My first impressions of SnowRunner Phase 7 “Snorizon”

SponsoredA Tribe Called Cars merch

SnowRunner Phase 7: Compete & Conquer is getting a mixed reception due to its departure from the norm. Here is what I think so far, having played the work-in-progress, pre-launch version.

Given the success of Forza Horizon 5, can you blame Saber Interactive for taking SnowRunner Phase 7 in a racier direction? No, I don’t mean stockings. Then again, I heard whispers of multiplayer PvP (player versus player) shenanigans long ago.

Anyway, let me formerly introduce you to Snorizon. Or HoeRunner, oh wait family channel.

SnowRunner Phase 7: Everything you need to know

How big is the Phase 7 map?

Dodgy portmanteaus aside, here we are with a single map called Burning Mill. 2×2 kilometres in size and located in Tennessee of the US, it is a place with a name nearly as easy to misspell as Mississippi.

Split into three stages, Phase 7 Tennessee features some mostly lovable delivery contracts. In the build I am playing, that includes rescuing solar panels from the river, repairing a bridge, clearing a pathway, delivering fuel and towing trucks where they need to be – nothing new here.

In fact, from what I have seen so far there is not even a big-old trailer to lug around at a satisfyingly slow pace, nor are there things to plant as we have seen mentioned in Phase 8. AKA Clarkson FarmRunner. But you do get to deconstruct a bridge for some reason.

What is it about?

However, as previously stated there is a big focus on timed challenges and multiplayer. Some missions do not just encourage other player participation, it appears they are essential for completion although the developers are looking into changing this.

This is obviously not the best if you play alone because you still use dial-up or have no friends. Nor is it the best if you like delivering things or if you have ever tried to drive a truck fast in SnowRunner.

Such is the wonky high-speed physics, you end up fish-tailing, tipping over and generally enjoying a complete lack of control. For this reason, it can actually work best to use the least effective tyres on tarmac as the reduced grip makes steering easier.

That is probably why the circuits of Phase 7 are not tarmac. Or maybe the devs have tweaked the physics – if so, it is very hard to tell. Certainly the changes, if any, are not like going from Forza Horizon 4 to Forza Horizon 5.

Is SnowRunner Phase 7 fun?

So is SnowRunner Phase 7 fun? Well, the map design itself is decent. Lots of thin trails with uneven terrain, not too much deadly mud or too many treacherous waterways. Elevation changes are frequent enough to be enjoyable.

Meanwhile the scenery – racing stuff and brightly coloured lighting and all – may not be as memorable as some other maps, but it is varied. If a little grey and gloomy.

Honestly, looking through the list of deliveries you can do in Phase 7 it is slim pickings. And that is a shame because I was really getting into the groove. Yeah, like in most maps there are routes you use a lot more than others but Tennessee made me want to stick around.

And that brings me to my next major criticism based on this early public test server (PTS) build. With such effort made to make Tennessee show it is hosting an off-road competition, it is a shame the theme falls flat. Who doesn’t like lasers in the sky, but where are the themed missions?

What about having to deliver race trucks on a big unwieldy trailer to the main staging area? Why do I not get a racing-themed garage or racing-themed upgrades? I mean, one task requires you to deliver wood to help build the circuit but nothing changes as far as I can tell.

Is the racing aspect good?

As for the racing, is it good? Well, I am enjoying the challenge of racing against a timer in courses designed for it. Trying to better a time requires precise steering, knowledge of terrain types and skilful gear changes. In other words, being fast is not easy. And that each challenge has its own unique flavour, which can change how you tackle it.

Will it keep you playing? I am not sure, as the courses, though fun, will probably get too familiar too quickly. Still, chuck in the co-op multiplayer side of things and maybe those who want the closest thing to Dakar Desert Rally off-road truck racing will stick around.

What is somewhat odd is how the developers have implemented solo and co-op racing. This being a PTS build, I expect changes will be made. But right now driving up to a co-op race start yellow box when solo flags up an error. So you just assume this is not an option.

Except you can initiate a race from within the menu and this does work solo, which is okay once you have worked it out but it seems unnecessarily clunky. Plus you lose time backing out of the menu while the timer is already timing.

Would it not make more sense for the yellow box to work for everything, detecting whether a race is co-op or solo? This is perhaps due to technical stuff and things, but from a user perspective it would make sense to simplify for smooth brains like mine.

Graphics performance?

Sticking with the negatives, it also appears my frame-rate dies a death in the race areas, even with an ASUS RTX 3080 and settings dialled back a bit to account for recording footage at 4K 60FPS. Most of SnowRunner is a constant 60FPS with my gaming PC.

How epic are the new trucks?

I also need to say that the Azov 43-191 “Sprinter” and the Gor BY-4 are, based on the PTS build right now, somewhat limited. We already have too many scouts, many of which are unsuitable for the end game, and the “Sprinter” is too slow to be that effective at racing.

In fact, the Sport gearbox is actually slower than the Highrange, which I hope is a temporary thing. Some unique addons or a speed boost would go a long way in making this truck more useful. Because as it stands, it is not good at racing and is limited in utility.

The initial verdict

So ahead of my full review when Phase 7 is complete and officially released, what is the A Tribe Called Cars first impressions verdict?

Well, I guess if the racing does little for you, a big part of Phase 7 seems like it is going to be tedious. Especially as progress intertwines the delivery and racing aspects.

As much as I think Phase 7 was a brave and potentially entertaining idea to take SnowRunner in a different direction, the implementation feels somewhat flat despite a largely well-designed map with enjoyable routes and a pleasant level of difficulty and pace.

Part of me feels as if development manpower was diverted elsewhere, likely to the next-gen version and the Nintendo Switch port. And that would make sense as you get only one map and it has been a long wait since Phase 6.

With all that said, Phase 7 Tennessee has kept me busy for many hours and so it is probably not as bad as you were thinking, but not as good as we had hoped.

And that is it for this video, I hope you enjoyed it. If so, like and subscribe. Any Phase 7 questions? Hit me up in the comments. Or just tell me your favourite biscuit.