RoadCraft Review

Roadcraft is a freshly released vehicle simulation game developed by Saber Interactive and published by Focus Entertainment. They are known for their work on titles like MudRunner and SnowRunner. But this time around, the focus shifts from surviving horrid terrain to rebuilding it. 

In RoadCraft, you get to take control of heavy-duty construction equipment, from cranes to bulldozers and many more, and you get to restore areas devastated by natural disasters. It is a simulation that turns many of our dreams of operating massive machinery into missions of aid and precision.

Unlike the developers' earlier sandbox-driven titles, RoadCraft has a more structured approach. Your job has clear objectives, which give you a sense of purpose. It is more goal-oriented per se, hence giving you a satisfying experience, especially if you enjoy a mix of simulation realism and meaningful progression.

One of RoadCraft's biggest strengths is its wide range of vehicles, from trucks that dump sand to trench diggers, cranes, pavers, and bulldozers. Each of these machines is unique in its role in rebuilding damaged areas, like restoring roads and power lines.

In one mission, you might be there fixing storm-damaged roads by layering, finding, and laying down asphalt. In another, you're solving the power outage issue by figuring out the best path for laying down underground cables. 

The objective sounds fairly simple on paper: move goods, build roads, clear wreckages. But your approach is solely up to you, and the game does a great job at leaving that aspect open-ended, letting you problem solve creatively - a creative puzzle game is a way you could look at it.

Switching between vehicles is quick and fairly easy, and it's this ease that encourages you to experiment. And I don't mention the “puzzle” aspect lightly, especially when you to navigate through rough terrain for example, to cross a dried upper river bed that has poor grip you might need to transport sent from a quarry to fill it in and then use a bulldozer to flatten it out and make it a road.

RoadCraft throws a lot at you early on. Within just a few maps, you're given access to a long list of machinery, and well, most of them feel manageable. Cranes are what I found to be particularly tricky for beginners. Each type of machinery seems to use a different control setup, and this can be a bit frustrating to figure out until you learn the patterns.

And as I got to play the game, I noticed that many of the missions follow a fetch quest-like pattern where you pick up, move, and drop off. Maybe a bit repetitive? But is it annoying? Certainly not. The challenges feel meaningful thanks to their satisfying environments and how you interact with the surroundings; it's just not about getting from point A to point B; it is also about how you build a path between them.

As you progress through RoadCraft, you notice how all of these tasks become more and more engaging, and it encourages you to utilize all the new skills that you developed. The progressiveness of the game does not die out. A lot of the missions may appear simple early on, but they gradually require you to harness new skills and properly utilize them, making it trickier and requiring you to be more creative and plan.

There is also something seemingly relaxing about cleaning debris and fixing roads in RoadCraft. It allows you to take your mind off and go into a state of flow. It shares that slow, methodical pace that you find in Snowrunner, where the progression feels earned rather than rushed.

Road construction is essentially the central feature in RoadCraft, though it does show up a bit later in the game. When you build roads, you can choose to automate tasks like sand dumping and paving, or even do it manually if you wish to. While the automation method is faster, doing it yourself is something I found really pleasurable and satisfying. 

Especially when you consider the physics of dumping and flattening sand, it feels particularly good. I wouldn't consider the sand physics to be perfect; there are instances where I kind of find it to be unrealistic, even, but the sense of progress you get from laying down perfectly smooth asphalt road yourself is hard to beat.

You're able to upgrade your vehicle so that you can carry more material and work from further distances, giving you that flexibility. You can even cover the entire map with roads if you want, as long as you make sure to stay close to sources like quarries.

If you compare the game to Snowrunner, I'd say RoadCraft leans more towards an arcade-style experience. There is no fuel management, damage system, or manual gear shifting. I can see this being a huge drawback for some, but for others, it makes the game more accessible and less tedious. Constantly needing to refuel vehicles would slow down the already detailed gameplay, but I can see how the lack of these nuanced features can hinder RoadCraft's sim-like experience.

Instead of fuel, you get recovery tokens, which let you teleport vehicles using special mobile bases. You can get these tokens by completing career objectives, which saves a lot of time. Some elements seem to be still present, like switching between high and low gears and using different locks, so it doesn't mean that the title doesn't give you a full sim-like experience; the nuances are still there for those who want them.

On the topic of hardware accessibility, RoadCraft supports the use of steering wheels, but compatibility varies. Some setups would work right off the bat, while others might not be acknowledged at all. I would say using a game pad is likely the easiest option for most, especially when you consider how many fine controls there are for different vehicles.

The foundation for any game should be how smoothly it runs. I found a few rough edges with RoadCraft. Some missions can be really frustrating—an early example would involve setting up a transport route through terrain where the AI drivers get stuck frequently. 

And you constantly need to clear out obstacles to make the routes AI-friendly, and this can be frustrating. You can give the drivers a push if they stall, but they'll need to be watched with care and supervision. In my experience, the RoadCraft’s map becomes heavily cluttered over time, filled with icons and markers that make navigation harder, and it's just not pleasing to the eye. 

The camera system also lacks finesse, and I feel as though it could be a bit better. You get only three views: the Chase cam, cinematic cam, and cockpit view. The limited options can be awkward when doing complex tasks like crane operations, if only there were a photo mode, especially when you consider how good the game looks.

Menus and tutorials are also something that I think many people might find confusing; RoadCraft doesn't do a good job of clearly explaining what you should do or how you should do it. There is a codex with helpful information, but the layout and guidance could be improved for beginners.

RoadCraft does feature multiplayer, and it's a four-player online co-op. It's safe to say that it's one of the game's best features. It becomes so much more enjoyable when you work with others, especially on a large, time-consuming project that would take hours if you were to do it alone, but only a few minutes with coordinated teamwork. 

Multiplayer is a joyous and chaotic experience where you can mess around with the game's physics. It's great that the game supports cross-play between all consoles and PC so that your friends can join no matter the platform.

Visually, RoadCraft looks fantastic, from the swaying trees to the realistic modern water. The game's environment is beautifully designed. Tiny details, like water dripping from exhaust pipes and tires struggling for grip in deep mud, make for a great experience, and they add so much to the realism.

Despite a few design flaws like the game's menus and confusing objectives, as well as a few AI pathing issues, RoadCraft brings you a rewarding construction simulation game with realism drizzled all over it. The game does have its flaws, but it's not to say that those issues group with ruining a player's experience. 

The mix of detailed vehicle mechanics, the beautiful landscape, and creative problem-solving makes RoadCraft a really enjoyable experience, especially when you pair it with the multiplayer support. If you enjoy vehicle simulation games, problem-solving, and working with giant machinery, RoadCraft might just be the title for you.