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What a delightful game! Caravan Sandwitch is an open world adventure in which you control Sauge, a girl looking for her lost sister on the planet of Cigalo. There are no time limits and no stealth/combat. You play at your own pace, with the freedom to explore in any direction you choose.
Although you are able to run or walk, your primary mode of transportation is an indestructible van. I am not a fan of driving games, but this one was not too difficult for me. I used the ‘standard setting’ for van controls (one button for forward, one button for reverse) and became proficient, over time. I found that the controller was much easier to play with than a keyboard and mouse. Luckily, the van does not suffer from falling off cliffs and usually lands with the wheels down. Likewise, you are indestructible and will land on your feet even when falling from great heights. In the unlikely event you get your van stuck, there is a recovery option to ‘return to garage.’
The game consists of running fetch errands, opening the map, and finding collectibles. Some quests are time sensitive, but the game is good about warning you if you are about to take an action that will prevent you from completing an open errand.
The landscape of Cigalo is littered with huge structures and equipment in various states of disrepair. Your full access to them is limited by the modifications you’ve made to the van. Specialized skills such as scanning, hacking, zip-lining, pulling, and powering up are awarded over time. Thus, it is necessary to traverse the landscape multiple times, entering new areas of structures you’ve explored previously.
Cigalo is home to quite a few characters (robots and humans). You interact with all of them and there is a lot of dialog to process. There are no voice-overs.
The coin of the realm is salvaged components. These are found in the environment and are also earned by completing errands. There is no shortage of resources and I ended the game with a large inventory of unused parts.
Caravan Sandwitch saves on exit to a single slot. At the end, the game does not store final progress. This allows you to circle back for missed achievements and experience both endings without starting a new game. Most achievements will be earned by playing through the story. In addition, you are rewarded for traversing the entire map, completing all errands, and visiting all points of interest. The map is detailed, with a 'you are here' indicator which makes it extremely useful.
Communication on the status of errands is handled via an email/messaging system which lets you highlight a task and mark it on the map. Overall, the interface is intuitive and designed to ensure your success.
I really enjoyed Caravan Sandwitch and highly recommend it to those who enjoy thoughtful exploration. Although the art styles and modes of transportation are different, I was reminded of Sable and Submerged (two other open world adventures that captured my imagination).