Saber Interactive is closing off 2022 for SnowRunner with one remaining growth for its second season of content material — Season 8: Grand Harvest. This newest content material drop actually is grand in the truth that it introduces a small new gameplay mechanic: precise fieldwork for farming.
Whereas performing fieldwork is kind of completely different than the same old off-road operations, Grand Harvest has much more to supply than simply ploughing dust and sowing seeds. There are nonetheless the basic rough-and-tough challenges of which SnowRunner is well-known.
Stepping into the grime
The Grand Harvest growth takes place within the land of Belozersk Glades, someplace within the Russian countryside of Central Asia. This map accommodates 4 sectors: Crossroads (the place you begin), The Institute, Heartlands and Harvestcorp.
In its entirety, Belozersk Glades encompasses a mostly-abandoned rural settlement that was once massive on farming just a few many years in the past. However, a development of dangerous harvest seasons resulted in its eventual collapse. That’s why every sector accommodates plenty of dilapidated buildings, washed out roads and deserted gear. There isn’t a lot when it comes to elevation, however the thick muck of the off-road sections and largely submerged waterway crossings are the place this map homes most of its problem.
Screenshot by PC Invasion
With the scene set, your general job is to revitalize the once-prosperous settlement by restarting its agricultural trade. That is dealt with by performing a sequence of cargo deliveries, infrastructure restore, searching missions, and, amongst different duties, farming.
Many of the duties are of typical SnowRunner fare, therefore is why the fieldwork mechanics of the Grand Harvest growth are a giant standout. Although Belozersk Glades will not be the primary map to function an agricultural setting, by no means has their been a complete map that’s largely devoted to the theme. On high of that, although tractors have been featured earlier than in each SnowRunner and its predecessor, MudRunner, they’ve by no means been used for farming in-game — till now.
Spuds and duds
Stepping into the newfound farming mechanics will take little or no time, truly. The early number of Harvestcorp-branded contracts will rapidly have you ever discovering a broken-down Kirovets Okay-700 heavy-duty tractor and its accompanying implements in an effort to get the ball rolling on restoring the fields of the Glades.
Fairly fittingly, the first crop that’s featured right here is potatoes; a crop that’s well-known for rising practically wherever and in every single place. To not point out, a few of the missions focus on researching and attempting to plant a completely new genetically enhanced species of potato that might lead to larger crop yields — one other real looking contact.
Screenshot by PC Invasion
The precise fieldwork gameplay is fairly simple. Very like in different sims devoted to the work, such because the fairly widespread Farming Simulator, all one has to do is seize the suitable implement and begin rolling alongside the sector. Right here in SnowRunner, you possibly can plough the fields, implant the seeds, after which harvest the mature crop.
The precise beats of the farming occurs one after the opposite — there’s no ready between crop levels. Thus, the place longevity of the gameplay actually is available in is the truth that it is going to take a while to go up and down any given area. Many missions can even have you ever touring to completely different sectors. The duty may very well be delivering a load of crops, transferring (or discovering) wanted equipment, amongst others.
Contemplating that there’s numerous different, extra conventional targets, Grand Harvest doesn’t develop tiresome. The fieldwork mechanics are neat, but it surely may’ve simply grow to be a slog after some time if it was an excessive amount of of a spotlight on this growth. Fairly, it’s a brand new mechanic that’s been sprinkled into the primary course, leading to an attention-grabbing general gameplay expertise.
Screenshot by PC Invasion
Glades of hassle
Maneuvering by means of the Glades is commonly really easy job. Whereas there are some respectable sections of paved street, as talked about earlier than, more often than not you’ll end up slogging by means of some mucky off-road paths. The Institute sector, for instance, additionally sports activities a wide range of very technical river crossings as a result of important thoroughfares being inaccessible.
The Tayga 6436 heavy obligation truck turned my go-to machine to deal with the advanced routes of the Belozersk Glades. It’s a DLC truck but it surely’s value it, and never only for this map alone. I additionally picked up the Rezvani Hercules 6X6 scout truck, one other DLC automobile that occurred to launch the identical time because the Grand Harvest growth.
Screenshot by PC Invasion
Paired collectively, I discovered each of those automobiles to make respectable work of Belozersk Glades’ troublesome terrain. Different automobiles of comparable courses that I hade in my storage didn’t carry out in addition to both of those vans. This both reveals that the Glades actually are treacherous, or maybe each of those vans are just a little OP. Both approach, I discovered them essential for making any form of respectable progress all through the map.
Harvest season
Contemplating the sheer measurement of every sector and the technical problem the general map possesses, I’d say Grand Harvest supplies an general nice expertise. Whereas the fieldwork it provides isn’t groundbreaking, nor does it overshadow the opposite gameplay parts, it does not less than provide an honest change of tempo, particularly when in comparison with Showrunner‘s standard affairs.
Belozersk Glades accommodates many attention-grabbing sights, just a few new automobiles to find, and an honest serving to of duties that can have you ever trucking backward and forward. With a great set of wheels and a few dedication to place up with the slower challenges, you’ll seemingly end up having fun with the countryside aesthetics and as soon as once more getting misplaced within the huge world that SnowRunner has to supply.
Screenshot by PC Invasion
