SnowRunner - Graphics, Game Engine, and Pacific P16 Presentation

The developers of the upcoming game SnowRunner have published new information regarding the graphics and game engine. They provided new details about the overall appearance of the game and improvements in this area.

It is worth starting with the fact that in SnowRunner, maps can be much larger than in MudRunner. While the maximum map size in MudRunner was 1x1 km, in SnowRunner this value will increase to 2x2 km. This opens up entirely new possibilities for map makers and players. Surfaces have become significantly more beautiful thanks to increased mesh resolution. Various decorations have been added to the background of the maps. In addition, the draw distance has also been increased, allowing players to fully enjoy the beauty of the map.

The number of layers in surface textures has also doubled compared to MudRunner. The number has increased from 2 to 4 layers. A special layer for snow has been added. Snow in SnowRunner has new physics, all complemented by new shaders. Thanks to the new shaders, snowy surfaces look very beautiful and realistic.

The developers implemented so-called PBR (Physically Based Rendering). PBR is physically accurate rendering, and all assets were created using PBR materials. To work correctly with PBR, the game’s lighting and shaders were reconfigured. HDR support was added, along with a new Bloom effect (halo effect).

Shadows in the game have undergone significant changes. In MudRunner, only various vehicles and machinery had dynamic shadows. However, all other objects did not have dynamic shadows. Now, dynamic shadows will be created based on a shading scheme. All objects around the camera will receive dynamic shadows. Changes also affected the anti-aliasing system. MudRunner used the FXAA filter. However, this filter had its drawbacks, the most annoying being jagged edges on textures. Now the TAA filter is used. Thanks to this filter, players will be able to fully enjoy the game’s graphical component.

Atmospheric effects are no less important a part of the game. In SnowRunner, the developers have significantly reworked weather effects. Known weather effects have been revamped. In addition to rain, there will now also be snow — a new weather condition. Highly detailed clouds with gaps and much more have been added.

The introduction of large maps caused quite obvious rendering problems. To keep everything detailed and prevent lag, the developers improved the plant rendering system. Additionally, LOD for trees and grass was improved. Textures received significant enhancements. According to the developers, a regular tree in the game will be hard to distinguish from a real one when viewed up close. The game supports texture resolutions up to 4K, but the load on the graphics card is balanced. The game itself is well optimized and will not heavily tax either PCs or consoles.

The release will take place very soon — April 28 of this year on PC (Epic Games Store), Xbox One, and PS4.

SnowRunner can be purchased on the Epic Games Store - here.

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Model: Pacific P16

Length: 9.7 m
Width: 3.5 m
Fuel tank capacity: 300 liters

All-wheel drive: unavailable
Diff lock: always active
Role: heavy truck