The Long Drive Review
This game is an immersive adventure set in an almost limitless desert landscape. The emphasis is on the freedom of driving, the thrill of exploration, and the pleasure of the journey. There is minimal upkeep of the car and limited survival aspects, so you can spend more time exploring and having fun.
- Immersive adventure set in a limitless desert landscape
- Freedom of driving and thrill of exploration
- Narrative involved
- Vehicles should have weight and physics should be more realistic
- Collision detection, building functionality, texture popping and multiplayer capabilities need to be improved
Gameplay Features
If you're a fan of Top Gear Specials, The Grand Tour, documentaries on risky roads, and anything post-apocalyptic, then you'll likely find something to appreciate in The Long Drive. It looks like the team behind the game is small but they're having a blast with it, blending a lot of the themes I enjoy.
There are no impassable walls, or low fences that can't be jumped, or flashing red "wrong way" signs on the highway. The car won't require more than 10-20 liters of fuel over a short distance, and with a full tank, you can go around 500 kilometers. If you spot a far off mountain, you can travel to it and with the right ability, you can even attempt to climb it. If you don't like the way the mirrors are angled, you can easily adjust them or remove them while driving fast. If you want to move closer to the radio or anything else, you can do that too.
At first, you may think that making a car go "vroom" is a straightforward task. However, when you delve deeper, you discover there are different types of cars, along with their respective parts and accessories, and there is even a narrative involved. All of this can be discovered just by driving around.
What Can Be Improved?
At the end, when you look at The Long Drive it’s neither the epitome of driving simulators or survival games. Whatever it is, it is really good but it has many parts that can be better. For instance the vehicles should be given weight and physics should be more realistic, allowing for more authentic handling of the vehicles in different terrains. The game needs to be polished with better collision detection, improved building functionality, reduced texture popping and multiplayer capabilities.
Additionally, there should be a greater variety of vehicles, locations, buildings, parts, and collectables, as well as environmental features. New game modes should be added, such as survival mode with food and water requirements, scavenging for items in the desert, and defending your chosen building/home.
The terrain should be varied, with more obstacles and structures to interact with, as well as more risks and rewards. The loot generation system should be improved to provide more dynamic and varied loot, while also providing players with incentives to explore and interact with the world. Finally, the survival elements should be rebalanced to provide a greater challenge to the player.
Is The Long Drive Worth Playing?
This game is so much fun. It's a fantastic driving simulator that has enough features to be engaging without being too complicated. If you are looking for a driving simulator that offers a bit more absurdity and freedom than ETS, this game is a perfect match for you.