Caravan SandWitch | PS5 Review

Friendship, mystery, and open world exploration of the spacefaring kind are what makes up Dear Villagers' grandiose adventure, "Caravan SandWitch". Beyond the starting screen, and optional settings toggles we find a redheaded character named Sauge who has been contacted through Toast (a smartphone-like device) by her long lost sister Garance. Garance has been missing for over 6 years at this point, and was last seen in Sauge's home world of Cidalgo. It is to here Sauge frantically returns to for answers, and in seeking those answers that Sauge reunites with friends and family as their journey of discovery takes off.

As Sauge you will be interacting with a whole host of human and alien residents as you perform time crucial side quests, and a main questline tied to Sauge's search for Garance. Occasionally crossing paths with a mysterious observer. This will often times lead you to chore based missions, explorative outings, and collect-a-thon goals pertaining to electronic components that are used for tool upgrades. 

Getting from place to place, and from character to character isn't all on foot though. With a van gifted to you by your mum Rose early on you will be able to travel across the worn down locales of this world, and put to use various tools that will aid in your ability to scan, interact with, and find things that will forward progress. With a map available in Toast, and an optional guiding path projection outside in the world getting from point to point is made easier. The rest is pure exploration.

Outside of the van Sauge also has some mobility options including a sprint, a jump, and a climbing ability. These basic mechanics help Sauge climb in and out of the rocky terrain, and dilapidated building structures that are scattered about Cidalgo. She can also interact with other characters, and environmental set pieces tied to quest objectives. Her mobility options aren't stiff in any of these undertakings, and the animations and interactions with objects vary according to action taken in a more lifelike mannerism.

Through Sauge's Toast tele-communication app the conversations engaged in quickly lead to quests, and side quests. Some of these are timing based, and must be done quickly or missed out on. Taking on everything is possible though and it is in this slow drive through Cidalgo and the surrounding areas that relationships are fleshed out, and character backstories built upon. You'll even find some LGBTQ+ mentions or depictions in the mix with the usual flags as well as mentions of gender. Something that is near and dear to this world's inhabitants.

I know the question burning in most of your mind is how heavy handed is the LGBTQ+ content in "Caravan SandWitch", and I'd say it's not as bad as one might think. Most things are quickly mentioned, and shrugged off due to continued conversation related to game objectives, and character building. It's a sleight of hand kind of context slipped in there but not brute forced in such a way as to take away from the adventure. The world itself is a vibrant, colorful, and cell shaded world that is both living and breathing. Filled with impromptu photo opportunities, and the utmost attention to detail. The characters move about as quests are completed adding to the lived in feeling of Cidalgo, and the other locations. 

Personally, as a gamer, I was drawn in by the soundtrack, and the visual design which is quite attractive even for a guy who isn't all in on the LGBTQ+ bandwagon. My only issue, if any, is that the quick quips about gender ideology, and such that are planted there for an obvious reason detract from what could be better spent on more fleshed out character development. 

The game borders on being properly fleshed out in this regard, and at the same time half baked in that it does carry itself more through catch up conversations than letting the characters earn their role through actions, and reactions observed in real time. Speaking of which ... the game does have a Q&A system tied to conversations that do effect dialogue, and character relationships. They are basically tied to how passive-aggressive or politely Sauge is made to be. This plays out mainly to appease the narrative plot points of Sauge's return to a home so many years later.

The Verdict ...

Caravan SandWitch is one of those games obviously geared towards a certain crowd, and it's not a bad thing. Though there's ideological inclusion, the gameplay is fun and the world it takes place in, lively. The characters, despite being LGBTQ+ caricatures, are well presented, and do not push any one LGBTQ+ topic too hard. There is an underlying story, and most of the rest of the conversations are of friendly banter. There's definitely a sense of community, and connection with the characters included. 

The game, to me, feels kind of like "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" in it's world structure even though most of the traversal is done through vehicular means. The puzzle-like platforming sections in which Sauge must navigate are also a nod to those types of experiences. Of course the end goal is chasing down Sauge's sister's call beacon to find out if it is or isn't her. The mysterious observer only adds to this intrigue as it will appear and quickly vanish sometimes as you explore. Leading to aclimatic encounter that will seal the deal.

I also liked the digital photography opportunities, and the cutscenes that you can trigger if you make the right conversational choices. It adds to the humanity of the game, and makes the characters seem more properly involved with one another. Something that could have still been better done with a history earned through onscreen action than a voiced and textual telling of something we'll never see. It leaves us catching up as gamers instead of being along for the ride for the entire duration of the story's past and present elements. 

For what it's worth "Caravan SandWitch" isn't a bad game, and there's no need to deduct points over LGBTQ+ content. It knows it's audience and, in my opinion, can still be enjoyed by those of you interested outside of said audience. It is a very lighthearted game that borders on being anime. It has a whimsical Studio Ghibli vibe about it, and the presentation is solid. The game will be released on the day this review gets out to you. It's up to you whether or not you wish to give it a try, but it is a solid game if you don't mind the narrative shortcomings and ideological nods.