Test conditions: We played explorers aboard our all-terrain vehicle for around fifteen hours, which allowed us to do a good part of the expeditions offered in the three regions. The title was tested on PC with 32 GB of RAM, an RTX 3070 and an i5-12400 (2.50 GHz).
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More accessible, but still punitive
Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game takes up well the mechanics established by the first episodes. In a redesigned interface, but still recognizable, you start your mission with the gear lever, the fuel interface, the differential block, but also the damage percentages of the different parts of your vehicle. The only little new thing here is the addition of tire pressure which can be useful for crossing environments that are too muddy or rocky. However, be careful not to let the pressure drop too much, otherwise you risk causing serious damage to your tires or suspensions.
It must be admitted, the gameplay of Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game remains pleasant in its pure simulation side. In addition, we feel a more pronounced accessibility in most missions, in order to attract newcomers to the license. The driving and inertia of the vehicles are strikingly realistic, however, with a cockpit view which, unfortunately, is not yet completely well polished, and even anecdotal. The title could be criticized for once again being a bit too extreme in its realism. The fault lies with a physical engine which is sometimes completely overused, which can make you feel punitive and unfair.
It's from there that we may feel an increased difficulty in the software, which is not always well balanced. If the numerous routes on specific quests are affordable at the beginning, the others quickly transform into real stations of the cross, in particular because of the ground or your vehicle which can quickly get stuck in a specific place. All this is rather annoying over time, although the construction of the map offers at a minimum a definite challenge, even if it becomes disproportionate in the long term. The various bugs sometimes come to play spoilsport, the camera which goes in all directions as well, and this only accentuates the frustrating side already present in the software.
Nevertheless, it must be recognized that most of the new features added have the gift of pleasing. In addition to the tire pressure mentioned above, a few gadgets are included. There will thus be a drone which can do scouting in order to mark points of interest, or other small tools such as hooks or jacks, serving respectively as attachment points or to raise the vehicle. Note that the latter is not always easy to use, because the game does not consider that the vehicle is actually on the ground at certain times… But in short, the list of gadgets is not too poorly provided and each has its use.
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Preparation is also something quite important before an expedition. Besides know that logisticians appear in this opus. Each main mission has a condition to fulfill (having a specific tool or logistician) before starting. You will be able to assign up to four vehicles (which is useful for disentangling another vehicle) and three different logisticians to carry out your mission.
Generally speaking, logisticians are useful for gameplay since they can give you the choice of additional supplies (spare parts or gasoline), or even give you the possibility of suffering less damage when you hit an element of the scenery. This feature is largely welcome, as is the preparation side which will require you to carefully purchase the necessary tools or improve your car if necessary, which is ultimately exhilarating.
Two open maps, and that's it
In absolute, Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game is modeled on its predecessor for the open aspect. Here, you can, if you wish, launch a main mission, but at the same time stay on the main map and thus embark on other side quests. Progression is quite fluid, because even after completing your mission, you can choose to return directly to your HQ or stay on the map to continue exploring.
This whole open aspect is relatively exhilarating, as is the exploration. Even if the gameplay is necessarily slow, there is this pleasure of discovering new points of interest, new missions to carry out, hidden improvements or simply other yellow halos where it is possible to build bridges to continue progressing . The level design is ultimately a little better laid out than in previous opuses, and you will sometimes have to rack your brains over the route to take depending on the vehicle chosen (scout or all-terrain vehicle).
Note, what is more, that the different objectives vary a little. There is no longer necessarily a delivery to be made, and know that you will also have a few drone phases or small QTEs to complete when it comes to observing certain wrecks or destroyed towers. This brings a slight added value, even if the game will logically end up going in circles in terms of missions in the long run.
Improving outposts is a very interesting added value. For the money you earn during missions or by discovering new points of interest, you will have the opportunity to build new warehouses, workshops, parking lots or essential storage areas. These will give you a little boost to leave feeling energetic if, for example, you run out of fuel mid-trip. Of course, there will sometimes, by chance, be drop points providing repair parts or fuel, but if you have no choice, you will be forced to return via the map to one of your HQs, and restore your health.The entire gaming system is ultimately well-oiled, even if we would have liked something a little deeper.
The garage will also be a relatively important part. It is in this place that you can improve the exterior and interior of the vehicle, and thus make it resistant and efficient during your next trips. The cosmetic side is also there, with the possibility of adding new paints or stickers, just to make your car more dapper. Without going crazy either, the garage and improvement system is satisfactory, although quite classic. It is also possible to buy new cars or heavy goods vehicles via the dealership, but you will have to work hard given their price.
We finally come to the content side, which ultimately remains limited. It is frustrating to see that the game only offers 20 vehicles at launch, when we know that one SnowRunner included more than 40. Same for the regions visited, which are limited to Little Colorado, Arizona, and the Carpathians in Romania. Knowing that Little Colorado and Arizona are on the same map, we might feel aggrieved that we ultimately only have two large maps.
We would not have spit on a third, larger map, because the content is a little light if we except the number of main and side missions, still offering a very good lifespan which is certainly around 100 hours. Furthermore, a cooperation mode should soon arrive, which should surely increase the fun of the game tenfold, and make things easier for many players who will no longer have to manage several vehicles at the same time.
Technique and sound, not the same song
Saber Interactive has agreed to make some efforts on the technique of Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game. The game is much prettier than SnowRunner, and has some quality lighting and textures. The day/night cycle, even if it is not perfect, is welcome and the various graphic effects do the job. If it is perhaps missing particular events like the weather, the game comes out with honors, or almost.
Indeed, the title lacks polish. There are still textures that leave something to be desired, crude display problems, bugs galore, strange collisions and a physics engine that is sometimes too atypical. With this long list, the technical side of Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game is a task while the graphic coating is more or less honest. The optimization also needs to be reviewed with some freezes during saves which are not pleasant at all.
Finally, on sound design, Saber Interactive's title did not do any better. Apart from music that loops in the menu as well as in the missions, we cannot say that there has been a great effort to bring the game to life, which still remains in a deep lethargy.