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Spintires trailer shows what off road vehicles do best… dubstep

Spintires Oovee

Spintires has spun into release; here’s our Spintires review.

I’ve never seen a driving simulator like Spintires. Set in 1980s Russia, your job is to drive log cargo up and down the dirt track roads of thick forest. Your Soviet truck is powerful but the world around you will do all it can to get in the way. The track road will deform under your weight, trying to trap you in its thick mud. You’ll have to drive through forests, uprooting trees to get to your destination. And, in rainy season, you’ll have to cross fast-flowing rivers.

Driving haulage has never looked so entertaining (sorry, Eurotruck Simulator.)

Spintires started life as a Kickstarter project over a year ago and, since passing it funding target, its spent the last year evolving from a tech demo into a full game.

“The wild off-road adventure begins in Russia, circa 1980-90. You are supplied with a soviet truck and a set of primitive tools for navigation. The task is to collect and deliver logs from deep within the wilderness, ready for shipment abroad,” the team write.

“First, you must load the truck with the logs using the supplied claw crane, then using a map and compass you need navigate to your objectives with the logs secure to complete the objective successfully.

“Plot a course and navigate using landmarks whilst trying not to loose your precious cargo, becoming stuck in the mud or depleting all of your fuel reserves. Plans accordingly so that you can pass a fuelling out-post and stop by when required.”

You’re then awarded points based on how much of the cargo you deliver, whether it’s damaged, and how much fuel you used getting there. You then use those points to customise your truck with larger fuel tanks, extra lights, winches, and something called a ‘tire deflation system’.

The team believe that the game will be more replayable than other driving simulators “because every asset has its own physical property that can be interacted with, or deformed.” The ground can become a trench under your heavy truck, your wheels can become stuck and you’ll need to use a winch to get out of the ditch.

“If you drive aggressively you will need to take the consequences that the vehicle will become stuck somewhere, or even topple over.”

Even better, Spintires is going to be completely moddable. Hopefully we’ll see some Steam Workshop integration so installing new mods will be easy.

Spintires is due out on 13 June.