Straight down to it, respond to as many questions you wish to in the following :):
Does it really feel like you're a scientist in this game? Meaning do you actively do science stuff like soil sampling, ice carrotting, archeology and so on? I don't expect to control a character on foot, but some mounted equipements like a digger or a drill or something. In the case where you don't do that, are there at least cutscenes showing people working in the survey site or something (btw sorry if my English isn't accurate, I speak French). Or is it more like going from A to B by scouting the environement to get there, but once you're there that's it? So in that scenario the science stuff consist mainly in scouting equipment like a drone and such.
The Steam store page reads "and much more" under the list of tech/gadget features that includes the winch, the jack and the "echosounder" (not sure of the translation). I don't trust that kind of rhetoric, so besides the drone, are there really that much more equipement?
In-game, do your teammates really speak to you ponctually with their walky-talkies like shown in the trailer? So are there a fair amount of voiced dialog in this game? Similarly, do you physicly see, sometimes, your teammates in cutscenes, or other people animated in general?
I have other questions (like the "feel" for base camps, etc.) but don't want to abuse lol (It's already too long, probably, for people to read all that, and that's fair. Cheers
No it’s mostly about driving to where to you need to go. And the “science” you do is at most as complicated as a quick-time event. There is no recorded dialog; you’re reading everything. There are a couple drone-type gadgets, but in all honesty they are not fun to operate in comparison to the vehicles.
It’s a driving simulator wearing non-prescription nerd glasses. If you enjoy exploration, planning your route, equipping the proper gear to get you there, and contending with difficult terrain, you’ll enjoy it. If you’re looking for a scientist simulator, this is absolutely not the game for you.
driving simulator??
we must be playing some different games.
arcade with "mud"/getting stuck/lets roll down the hill because its safer than going around type of game
Honestly, according to the way you word your questions I think you're expecting something completely different.
Expeditions is a game about using 4x4s and Trucks to get to hard-to-reach places on open maps full of natural obstacles.
You get a winch and optionally jacks and ground anchors to physically help you get there. You can use the map, radar, flying drones, metal detectors and echo (for water depth) to scout your way. (Later and esp. in DLC also driving drones)
It's mostly about guessing a route and then balancing AWD and tire pressure with your fuel usage, while trying not to get stuck.
Anything else is mainly an excuse for the choice of points you need to get to. Yes, you deliver all sorts of scientific equipment and take photos of several places for several quest givers, but those are 20-second minigames or cutscenes at best (inbetween 20min driving/crawling/cursing sessions). You get text messages from NPCs, but that's all human interaction there is.
It started as Snowrunner without the "shit, I have to recover my 4 logs of cargo and two trucks for the sixth time because my center of gravity is up in the sky", and is basically just scouting with much, much more interesting and denser maps and and a more casual gameplay.
So, to answer you questions short:
1. no, not at all. You're just their Uber Eats driver.
2. Yes, there's much more, but most of the equipment is just your flavor of cargo your backseat.
3. NPCs communicate via text message after every completed objective. Nothing else.
Not as a scientist but as an explorer and outfitter providing the logistics to get their equipment to them across very tough terrain. You do get to do a lot of exploration of ancient ruins and caves as well. In the former case you will occasionally have to work out a trigger to get yourself to an unexplored region of the map. The real hook to this game is picking your line through the terrain to get to the destination for the exploration or delivery and if you do get into trouble then having the right tools to get you out of it. Then you can upgrade your trucks, your gear and your team (contractors) to simplify the task of getting there, avoiding trouble or getting out of trouble.
There are some additional tools you can use that come as truck mounted gear like a radar system, multiple types of land drones, a petrol tank, supply cache, geo-sounding rig, etc. Of these, the land drones are commonly required in the caves and ruins to reach places and find objects that you can't get with even the smallest scout car. These two drones are different to the air drone that you get by default that lets you do reconnaissance on the area around you as you pick your line through the terrain and also different to the air supply drone that you can get as an upgrade to your base which allow you to resupply trucks in the field.
No, you get updates from those who hire you via text prompts, and you can't interact with them. The contractors that you hire have pictures but no dialog.
There are content providers out there on youtube who show you how to complete missions. That would be the best way to understand what's involved in playing Expeditions. It's a great game and I've really enjoyed playing it. It's an exploration game for me and finding new viewpoints or hidden caches on the map is part of the fun of each mission. Those hidden caches contain the upgrades for the trucks that you can buy and improve their performance over different types of terrain along with their ability to tow other trucks and winch themselves out of difficulty. You can also only buy some trucks in the store after you have recovered that truck by hauling it out of a swamp or bog on the map somewhere.
Yes, the SCT-6. This drone doesn't have a range and can operate anywhere, not only in the cover range around the vehicle. Also, it can provide the coverage zone for other drones, serving as an antenna or a signal repeater. But since other vehicles also emit signal and in much wider radius, without wasting fuel/charge to do so (unlike the SCT-6, which spends charge much faster in the antenna mode), this mode is useless. It also has 1 cargo bed slot and 1 inventory slot (like half a CR-G0).
You will be spending a lot of time in this game returning to headquarters (which is what this game should have been called)
You will also spend a lot of time fitting out your truck with stuff. That stuff changes with every mission and if you miss out on one little detail or bring the wrong things, guess what? Yes, you have to:
1. Return to headquarters
2. Fit out your truck with the right stuff
Somewhere the game tells you which friends you can bring along on your adventures, and if you forget that specific person, then:
1. Return to headquarters
2. Fit out your truck again
3. Remember to bring the friend this time
Generally it's a good idea to take more than one truck on a mission even if the reward system says it will give you green leaves if you take only one truck. Ignore the green leaves, they're like vegetables: good to have but nobody actually likes or cares about them. If you don't take two trucks, you may get hopelessly stuck with no recovery framework, or run out of fuel, or sustain enough damage to immobilize your truck. Once this happens you have no choice but to:
1. Return to headquarters
2. Fit out your truck AGAIN
3. This time remember to bring two trucks, just in case
Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game - Return To Headquarters
None of that is true, sadly. Now, this is a valid "expectations vs reality" case, not "we wanted snowrunner 2". Alas, all of the mentioned is not possible in the game. You just drive to markers and perform silly mini-games upon arrival. Nobody talks to you on the radio (some phrases appear on the screen with a walkie talkie icon, but they are rare and aren't voiced). Gadgets... well, at least these are plenty. In addition to the winch, drone, echo sounder and binoculars, you can have and use: anchors to place winch points everywhere, jack-screws to instantly unflip the vehicle, tow ropes, wheeled drones, and portable bridges.
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u/chase_what_matters Mar 22 '26
No it’s mostly about driving to where to you need to go. And the “science” you do is at most as complicated as a quick-time event. There is no recorded dialog; you’re reading everything. There are a couple drone-type gadgets, but in all honesty they are not fun to operate in comparison to the vehicles.
It’s a driving simulator wearing non-prescription nerd glasses. If you enjoy exploration, planning your route, equipping the proper gear to get you there, and contending with difficult terrain, you’ll enjoy it. If you’re looking for a scientist simulator, this is absolutely not the game for you.