Even with its limited landscape, Caravan SandWitch creates a promising open world adventure.
I’ve often considered open world games as virtual spaces that form a bridge between solitude and purpose. It’s easy to lose yourself in these games, especially when the world is in danger, and you’re here to restore order.
Caravan SandWitch tries to be that space, except, the world can wait and the universe’s troubles don’t weigh you down. You don’t have to save everything and everyone. The game holds your hand as you build relationships with people and revisit the protagonist’s childhood. In doing so, you nonchalantly explore a lovely landscape painted in pastel colors, heart-gripping biomes, and stories from all walks of life.
As you navigate all this, you’re accompanied by a faithful four-wheeled companion that fits right into this vibrant world. Caravan SandWitch is perhaps the coziest open world adventure to come out in 2024, and it’s here to help you meditate on the little joys of life. One road trip at a time.
Caravan SandWitch's Unburdening Universe
Modern-day gamers aren’t free from cognitive overload. The ghosts of multiple genres often haunt them, begging for their attention with each twisted tale of comradery and the sound of loud guns and staggering heroism. Fortunately, every once in a while, a comforting game asks them to simply breathe, and relax with each passing pixel.
Caravan SandWitch happens to be one of those experiences. Right from the beginning, you’re introduced to Sauge, a character who’s calm, helpful, and extremely curious about the world around her.
When Sauge leaves behind a life of spaceships and zero gravity, she finds herself back home. Or, at least, a place she used to call home. Video games can be daunting in the face of writers who want audiences to feel empathy for the game’s inhabitants. Caravan SandWitch gracefully takes note of this and makes empathy feel like a natural trait in Sauge.
Instead, she does so simply because that’s the kind of person she is, and even with the non-linear dialogues, she takes an empathetic approach to the people around her. Even when some of them fail to see the reason why she’s here in the first place.
Coming Back Home Never Felt This Simple
Before landing in a sci-fi landscape inspired by the likes of Provence, I wasn’t told much. There’s Sauge, her missing sister, and all the adventures she needs to take on before finding her. In doing so, life-altering experiences lie in small to big things.
Cigalo, a mysterious space filled with inhabitants and terrains of all kinds, offered meaning in different things. Often, I found myself helping people in need. For instance, a parent who wanted to build a better life for her child by fixing a water pump. In turn, people were willing to help Sauge. Like the old lady who reflected on Sauge’s quest to find answers to life’s riddles and happily obliged.
I even helped someone find their life’s purpose! This happened when I crossed paths with a weird-looking being (no offense, make-believe frog person), who wished to move away from the confusing realm of humans and find meaning in history and science.
Rather than words, Caravan SandWitch tells stories through its world. As I progressed through the game, my trustworthy van helped me reach places that I couldn’t have otherwise, and solve little puzzles through some clever platforming. These pieces of exploration unraveled more about the world I found myself in and kept me distracted from the main quests for good reasons.
Mechanically Limited With Infinite Heart
The game doesn’t reinvent the wheel of modern-day open world adventures. Rather, it gives you four humble wheels that let you brave this world and a bunch of tools that make this process simpler. Scanning areas for hidden puzzles or using a grappling hook are part of the gameplay, but don’t overdo its usage.
I found myself sticking to the basics. Driving, jumping, walking, and reading my text-based conversations made up the majority of the gameplay loop. It felt simple, it got the job done and it felt true to the game’s simplicity.
However, I would have appreciated it a lot more if the world felt more responsive to Sauge’s journey. Twigs or stones wouldn’t break under the van’s wheels, nor would the environment change or evolve much. This stayed similar with the game’s narrative too. Regardless of the progress I made, the world would seldom respond to it.
The lack of these little details took away from the otherwise immersive experience. Fortunately, the game was still able to convince me that not every open world journey needs to be grand in scale, and sometimes it’s twice as rewarding to appreciate the simpler things in life.
Inadvertently, the stories in Sauge’s life would paint every inch of Cigalo with a human tinge. Add to this the heartfelt music synchronized by percussive and string-based instruments, and you have yourself a game that feels soulful and rich.
“Just one more drive” was a phrase I used often.
Even after hours of gameplay, I would vividly appreciate booting up my PlayStation 5, jumping into my van, and exploring more of Caravan SandWitch’s unanswered mysteries. Even if I don’t find many answers, it’s going to be worth the drive.
Caravan SandWitch - 4/5
Caravan SandWitch is for you if you’re someone who:
Appreciates smaller, more detailed open worlds.
Doesn’t mind limited gameplay mechanics.
Likes reading through text-based storytelling.
Loves lighthearted visuals and slice-of-life stories.
A special thanks to JF Games PR Comms for sending me the game’s review code.
What a great review. The game sounds so lovely and peaceful, I can't wait to try it out!