Steam Next Fest is in full swing, with demos available for a host of upcoming games, and there’s one in particular that has piqued my interest—and I’m guaranteed to lose hours to it when it releases later this year.
RoadCraft‘s demo dropped as part of Steam Next Fest, providing players with three unique missions. For fans of Snowrunner and its predecessor, it takes things up a notch significantly, and I, like many others, can’t wait to get behind the wheel of some of the powerful machinery.
While Snowrunner had a far amount of vehicle variety, tasking you with creating bridges, making deliveries across difficult terrain, and rescuing lost cars, RoadCraft ups the ante. The theme is the same, providing construction support, but now you play a much larger part.
This is made immediately clear in the first mission in the RoadCraft demo. Rather than simply collecting and delivering materials required to make repairs, I had to clear space for construction by chopping down trees and turning them into logs, which I then delivered.
From there, the treat of heavy machinery really kicked off. Although not fully necessary, I used a Mulcher to remove any remaining foliage and tree stumps, which made a satisfying sound, before laying electrical cables under the soil using an absolute behemoth. Honestly, it got me wondering whether I chose the wrong career path.
The next mission was bigger and better. First, I used a huge crane to remove obstructions in the road before then turning my attention to the road itself. Using a Dump Truck to lay sand, which I then flattened with a Dozer, I had the general route set up. Then, I laid asphalt before the final step using a roller to flatten the road and make it smooth.
Nothing can describe the satisfaction of watching the AI vehicles follow the new route I had just laid out. I couldn’t help but look at the rest of the old road, covered with sand and in desperate need of repaving, and think there was more work to do—although I did have to peel myself away (they weren’t paying me enough anyway).
That’s where RoadCraft really shines; jobs can be as complex as you want them to be. If you want to repave the entire road, go for it! If you want to clear an entire forest, feel free. The demo truly is just a drop in the water, and I can’t wait for more.
The multiplayer potential is phenomenal, too. With crossplay for up to four players, you can easily designate jobs and get things flowing fully. While one person clears obstructions, someone else can get to work on laying the road itself or focus on creating supplies.
With eight huge maps and over 40 unique vehicles at launch, alongside full company customization, I’m counting down the days until the May 20 release date.
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