As someone who used to live in a third-world country that’s prone to natural disasters, the sight of roadworks tends to be very common, especially when travelling towards the province. Trucks and heavy machinery would be next to you while driving down the highway, as you constantly wonder why these roads break easily during typhoon season. Now, I have learned what it’s like to work behind the wheel in this brand-new game by Saber Interactive – Roadcraft.

RoadCraft is a vehicle simulation game in which you work for a natural disaster recovery company. Your task is to complete various missions in various towns, ensuring they’re in a position where people can rebuild. Assisting you are a variety of vehicles and heavy machinery that will aid in different situations and make your job somewhat easier. Are you ready to do the job? Or will you quit after day 1? And is it close to accurate to the real deal?

In this game, you play the only driver that works for this company (which you can name), with Kelly contacting you from HQ. She will give you all the tasks you need to do while providing some side quests that are optional but can make your life easier when achieved. Throughout the game, you will unlock vehicles and machinery to help you with your tasks. At first, they will be in the “rusty” category. They’re alright and can get the job done. But you can purchase better variants if you want to progress slightly faster, as they come with better stats.

Speaking of being lazy, while some objectives require you to be precise, you can be close to accurate in some cases, depending on the task. This is great because it allows you to do a rush job slightly without punishment (unlike in real life). Just make sure that when you do a rush job, you’re not actually rushing because it could lead to consequences and having to start over. It’s funny how art mimics life, except in RoadCraft, you can get away with it easily. Meanwhile, in real life, especially overseas, it was blatantly apparent that the job was rushed and little effort was put into it.

One of the best things about RoadCraft is the amount of detail and effort made to its art, game and sound design. The soundtrack is just beautiful as it gives off that feeling that you’re driving off the open road and makes it feel calming rather than giving that feeling of wanting to throw your controller at the screen because you tipped over your vehicle for the 10th time. Meanwhile, the art is just stunning. Just like travelling through the provinces and regional towns, you can sense a small taste of the community that used to flourish before the storm and how much work is needed due to the amount of damage featured.

There are also moments on the road when you want to bask in the scenery. It does look beautiful during certain weather conditions, as you will be working through rain or shine. Lastly, the physics featured is something to be admired. You will get stuck between mud, trees, rocks, and small spaces. The game’s gravity will pose a challenge, especially when using cranes. It’s nuts and will be either a helpful asset or your greatest enemy when progressing through your missions. It does feel like you’re one of those workers on the road, except in this case, you’re on your own unless you’re playing in multiplayer mode.