Ever fantasized about ditching the asphalt and just tackling the wilderness in your car? The MudRunner series lets you live that dream – or sometimes, nightmare – with brutal realism. Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, the latest iteration, trades logging runs for scientific missions, but the core challenge remains the same: mastering Mother Nature’s most unforgiving terrain.
The game eases you in with refresher missions in Colorado. You’ll relearn the essentials of off-roading: low gears, tire adjustments, differential locking…the whole nine yards. It won’t take long before these become second nature as you conquer every muddy hill and treacherous swamp. Get to that waypoint? That’s always the goal, no matter how treacherous the route seems.
Next, it’s off to the majestic Grand Canyon and the lush Carpathian Mountains, each a sprawling open-world playground teeming with expeditions and challenges. Missions start innocently enough, but prepare for things to get wild. That moment when you’re winching out a hopelessly bogged-down truck? That’s when the game’s magic clicks. The physics are incredible. You feel every jolt, every slide, and the glorious squelch of the mud. Each meter you conquer feels like a victory, especially if high-octane off-roading is your thing.
Expeditions expands your toolkit: metal detectors, depth gauges, and portable winch anchors are godsends. Now, the journey is as much about planning your route as it is about navigating it. Then, when it’s time to hit the gas, you enter this zone where the only thing that matters is finding the elusive path that won’t turn you turtle.
Mess up? You might need a rescue mission, but Expeditions is forgiving. The ability to reset back to base once per mission is a lifesaver, especially when your driving skills prove…questionable. Sadly, there’s no co-op yet (but it’s on the way!). A missed opportunity, given how fun chaotic teamwork was in SnowRunner, but hey, more mayhem to look forward to.
You get a solid selection of vehicles from nimble jeeps to hulking beasts. Customizing these babies is a must, and the upgrades matter when missions turn brutal – especially when night falls. Your headlights are your lifeline, and Expeditions does an incredible job with terrain visibility. Every inch is a challenge, and progress feels genuinely hard-earned.
There is a downside: the textures can be wonky. Sometimes the ground looks like it’s from a bygone era, which can mess with your route planning. Hopefully, a patch will fix this, because otherwise, the visuals are impressive. The lighting is atmospheric, the vehicles are lovingly detailed, and cruising through those Carpathian forests is an absolute treat. It’s clear the devs prioritized perfecting the interaction between your truck and the environment, and honestly, it’s hard to argue with the results.
Expeditions could use some more flair. The menus are bland, and missions sometimes feel more like chores than thrilling adventures. But the core of the game is the challenge – the thrill of plotting a path through seemingly impassable landscapes – and it delivers in spades.
The Verdict
If you like those slow, satisfying, and sometimes rage-inducing driving experiences, Expeditions delivers. It’s MudRunner with a slightly more approachable twist. There are a few hiccups, and it won’t be everyone’s flavor. But if you’ve ever dreamed of abandoning all good sense and just taking on the wilderness with your trusty set of wheels, this very well might be your next obsession.
Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is available on PS5 · XS · PS4 · XONE · Switch · PC.
