garage. I’m coming at it in an angle, and realize too late that it’s not as easy as I first anticipated. The truck stops at the edge of the slope, with the front wheels hanging in the air(just outside of the garage area), the rear tires squashed into the ground by the trailer and the trailer in a really awkward angle.
As I’m getting angrier at myself to have made such a stupid noob-mistake, I’m getting really fast on the buttons, which makes me not connect the winch in the back of the trailer to the 8WD, but to disconnect the trailer And of course, with the trailer in an angle that’s far from level, it tips over.
After 5 minutes using the 8WD to push it over, obviously without succeeding, I just gave up.
Picked up a new garage trailer and completed the map without any more big ****ips

 

[leeislee]

It took me about an hour to get used to the camera. Once you use the left/right on the d-pad to reset and change the camera combined with swinging the camera side to side etc, you can mostly get a good view of where you are going. It's not perfect but I can live with it.

The engine startup exhaust just never gets boring! Great game so far but I can see it being a long and slow slog.

 

[Tyger]

I already had Spintires installed, and the Mudrunner install via Steam is just 816MB. Bit leaner than I expected, so I guess it is more of an update really. Still not sure what I think about it, but I guess I should play it first!

 

[Flash_Sweden]

I already had Spintires installed, and the Mudrunner install via Steam is just 816MB. Bit leaner than I expected, so I guess it is more of an update really. Still not sure what I think about it, but I guess I should play it first!

The entire game is only 1,65 Gb on PS4.

I’m pleased with the game. My only big issue is that I’ve had the game crash in multiple occasions. One map crashes 4 times before I was done with it.
I’ve also lost a garagetrailer due to the truck hitting a fallen tree at maybe 3 km/h. The truck and trailer got ejected a full truck length into the air, with the trailer landing on its side.
All of this was on the map “Crossing”.

Also, I’m not a big fan of how the maps are so obviously remakes of the maps in the original game. They’ve basically just given those maps a few tweaks here and there.

 

[JDM Jeff]

Hi all I'm having difficulty with a challenge (Truck Rescue) where you have to tow a truck with a utility trailer with a small 4x4 on there too, while you drive another truck wth a tanker trailer.

Tasks is to tow the truck (drive mode and not pull) to the spot where a truck needs pulling out of the water which will need repairing and refuelling then complete the task with the truck and utility trailer all this has to be done in night mode.
Sounds easy doesn't it?
Well here's the problem can I get up to the submerged truck but soon as I start to pull out, the truck I'm in starts getting pulled into the water, it's right by the fast flowing streams, I've tried it from all angles to no success I've also tried using the tanker, the little 4x4 that's on the back of the utility trailer (that didn't end well either).
I'm at a loss as I've completed the previous tasks in challenges without any issues.

 

[Flash_Sweden]

I struggled with the third crossing. Always failed by either truck getting caught by the water, or not getting enough traction to get the lead truck onto land.

The only time I tried towing the submerged truck, I got it out.

My mind told me that the truck with the utility trailer (C-255?) is the one with the best towing capability.
So I just parked the trailer, drove down to the subtruck and towed it. Both by reversing(it will dig down and beeing more secure) and by winching.
As soon as I couldn’t get the subtruck any closer, I disconnected, switched to the orange truck, disconnected the trailer and towed the first truck (C-255?) from its wheeldeep holes.
I then repositioned the first truck(C-255?), hooked onto the subtruck on its right side and tipped it over onto its wheels.

Not a quick tow, but it got the job done. Good luck.

 

[Rage Racer]

So, I tested it. Completed some challanges and started the main game (in Hardcore mode).

What can I say... The gameplay is generally same as in the original game, but there are some differences. The graphics feels better, the old maps take some time to recognize that they were in the old Spintires. The physics is slightly different, too. The winch can now break small trees if you pull by them being too heavily stuck. I started the first map with a mod from Workshop (a tuned 1985 Chevy K5 Blazer), and when I jumped from a cliff on it, I rolled over, doing a 360 flip. This Blazer is very powerful, but if you drive too fast on a bumpy terrain, it will damage itself.

When I was playing with this car, my game had crashed twice. Perhaps it's a problem of the mod. There were no crashes in the challenges...

The game supports my wheel (Logitech Driving Force GT), like the original game, but you have to assign all controls manually. But for some reason, I can't assign the gear shifting to the wheel (this was possible in the old Spintires).

The cockpit view is a good addition, but the roof camera was removed. It was pretty useful in the old game and it could be in Mudrunner, too.

Also, a gameplay note. If you get stuck spinning the tires in mud, instead of pushing the gas to the max, try applying the throttle smoothly. If you play on a keyboard, push the gas key repeatedly to simulate the low throttle. This will provide more traction on mud and more chances to keep moving.

My mind told me that the truck with the utility trailer (C-255?) is the one with the best towing capability.

The KrAZ 255 (the real name of "C-255") is the heaviest 6-wheel truck in this game. In reality, it was used to tow airplanes.
The only better tractors in Spintires are K-700 (Kirovets) and MAZ 8-wheelers.

 

[Joey D]

When I was playing with this car, my game had crashed twice. Perhaps it's a problem of the mod. There were no crashes in the challenges...

It's the mode, the same thing happened to me when I tried it. I uninstalled the mod and haven't had an issue since.

Also, a gameplay note. If you get stuck spinning the tires in mud, instead of pushing the gas to the max, try applying the throttle smoothly. If you play on a keyboard, push the gas key repeatedly to simulate the low throttle. This will provide more traction on mud and more chances to keep moving.

Every off-roader knows that when you get stuck the only way to get unstuck is maximum power. Also, Colin McRae once said, "when in doubt, flat out".



But no, you're right, ease the throttle and you'll be able to get through pretty much anything. I'm glad they modeled that in the game, I'd been disappointed if they hadn't./

 

[Wolfe]

I got my copy and I'm very impressed! It took a bit to memorize all the controls and more time to learn a few obtuse quirks of the UI, but the interface and controls are slick compared to the original. The physics and gameplay are more balanced and enjoyable, IMO; for example, the A-469 is capable of finding better traction and less likely to dig itself stuck, while the heavier trucks suffer more for their weight than before, so they're not as invincible. The (relatively-)high speed physics also seem improved.

The attention to detail is brilliant; I noticed your truck can leave iridescent patches of oil/diesel floating on water after you've driven through it!

Also, I’m not a big fan of how the maps are so obviously remakes of the maps in the original game. They’ve basically just given those maps a few tweaks here and there.

I don't mind Mudrunner being a remake because I got the first game for cheap, but from what I've seen so far the maps seem better to navigate and more interesting now.

 

[Populuxe]

I was able to get all three stars in the Night Safari challenge, but not all at the same time. I just now finished the log truck challenge. I'm going to keep working my way through the challenges before I take on the single-player part of the game.

 

[Small_Fryz]

Having a lot of fun playing this game.

Chasing trophies for the first time in any game I've played. Seems to really add another dimension to it!!

https://psnprofiles.com/trophies/6883-spintires-mudrunner/Small_Fryz

Anybody got some tips on how to load the Class A car into the back of your truck?? I can't figure that one out.

Edit: - Found a vid!

I'm probably a game away from trying my first hardcore session, I really wanted to play a great chunk of the game first and understand all the dynamics before jumping into hardcore, having never played the first Spintires I just wanted some good fun and not get too frustrated, however now having completed all maps and all challenges to 3 stars + chased down a few harder trophies I feel ready!!

I really had fun delivering only long logs to the mill and the other one that was a bit of a challenge was filling a mill with only B130's (needing to pretty much be towed by a bigger truck the whole way).

 

[nobuffalo]

Here's how I accidentally achieved the Carrier trophy!

 

[Small_Fryz]

@casey_2005 Surprised you managed to lift it!!

I did actually try that and I couldn't get it to work!

Edit: Completed the bog on hardcore. Pretty fun 👍, just have to watch that extra fuel use and be much more strategic in the mud with the winch and throttle control. Glad I got used to the game before diving into hardcore, I think I would have found it a little frustrating otherwise.

 

[Scaff]

My thoughts:

 

[Small_Fryz]

Nice review @Scaff 👍.

Has anybody got any more information on the various trucks available and the pro's con's of each of them?? It seems a bit hit n miss to decide whats better or not etc, I would like to see a ranking or at least a detailed description of each so it can make picking them more enjoyable. Purposely picking a "weaker" truck or going with a Multi-purpose one etc.

Only thing I have found so far is that the C255 and C260 are the only ones able to tow long logs?

 

[MXH]

Picked up the game today and spent about 5-6 hours casually messing around on the first map (The Bog). Tried to deliver logs twice but failed miserably after getting stuck during night time & unable to recover and the second time tipping over barely 500 metres from the mill. Nevertheless, I'm really liking the game so far. My biggest gripe with the game is the camera. Not so much the controls but I'd like to have a wider FoV. The HUD needs to have a quick option the be hidden as well.

​

 

[Wolfe]

Since there have been multiple comments about the camera, I have some advice to share about that and other quirks:

The Camera -- The trick is that it moves in two parts, as if the camera is on a rod in a socket. Your initial input might only pivot the rod within the socket, but once you bump the rod against the socket you begin to move the socket itself. It's unusual, but you can control the camera's location as well as its orientation, making it more useful for this game than the typical rotating chase cam.

When I need a whole new camera angle, I first swing the socket around to move the camera into position, and then pivot the rod to aim the camera. It's a two-step deal, and quick enough with practice.

Attaching Trailers -- Once your truck is in position, you're supposed to use the D-pad in advanced mode to select and activate the hitch (small circle on the trailer). "The Rig" teaches you this in challenge mode, but I know I forgot the next time I needed to attach a trailer.

Loading Logs in Hardcore Mode -- In hardcore mode you're left to load logs manually. This means using a crane attachment or the K-700 to load your truck's bed(s). However, you only need a few logs to count as a load depending on their length (ie. four short logs, two long logs). Once you've got them in, switch to advanced mode to pack the load like attaching a trailer.

Automatic Shifting Kills Momentum -- When you're driving over patchy sections of mud or water you may lose momentum if the transmission decides to shift gears. In the right situation you can keep your speed up with the high range manual gear (1+). To engage it without stalling, quickly shift into it when you're already moving.

Has anybody got any more information on the various trucks available and the pro's con's of each of them?? It seems a bit hit n miss to decide whats better or not etc, I would like to see a ranking or at least a detailed description of each so it can make picking them more enjoyable. Purposely picking a "weaker" truck or going with a Multi-purpose one etc.

Only thing I have found so far is that the C255 and C260 are the only ones able to tow long logs?

I haven't unlocked or used all of them yet, but this wiki for the original game is a good start. If you want a "weaker" truck, the rear wheel drive B-130 is real hardcore. There's a trophy for completing a mill with only the B-130.

 

[nobuffalo]

Yeah I actually like the camera in most all situations and hope if they do change it it's not a radical change or they at least keep the current one with the addition of a new one. The only time it gives me any issues anymore is when in close proximity to other players. Really it just takes a little practice. When starting the game I took some time familiarizing myself with it's movements, kinda explaining to myself in my head how it works, and with continued use during gameplay it has become very natural to put it where it's needed.

I freaking love the game. I've always been into off-roading/driving in the mud and the physics really feel great. The sounds are superb, the squishing mud, the breaking and snapping of limbs and whatnot, the engine noises, all of them sound great. The engine noise from the UAZ sounds similar to the F4 Hurricane engine in the old Willys Jeeps so it really adds some realism to me by bringing me back to my off-roading memories.

I like how the environment reacts and changes. I spent probably 30 minutes last night just trying to get up a little hill that was giving me trouble and by the end of it I basically created and little mud pit from and area that originally was covered with vegetation. Knocking down little saplings is very enjoyable and once you unlock one of the 8 wheeled rigs it's a blast trying to see how large of a tree you can take down. The details are great. The way the mud sticks to the tires and how it reacts under the weight of your vehicle, the oily water, the movement of the suspension and steering components, the spinning of the driveshafts, it's all quite well done.

There are some areas that could use improvement though. The interface is a bit of a pain and the map is a bit wonky. It would be nice to have a small GTA style map on the HUD, speaking of HUD it would be nice to be able to turn it off. I think this might be the one time I've actually seen a use for the big touch pad button on the DS4, I feel like they could program some extra uses out of that thing instead of solely bringing up the map. Would be great to also be able to switch to a overhead view of the map if needed. I'd love to see some lights from other players in multiplayer if it is doable. Also other objectives in the single player maps would be nice instead of solely delivering logs and it would seem it wouldn't be too difficult to implement some kind of objective maker. Working mirrors in cockpit view and more movement would be nice.

I could actually go on and on with little improvements or additions but really it's a pretty good game. I feel like anybody who enjoys creeping around in the mud in real life or crawling over rocks will really enjoy it. It's a very relaxing game with it's slow pace, I'm very glad they brought it to consoles and really hope they figure out how to bring mods in the near future because I'm really interested in piloting some old Willys Jeeps.

 

[GOPhater]

Getting used to the camera now. This game takes me back to being a kid and playing with Tonka Toys. It's great with a good pair of headphones on.

 

[Small_Fryz]

I haven't unlocked or used all of them yet, but this wiki for the original game is a good start. If you want a "weaker" truck, the rear wheel drive B-130 is real hardcore. There's a trophy for completing a mill with only the B-130.

I must admit I did the trophy for this one (Fill a mill only with B130's) however I towed them both with a C375 or equivalent

I just completed the crossing on hardcore, now taking my total to 4 of the 6 maps and I must admit I really do like the hardcore aspect and fun it brings as well. In normal you can just floor it everywhere and it goes through, but in hardcore I found myself adjusting the 1/3 - 2/3 throttle inputs a lot in order to get through mud without sinking.

My main strategy is to start with one 3 star truck and a jeep, then unlock the vehicles and garages on the map and use the jeep to unlock waypoints along the way (recalling it as you get close by within normal travel in the other trucks, so as to save time doubling back) and then once I have a route planned and the order of mills sorted I make sure I have fuel covered by either a station along the way or using one of the other trucks I've unlocked with a fuel addon, then I use the crane log holder with the medium log trailer x 2, this allows 4 points each with two lots of trucks both with the ability to load with the crane. Saved my ass on the crossing as I tipped over winching myself out onto one of the middle islands and was able to use the second truck to flip and then the crane to repack, saving my load! Luckily not losing it to the current! If I had to position the second truck to also reload the log it would have been almost impossible.

A sneaky way to deliver logs faster is to manually load 6 medium logs and not pack it, then drive to the mill. Unload 3 to the side, pack it and deliver, then reload the 3 and pack it and bam, 8 points. Pretty dodgy but can be used if you really want to burn through a level. I must admit it kinda defeats the purpose, however if you are just unlocking stuff on casual then its not so bad.

Tomorrow I'll give downhill a go on Hardcore, looking forward to getting up that back hill as even on Casual it was tough. Might need to actually use one of the big trucks for once!

If anybody has any questions chasing trophies let me know, I'm now at 92%, only needing to hardcore the last 2 maps and then the 3 online ones.

 

[nobuffalo]

A sneaky way to deliver logs faster is to manually load 6 medium logs and not pack it, then drive to the mill. Unload 3 to the side, pack it and deliver, then reload the 3 and pack it and bam, 8 points. Pretty dodgy but can be used if you really want to burn through a level. I must admit it kinda defeats the purpose, however if you are just unlocking stuff on casual then its not so bad.

This. This dawned on me after my first tip over in I think The Bog when I had to get the K-700 to reload them. Initially my thoughts were it might make the truck less likely to flip because if the logs are unpacked the behavior and weight of the truck might be different but after driving to the mill then packing them I realized it would be an easy way to cheat the game and save some time. That said I've only done it one other time to see if it works because as you said it defeats the purpose. I do wonder how many can be loaded in unpacked.

 

[VXR]

I fly home today, I can't wait to get on it.

 

[MMX]

I don't have a problem with the camera so much, but the steering not auto centering in a timely manner, can be a pain.

 

[nobuffalo]

@MMX - A pain perhaps but in certain situations it's actually quite realistic. I think on certain surfaces the time it takes to auto center is realistic such as mud and whatnot but on the paved roads I'd agree it should probably do it a touch quicker. It's possible it's something that hasn't been modeled into the physics.

I'm currently trying to get the A-3151 across Deluge unassisted but I think I might be stranded on one of the islands in the NE corner of the map. The nearest island is a good distance and the current really seems to have picked up. I sure wish I would have equipped the repair rack and spare tire.

 

[Rage Racer]

Was driving on a map with a mod (K5 Blazer) and the game crashed during saving and I can't continue. Now I restarted it without mods.

Nice review @Scaff 👍.

Has anybody got any more information on the various trucks available and the pro's con's of each of them?? It seems a bit hit n miss to decide whats better or not etc, I would like to see a ranking or at least a detailed description of each so it can make picking them more enjoyable. Purposely picking a "weaker" truck or going with a Multi-purpose one etc.

Only thing I have found so far is that the C255 and C260 are the only ones able to tow long logs?

C-256 may be able too (but I haven't tested yet), since it's a KrAZ too. Same size as 255, but no AWD (6x4 only). KrAZ (255, 256 and 260) are the heaviest 6-wheelers in the game. The Ural trucks (375 and 4320) are the lower class, can carry medium logs with cranes. KamAZ (the hoodless, cab over engine layout trucks, except for B-66 - that one is a GAZ) are the in same category, have similar weight and load. ZiL 131 (B-131) is smaller, can carry medium logs but without a crane. As for another ZiL (130), you already know it. And the B-66 (GAZ 66 with KamAZ face) can't carry any logs at all, only fuel, repair and garage parts.

If you're interested, I might post a list of brief specs (engine power, drivetrain and weight) of the real counterparts of the game's vehicles. I suppose they should be close in the game.

Picked up the game today and spent about 5-6 hours casually messing around on the first map (The Bog). Tried to deliver logs twice but failed miserably after getting stuck during night time & unable to recover and the second time tipping over barely 500 metres from the mill. Nevertheless, I'm really liking the game so far. My biggest gripe with the game is the camera. Not so much the controls but I'd like to have a wider FoV. The HUD needs to have a quick option the be hidden as well.

​

In the original Spintires, there was an option to disable HUD on screenshots...
These are my pics from that game:

 

[Small_Fryz]

C-256 may be able too (but I haven't tested yet), since it's a KrAZ too. Same size as 255, but no AWD (6x4 only). KrAZ (255, 256 and 260) are the heaviest 6-wheelers in the game. The Ural trucks (375 and 4320) are the lower class, can carry medium logs with cranes. KamAZ (the hoodless, cab over engine layout trucks, except for B-66 - that one is a GAZ) are the in same category, have similar weight and load. ZiL 131 (B-131) is smaller, can carry medium logs but without a crane. As for another ZiL (130), you already know it. And the B-66 (GAZ 66 with KamAZ face) can't carry any logs at all, only fuel, repair and garage parts.

If you're interested, I might post a list of brief specs (engine power, drivetrain and weight) of the real counterparts of the game's vehicles. I suppose they should be close in the game.

Thanks 👍
And if you have that information easily accessible then yes!! it would be very interesting.
So the C375 isn't quite as good as the C260? I guess considering the C260 can install a crane, while the C255 can't, the C260 would be one of the best vehicles to start with then. I'm about a quarter through downhill on hardcore now, having unlocked the second garage, got two 375's fully equipped with crane and medium log trailers and now just maneuvering the B-66 near the first log mill so I wont run out of fuel. I like to try and plan ahead and spend time "setting up the map" rather than just going for it and seeing what happens .

 

[Scuderia Paul]

I decided to leave MudRunner until Christmas as Assetto Corsa, PCars2 and Wildlands will suffice. However, having watched some more footage it will be a long wait. I love exploring in games and MudRunner is one of those games I have wanted on console for a long time.

Can't wait to get stuck in.

 

[Wolfe]

I must admit I did the trophy for this one (Fill a mill only with B130's) however I towed them both with a C375 or equivalent

I considered doing the B-130 trophy on The Bog (I finished The Island first), but after using it to help open up the second garage, I figured that would be a rather lengthy ordeal.

I like to challenge myself in this game, because I feel taking risks and getting yourself into a struggle is the spirit of offroading. I won't even recall the A-469 unless it's pretty much beyond reach; on The Island I tipped over while descending one of the mountains (getting the Climber trophy, but I would have climbed the mountains anyway!) and fought hard to get one of the six-wheelers up far enough to winch the A-469 onto its wheels!

While I was up there, I tried to climb one of the rock spires and found they're just like the large rock formations in the first game, in that their collision boundaries are screwy and different from how the rock appears. But I got as far up as I could for some screenshots:

Each time I tried to reach the very top, at least one of my wheels popped underground and became stuck (I had to recall the A-469 to start over). I did the best I could:

 

[Small_Fryz]

I considered doing the B-130 trophy on The Bog (I finished The Island first), but after using it to help open up the second garage, I figured that would be a rather lengthy ordeal.

I couldn't imagine actually using the B130 to deliver logs.... It can barely make it anywhere with no cargo. I ended up having both with logs in the back + trailer however the back is worth 2 points + 3 points a trailer, so you could go with no logs in the back of one of them to be lighter. However using a big truck to tow it the entire way wasn't overly hard. I completed it on the seashore map as the pathway to the first Lumber mill is quite straight forward.

I like to challenge myself in this game, because I feel taking risks and getting yourself into a struggle is the spirit of offroading. I won't even recall the A-469 unless it's pretty much beyond reach; on The Island I tipped over while descending one of the mountains (getting the Climber trophy, but I would have climbed the mountains anyway!) and fought hard to get one of the six-wheelers up far enough to winch the A-469 onto its wheels!

While I was up there, I tried to climb one of the rock spires and found they're just like the large rock formations in the first game, in that their collision boundaries are screwy and different from how the rock appears. But I got as far up as I could for some screenshots:

Thats an impressive climb!!

I just finished deluge on hardcore using 2x C260's, crossing in the middle waypoint. It took me longer than expected as I used one of the 260's to go back across at the top of the map to unlock the 2 trucks in the top right corner (K700 and B-66) which turned out to be pointless as I ended up flooding both the B-66 and the C260. I then had to unlock the biggest 8 wheeler with the other C260 (luckily I had managed to get both garage trailers across to unlock the garage, then go rescue both trucks with the 8 wheeler. Then I didn't even need the B-66 anyway!! This added probably an hour to my completion time .

Now I only need to unlock the remaining 3 multiplayer trophies... How does the multiplayer go? you guys played it much?? or is it hit n miss.