My gaming weakness is physics. Throw some crazy physics interactions into your game, and I’ll show up for it. The more mundane and realistic the physics, the better — and that’s why I love Spintires: MudRunner. This truck simulator from developer Saber Interactive has you attempting to perform basic tasks like dropping off logs, but you have to get through a world of muddy roads and rushing rivers in the process.
Spintires is a simple concept, but the difficulty is in the execution. You’ll spend a lot of time trying to pull your truck through the mud using wenches and other trucks. It’s something I already enjoyed, but it’s even better now that I’ve paired it with the Logitech G920 Driveforce racing wheel. This USB steering wheel and pedal combination (with the optional stick shift) has full force-feedback with a powerful built-in motor to fight back against you as you’re driving.
The G920 has almost complete compatibility with every driving game I’ve tried it with. Popular hits like Project Cars 2, Dirt 4, and Forza Horizon 3 all worked without any tweaking. The gas, break, clutch, shifter, and steering all were mapped properly, and the wheel even properly fought against in me during corner in each of those.
But as awesome as the G920 is in Forza, I’m having the most fun using it with Spintires:
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Where those racing sims are all fast-paced games that reward skillful driving, Spintires is slowpaced. But that doesn’t make it any less frantic. Instead, driving a jeep out of the mud and into the woods can often feel like a slow-moving trainwreck. And trying to keep your vehicle from tipping over with delicate steering adjustments and wenches attached to trees is way more intense when you have an actual wheel.
I’m going to have a full review of the G920 soon, but for now — I’m going to keep enjoying my time with Spintires. I may even get American Truck Simulator and see if I can combine that with the wheel and my VR headset for a fully immersive experience.
