Developer: Saber Interactive
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PS5
RoadCraft – Review
Some of our fondest memories consist of playing with toy trucks, cranes, and building LEGO cities. What all these things had in common was the need for drivable surfaces such as LEGO road plates or even Hot Wheels tracks. We used to spend hours building tracks for race vehicles and service vehicles alike, and perhaps our inner child was waiting for a game where we could do something like that. In comes RoadCraft, a game that revolves around building roads in areas that have suffered the wrath of nature. From the safety of our sofa, we ventured into rough terrain to build roads to allow for transport vehicles to drive safely. Can we fix it? Yes, we can!
Story
You’re basically being dropped in areas that have been struck by natural disasters that need patching up. You will, in essence, be the go-to person to get all the work done. There is a bit of evolution in how maps progress, but we wouldn’t really call this an actual story. We didn’t mind the absence of a captivating narrative, as it’s all about the gameplay here. We actually found the lack of a generic drawn-out rags-to-riches business entrepreneur story refreshing.
Graphics
RoadCraft looks great on PlayStation 5 and runs as smoothly as butter. We loved the overall variety of vehicles and were impressed by all the little details. Even the cockpit view revealed numerous interior details and added considerable charm to the experience. It’s a shame, though, that our character disappears in cockpit view, making it seem as if the vehicle is empty. When using the exterior camera view, the player character is visible but does not move. Nonetheless, we were always quick to inspect newly unlocked vehicles, as they looked amazing.
The terrain looks great as well, and all vehicles interact with it differently, leaving different tracks. It was quite cool to see the terrain change. Roads that we first almost trashed could become near-masterpieces when we were done. Some tracks did disappear without us cleaning up the surface, but this mainly happened with freshly poured sand.
Sound
All in all, the sound design is great. While there isn’t a real soundtrack to keep you accompanied during your road-building ventures, there are the many mechanical noises and roaring engines to keep you company. Machines sound realistic, which does help with the immersion. When playing for longer periods of time, we simply turned on our own background music while slowly transporting goods or building new roads. There is some limited voice acting present, which is of decent quality, but it didn’t stand out too much for us.
Gameplay
RoadCraft is a simulation title that’s about a lot more than just building roads. In the game, you’ll control different vehicles and machinery to clear obstacles, transport goods, dump sand to start building roads, and so on. The offset is fairly straightforward, but it does take you some time to get used to everything. It’s mainly the controls that take time to get used to, as each vehicle handles differently and has a variety of different functions and features. The physics here is what makes the controls a bit harder, as you’re almost always on rough terrain, and it can be a bit of a struggle to have full control over some of the in-game vehicles and machines. In a way, this is also what makes the game more realistic. The physics, however, are not always that realistic, and some of the vehicles barely have any traction.
The vehicle variety is quite impressive here, and each map eases you into new vehicles to control. First, you have to scout the area before you get your hands dirty. Each map unlocks vehicles the moment you need them. You will start with ‘rusty’ vehicles, but you can unlock better alternatives as you earn more money and experience. Make no mistake, however, as RoadCraft is a slow-paced experience. Moving obstacles, or filling up damaged road parts with sand, does take some time. While some may feel this is a negative aspect, we personally enjoyed the slow pace as it proved to be highly relaxing. There are some things so speed up the process, such as using the recovery option for your vehicles, but this does feel a bit like cheating.
Another thing that does take up a bit of your time is making transport routes. Not only will you have to plot out the route for your AI-driven cargo vehicles precisely, but you’ll also have to make sure the roads are safe to drive on. Some of these transport routes are optional, but they can help you in the long run. Making sure that very long routes are safe to drive can take quite a bit of going back and forth with slow vehicles over rough terrain. Seeing your long route becoming a good-looking road is extremely satisfying, however. We sometimes zoned out by going to the cockpit view of one of our trucks doing its automatic transport route. If you want to rush things, this probably won’t be your cup of tea.
While it’s almost zen-like playing RoadCraft solo, it’s an absolute blast being able to play this with your friends. The game supports online multiplayer (with crossplay) for up to four players. This means you can create a well-oiled construction company that clears maps in a record time, or you can just gaze at one of your friends doing all the work while you chat with your buddies.
Conclusion
RoadCraft is an engaging simulation title that has a certain learning curve but still feels very accessible. We enjoyed messing around with all the different vehicles, and it was satisfying to see our construction work slowly shape the roads, turning the area into a hustling and bustling hub for our transport activities. We were impressed by the visual quality and the overall smooth performance on our PlayStation 5. If you’re into past ventures of Saber Interactive, such as Spintires: MudRunner, then this one is probably your cup of tea as well. If you’re new to the genre, but you’re aching to play a fun simulator title that’s all about the gameplay, be sure to check this one out.
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