SnowRunner Land Rover Dual Pack review

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The SnowRunner Land Rover Dual Pack contains two scouts. Here is what they are like and whether you should smash open your piggy bank to buy it.

Britain. Land of the scone, rolling green hills, people who apologise too often and many iconic bands. It is also home to some world-famous vehicle manufacturers, one of which is Land Rover. Introducing the SnowRunner Land Rover Dual Pack.

For a smidge under a fiver, it is possible to buy the Land Rover Dual Pack DLC (Epic, Steam, Xbox, PlayStation) comprised two scouts – one old and covered in sheepdog hair and one new and covered, hopefully, by a generous warranty.

Reliability is, of course, less of an issue in a game. But you are getting a faithful digital recreation of the Defender 90 and the Defender 110 L663. The former Saber Interactives describes as “a living legend” and the “true heir to the Land Rover throne”.

It is certainly one of the most famous Land Rover models and one that has endured decades of farm life, off-road challenges around the world, red diesel conversions and pretty awful handling.

I actually drove an old one and, boy, does it bring new meaning to the word vague when it comes to steering. As for brakes, it has them but, like deploying the anchor of a ship, it is not the speediest process.

Please note: This is the script from my YouTube video, click play above to watch or go here.

Land Rover Defender 90

In-game, the Land Rover Defender 90 costs 42,300 SnowRunner gold. For that you get switchable AWD, switchable Diff-Lock, a maximum of 33-inch tyres, raised suspension and a fuel capacity of 80 litres. Power-to-weight gets a rating of S+, which means little in the real world but anyway.

There is actually quite a lot to upgrade on the Defender 90. You have three engines, four gearboxes, tyres of all types, five winches including the mighty autonomous, a spare wheel and two rather excellent snorkels.

Unfortunately, the frame addons list is as barren as Imandra. You can slap on the Trunk Repair Supplies for 150 repair points and 100 litres extra of fuel. Or take it off and have 150 fewer repair points and 100 fewer litres of fuel.

Visual upgrades are somewhat thin on the ground, too, with just three rear bumpers, three front bumpers including one that will be familiar to most players, an external roll cage, some beacons and a sun visor. Still, the paintjobs are pretty lairy for SnowRunner.

Then there is that ‘Hu5ky’ numberplate, which is a reference to the type of dog used to make the seat coverings. Just kidding.

Land Rover Defender 110

Next we have the Land Rover Defender 110, which is based on the new Defender that is a much more advanced beast. So much so that critics have complained you “cannot repair it yourself”, “it is just not the same”, “bring back the horse and cart” and so on.

Now I am not going to wade into that minefield except to say that it makes roads feel like they are made from Victoria Sponge. What matters is that it has the same number of engine, gearbox, suspension, winch, tyre and spare wheel upgrades.

It even has the same switchable AWD and Diff Lock off-road systems as the Defender 90 and the same trunk repair supplies that sit on the roof. So no roof tent for holidaying in Michigan.

You just get one snorkel though, plus a one-inch smaller maximum tyre size of 32 inches and a bit less in the way of customisation. Although the addition of three eye-melting lamps and flashy beacons make everything alright.

In terms of unique upgrades, both Land Rovers get Land Rover tyres. Are they good? Given that they work best on asphalt, which is a rare surface in SnowRunner, the answer is not really. You are better off using almost anything else for dirt, mud and snow.

What about the handling?

So how does each Land Rover Defender drive in SnowRunner? Somewhat differently, I am pleased to say. Both vehicles do have their own handling quirks – and gaping drawbacks where tough terrain is concerned.

The Land Rover 110 is pretty nippy, almost pre-nerf Khan 39 levels, as if it has a fancy new diesel engine. And yet it feels more planted and more predictable than the presumably lighter Land Rover 90. And that makes sense given it is a much more honed and modern off-roader.

Where the 90 likes to try to wheelie, struggles to get up steep hills and generally scurries about like it is high on catnip, the 110 takes its sweet, sweet methodical time. As if utilising the many terrain-conquering technologies we have been blessed with since its long in the tooth predecessor.

My biggest gripe with the Land Rover Defender DLC is that SnowRunner has many scouts already and that they are much less useful than other truck types. Not only that, the Offender 90 by Iceberg is a great mod alternative that is more versatile than both.

As for the likes of driving anywhere with more than a puddle and a mild ditch, well, I would rather lick razorblades than use something with 33 or 32-inch tyres. Your progress will be painfully slow – especially with a trailer. Maybe even non-existent. I hate to say it but most scouts are pretty sh…

Shield your ears, yes. It is just that there is something to be said for using a bigger truck with bigger wheels, bigger suspension, bigger ground clearance, bigger horsepower and bigger torque.

It does not help that scouts you can buy for digital money, not the stuff I wish grew on trees, have much larger tyres than both Land Rovers. The Yar 87 has 49-inchers, while the Khan 39 Marshall weighs in at 44 inches. Enough of a difference to greatly enhance off-road performance.

So is the Land Rover Dual Pack worth it?

Despite all that though, I was not too upset spending £2.50 per truck. Okay, so Saber could have made the touchscreen work inside the Defender 110 and the engine noises are not the most accurate to say the least.

However, both Defenders do look the part and are nice-ish to drive (except at high speeds but that is more of an issue with SnowRunner generally) if you adhere to their limitations.

I just feel like the devs could have gone that extra mile in development. And that SnowRunner is long overdue some truck DLCs that are anything but scout related. Please, Saber. Please!

On that frighteningly desperate note, thank you for visiting my little slice of YouTube. As usual, look after yourselves and avoid eating too many scones.