Spintires

A less traditional Off road driving simulator that focuses on reality.

Racing and driving simulators are usually about speed, or off the wall tricks or preforming death defying stunts through crowded city streets. Spintires, developed by Pavel Zagrebelnyj and published by Oovee, is not that game. Spintires focuses on the real world physics of driving off road and, probably, through a lot of mud. This game isn't for everybody and doesn't even attempt to be mainstream. The vehicle and landscape selection is limited to Russian make and models so most of the places and the trucks you'll drive through them won't exactly be familiar. That, however, isn't the point of Spintires. The point is game play. Despite the niche market appeal, Spintires has sold about 200,000 copies. What it does, it does well.

Game Play

Spintires is about one thing and one thing only; driving trucks in rough environments. Each environment makes use of the 'fog of war', basically the map is obscured until you explore it. To that end there are various jeeps and light trucks available to scout out paths and explore the landscape before tackling the terrain with a heavier, more ponderous truck. This is where the physics come into play. Spintires strength is its amazing physics. Every spun tire, every splash of mud and every loss of control on a mountain back road feels realistic. There are missions to play through, but they're largely the same; drive a course or deliver a load from point A to point B. New vehicles are unlocked by finding them across the map. It'll take practice to master the physics engine and most of the maps and missions are grueling experiences, again likely a lifelike representation of really driving in the Russian wilderness. Driving itself is slow paced, taking expert planning and monumental patience.

Presentation

Spintires doesn't make any apologies about what it is. The graphics are top notch, but the diversity isn't there. Bleak, mud sodden back roads and bleak, military grade vehicles to drive on them. While it looks as amazing as it can for the content that's provided, you'll likely get tired of tree lined mountain roads before too long. Most driving games don't have a story, but Spintires gets rid of anything to even set up its missions.