I’m not normally into driving sims, but off-roader Spintires: Mudrunner has really got its towing hooks into me with a new gameplay trailer. It shows off the game’s giant trucks in action as they make their way through bogged-down routes to deliver their loads, stopping on the way to repair vehicles by the roadside or tow jeeps out of rivers.
The developers released a cinematic trailer a month ago but this is the first proper look we’re getting at the game in action. It shows off two player perspectives: one in first-person that ramps up the realism but also the difficulty (not being able to see all four wheels will be tricky), and a third-person view. The UI shifts when you change perspective, displaying most of the information you need on the dashboard in first-person rather than in the corners of your screen.
The third-person view is surprisingly cinematic, giving you an over-the-shoulder view of whatever vehicle you’re driving. It’s similar in style to the original Spintires, of which this game is a semi-sequel, but the updated visuals really make a difference, especially when the sun is setting.
The video gives you a glimpse at some of the scenarios you’ll be tackling both in singleplayer and online co-op. In one, a larger truck reverses into a river and plonks down anchors to stop it moving, flicking out a grabber above the water to help a stranded jeep ashore.
It’s got all the realism you’d expect from a follow-up to Spintires, by the looks of it. You can switch to all-wheel drive, toggle a locking differential or let out the winch at the click of a button.