Desert Child
- December 12, 2018
- Akupara Games
- 4h median play time
Oscar Brittain's crowdfunded retro racing romp is stylish and pleasant despite its repetitive nature and short campaign.
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"Desert Child is a pixel-art racing game set in a solar system inspired by anime classics. Play as a down-on-his-luck hoverbike racer, competing in high-speed races and completing odd jobs to earn money for your one-way ticket to the Red Planet's Grand Prix. Customize your bike, dine on interplanetary cuisine, and enjoy the lo-fi hip-hop soundtrack as you race, shoot, and explore the richly detailed world."
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Linux
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The unique art style and aesthetic create a visually stunning experience that many players appreciate.
- The soundtrack is highly praised, with many players enjoying the music and its fit with the game's vibe.
- The racing mechanics, while simple, can be fun and engaging, especially as players improve with practice.
- The gameplay loop becomes repetitive quickly, with many players feeling that the racing lacks depth and variety.
- The game is criticized for its short length, leaving players wanting more content and a more substantial experience.
- Navigation around the city can be tedious and confusing, with slow movement and unclear objectives leading to frustration.
- gameplay120 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Desert Child" is characterized by a repetitive racing shoot 'em up loop that many players find shallow and lacking depth. While the game features a unique art style and some enjoyable mechanics, the core racing experience quickly becomes monotonous, with limited variety and frustrating design choices that detract from overall enjoyment. Despite some players appreciating the aesthetic and music, the consensus leans towards the gameplay being underwhelming and not engaging enough to sustain interest over time.
“The mechanics are just plain fun.”
“Fun, quick main gameplay loop punctuated with very mild life sim elements and total vibes.”
“A stylish game with great pixel art, soundtrack (in particular the pizza song) and humour, not to mention the hectic gameplay which can be intimidating at first but feels like an arcade classic in minutes.”
“The core gameplay loop is a racing shoot 'em up that gets incredibly repetitive and is really quite simple.”
“Unfortunately, the gameplay is rather boring and shallow.”
“The gameplay loop is very simple and a lot of the items and tools feel like they were thrown on with no real testing.”
- music105 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its diverse and engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. The combination of genres, including hip-hop, jazz, and electronica, contributes to a vibrant atmosphere that keeps players entertained, even if the gameplay itself can feel repetitive. Overall, the soundtrack is often regarded as the standout feature, making the game worth exploring for its musical accompaniment alone.
“The soundtrack fits perfectly well with all that’s happening on the screen; it features a variety of genres from hip-hop to jazz.”
“The best part about this game is the soundtrack.”
“The absolutely best thing Desert Child has going for it is the soundtrack.”
“The soundtrack again is the only redeeming quality; in light of all the aforementioned weaknesses, the soundtrack is another statement of trying too hard to be cool and the developer not really caring too much about basic gameplay elements... or fun.”
“$23.80 if you want the terrible soundtrack along with the terrible game (it really is laughably bad).”
“You can't even lower the music.”
- graphics60 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and appealing art style, which combines retro pixel aesthetics with a "Cowboy Bebop" vibe, creating a visually captivating experience. Many reviewers highlight the strong synergy between the visuals and the soundtrack, enhancing the overall atmosphere, although some feel that the graphics are the game's strongest aspect, overshadowing the shallow gameplay. While the art is considered beautiful and creative, there are mixed feelings about its value relative to the gameplay experience.
“The aesthetic is extremely nice.”
“The art style is nice; there is a pretty interesting world, and parts of the design in this game show really wonderful creativity.”
“Amazing graphics, neat soundtrack, a little grindy but still a good buy.”
“The developer chose to use obsolete retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
“So much effort was put into the aesthetics that they forgot about the playing it part.”
“It's a highly repetitive, mobile mini game dressed up in a lofi beats to relax/study to aesthetic.”
- story25 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally perceived as weak and underdeveloped, with many reviewers noting a lack of meaningful engagement and depth. While the game features a vibrant world and some humor, the narrative feels bland and often serves merely as a backdrop for racing mechanics rather than a compelling journey. Overall, players express disappointment in the storytelling, wishing for more character development and a richer plot to enhance the experience.
“Not only does it have wonderful surroundings and a cool soundtrack, but it also has a little story and some humor too.”
“Creating a world is one thing, but filling it with interesting things to do is another story.”
“The story gives very little insight into this city on Mars, but it feels vibrant.”
“The story and tasks are very bland; the racing is also not very good - it's almost a chore to play. There seems to be a lot of potential for a game like this, but the cheap art style and wannabe Cowboy Bebop style intro is meant to trick you into buying this game. If you watch the intro, the main character cocks a pistol which is never really used during the game.”
“There isn’t anything else to the story; you can get some world-building information from newspapers and that’s about it.”
“Those looking for a more story-driven experience that uses racing to its advantage will also be disappointed.”
- grinding18 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and boring, often describing the gameplay as cyclical and lacking motivation. While some appreciate the graphics and style, many feel that the repetitive tasks, such as grinding for money and engaging in unvaried activities, detract significantly from the overall experience. Despite its short length, the grindy nature of the game leads to a sense of monotony that can quickly diminish enjoyment.
“A significant problem for me was that there's no motivation to engage in the tedious, cyclical gameplay.”
“Although it was a unique experience, I would not recommend this game because it was a tedious experience!”
“Most of the game you are just grinding cash.”
- atmosphere13 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its vibrant art style and immersive world, evoking a sense of beauty and life reminiscent of cultural icons like Cowboy Bebop. While many players appreciate the atmospheric elements, some note that navigation can be disorienting due to the layout. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a key highlight, enhancing the overall experience despite some minor criticisms.
“The city is alive and atmospheric, and the details are many.”
“The atmosphere is beautiful, and I really love the whole universe that this takes place in.”
“Sometimes, a game can really be elevated by the atmosphere it has.”
“The layout for Mars' world, while giving a chance to explore some of the atmosphere perhaps, also felt a bit meandering.”
“One of those games that you play for the atmosphere and music!”
“- it provides an atmosphere similar to cultural icons such as Cowboy Bebop or other space westerns.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is generally well-received, with players appreciating its lighthearted vibe, funny dialogue, and amusing moments, such as quirky achievements and hilarious secret tapes. While some elements may feel clunky, the humor adds a charming touch to the overall experience, encouraging players to engage with characters and explore the comedic aspects of the game.
“Not only does it have wonderful surroundings and a cool soundtrack, but it also has a little story and some humor too.”
“Plus, the ending is hilarious.”
“Be sure to talk to everyone as they have a lot of funny dialogue and buy the newspaper to get life advice from the dude on the street.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag, with frame rates fluctuating between 34 and 48 fps, suggesting potential performance issues that may require adjustments in settings. While controls are optimized for controllers, players find keyboard controls more effective for racing due to better fine control. Additionally, players can enhance their bike's performance using acquired gear, and performance is evaluated post-race.
“Controls are clearly overall optimized for controller, but for racing, the keyboard is way easier because it's much better for maintaining fine control.”
“You can use power packs and other gear you acquire to modify your bike's performance.”
“Performance is stuck somewhere between 34 and 48 fps; have you tried adjusting the settings?”
“Controls are clearly optimized for controller use, but for racing, the keyboard is much better for maintaining fine control.”
“Once you finish a race, you are graded for your performance.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Users indicate that the game offers some replayability, though opinions vary on its depth; while some appreciate the different difficulty settings tied to bike weapons, others feel limited by the inability to switch them during runs. Overall, the extent of replayability remains uncertain for those who have not completed the game.
“There's some replayability, and though I would have liked to have been able to switch bike weapons during a run, they seem to act as difficulty settings instead.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game runs smoothly on Mac with minimal bugs and glitches, indicating a stable performance.
