Caravan SandWitch Review (Steam)

Rating: 8
Author: Jim Smale

by Jim Smale · Published September 12, 2024 · Updated September 13, 2024

Caravan SandWitch Review, In Caravan SandWitch, embark on a journey across a Sci-Fi Provence-like world, driven by a mystery through your missing sister that unfolds with each step you take. Interact with the communities on Cigalo, help them with their tasks, and meet new people along the way. Take your time to explore the world, whether in your van or on foot. Life is simple: no combat, no death, no timer, just you, your van, and the world.

Caravan SandWitch Review Pros:

Charming bright colourful graphics.
3.02GB Download size.
Steam achievements.
Full controller support.
Graphics settings – fps limit, graphics preset, noEN, display mode, and resolution scale slider.
Game settings – climbing mode (automatic/manual, camera mode, minimap orientation (fixed/relative), and interface opacity slider.
Controller settings – Invert axis and sensitivity sliders, can remap controls and set driving to traditional buttons or just using the left stick.
Accessibility options – interface size slider, accessibility radar (noise indicators, etc), motion sickness reduction mode, and accessibility features slider.
3 save slots.
A full 3D game world and you have 360-degree camera control.
In-game cutscenes and character interactions.
Powerful soundtrack.
Action adventure gameplay.
Opening tutorial section with basic controls explained.
You can grab and climb ledges.
Toaster is the name of the app you use to receive emails and messages.
A stunning and memorable world full of gorgeous locations.
Multiple choice encounters and questioning.
Handy interactive icons pop up.
To uncover the map you need to find and unjam the signal antenna using your unjammer.
Marking a place on the map will then show a driving line when in the van.
The game does really good flyovers and camera shots as you go along the game.
You always have a marker/indicator showing for your van.
The game encourages you to explore and makes doing so effortless.
Find materials and resources within the world.
The game nudges you along rather than forcing you so you can go at your own pace and do as you wish to a certain extent.
When in signal-jammed areas you first get notified of that fact but you also cannot get messages or communicate with people, all current messages are scrambled aswel.
Mark the map to make exploration easier.
There are so many little hiding spots, cliffs to climb, and secrets to find.
Discover locations and places of interest to fill them in on the map.
Find beauty spots where you just sit down and watch the world with the camera panning around.
You have your main goal but you can stumble and take in optional side quests.
Build relationships with characters from your past and new ones.
You learn more about the world and about your character by interacting with the many spots around the world. Pro tip: keep clicking a spot until it disappears so you read everything.
Generous fall damage.
If an action or choice impacts your ability to complete older tasks or anything the game will tell you beforehand and give you a choice.
The game is split up into chapters.
Fit a scanner on your van so you can scan the area to show Collectibles and any antennas within its range.
When scanning it will highlight the items and let you mark them.
When getting new mechanics or upgrades you do a self-contained tutorial, in a kind of VR-like area.
Decent loading times.
Quest management lets you select which one to track.
Find components of various rarities to get new abilities and tools crafted.
Metroidvania-type exploration in that you may not be able to go somewhere until you have a new ability or tool.
Ziplines once unlocked allow much faster travel by foot.
Slight puzzle elements.
Unlock shortcuts.
You can find radios and turn them on and off.
This is a game I would describe as a perfect Sunday afternoon session, it’s not too taxing and has just enough going on to keep me engaged.
A handy feature where you can always fast-travel to your van.

Caravan SandWitch Review Cons:

No actual voice work in the game.
The auto climb doesn’t always work well and can have trouble registering a climbable ledge.
It’s hard to manage the map markers when you can keep generating them and even cover the objective or name of the location.
Markers don’t disappear after reaching them.
Had it a few times where the game wouldn’t register a new landmark or location until a mission told me about it.
Uses the black screen technique for a lot of actions.
No quick easy way to recentre the camera which is annoying especially when driving.
Does have a lot of fetch-like questing.
The platforming doesn’t always feel smooth.
It’s not always great at telling you exactly what you need for a mission or how it’s all structured.
The gameplay loop can be a bit repetitive and tiresome.
A big lull at the start where you need to spend ages looking for components to advance the story.
Interactive spots are not always visible until you are right on top of them.
Cannot slide or climb ladders fast.
Without fast travel, the game has a lot of just sitting there driving for ages.
The early game is rough, without the ability to get so many early-on antennas it makes navigating the world a lot harder and dare I say tedious.

Caravan SandWitch:

Official website.

Developer: Studio Plane Toast

Publisher: Dear Villagers

Store Links –

Steam

8/10

Graphics - 8/10
7/10

Sound - 7/10
8/10

Accessibility - 8/10
8/10

Length - 8/10
9/10

Fun Factor - 9/10

8/10

Summary

Caravan SandWitch offers a visually delightful experience with its charming, bright, and colorful graphics. The game, which has a download size of 3.02GB, supports Steam achievements and full controller functionality. Players can adjust various graphics settings, including FPS limit, graphics preset, display mode, and resolution scale. The game settings allow for customization of climbing mode, camera mode, minimap orientation, and interface opacity. Controller settings include options to invert the axis, adjust sensitivity, remap controls, and choose between traditional button driving or using the left stick. Accessibility options are robust, featuring an interface size slider, accessibility radar, motion sickness reduction mode, and an accessibility features slider. The game provides three save slots and a full 3D world with 360-degree camera control, complemented by in-game cutscenes and character interactions. The powerful soundtrack enhances the action-adventure gameplay, which begins with an opening tutorial explaining basic controls.

The game world is stunning and memorable, filled with gorgeous locations and multiple-choice encounters. Handy interactive icons pop up to assist players. To uncover the map, players must find and unjam signal antennas using their unjammer. Marking a place on the map shows a driving line when in the van, and the game features impressive flyovers and camera shots. Players always have a marker indicating the location of their van. The game encourages exploration, making it effortless and rewarding. Players can find materials and resources within the world, and the game nudges them along without forcing them, allowing for a leisurely pace. Signal-jammed areas prevent communication, scrambling current messages. The map can be marked to ease exploration, and there are numerous hiding spots, cliffs to climb, and secrets to discover. Players can find beauty spots to sit in and watch the world with the camera panning around. The game includes a main goal but also offers optional side quests, allowing players to build relationships with characters from their past and new ones. Interacting with various spots around the world reveals more about the game world and the player’s character. Generous fall damage is present, and the game informs players if an action or choice impacts their ability to complete older tasks, offering a choice beforehand.

However, the game has its drawbacks. There is no actual voice work, and the auto-climb feature can be unreliable, sometimes failing to register climbable ledges. Managing map markers can be challenging, as they can cover objectives or location names and do not disappear after reaching them. Occasionally, the game fails to register new landmarks or locations until a mission highlights them. The game uses black screen transitions for many actions and lacks a quick way to recenter the camera, which can be annoying, especially when driving. The game includes many fetch-like quests, and the platforming can feel unsmooth. It is not always clear what is needed for missions or how they are structured, leading to a repetitive and tiresome gameplay loop. The early game is particularly rough, requiring players to spend a long time searching for components to advance the story. Interactive spots are not always visible until players are right on top of them, and players cannot slide or climb ladders quickly. Without fast travel, the game involves a lot of driving, which can be tedious. The early game is challenging due to the difficulty in obtaining early antennas, making navigation harder and more tedious. The game is divided into chapters, and players can fit a scanner on their van to highlight collectibles and antennas within its range.

In summary, Caravan SandWitch is a visually appealing game with a rich, interactive world and a variety of customization options. It encourages exploration and offers a leisurely pace, but it also has several drawbacks, including unreliable auto-climb, challenging map management, and a repetitive gameplay loop. Despite these issues, the game provides a memorable experience with its stunning locations and engaging character interactions.