It's time for another Demo Dive! This time around I decided to check out some of the more wholesome games, slow and gentle. Of course, my plan was quickly tossed out the window with the rather melancholic and forlorn atmosphere of one of the demos, but oh well. Still, the games I tried were pretty gentle, relaxing, and calming, so I hope you will check them out too. Between going through Elden Ring DLC and the day-to-day work, it is good to unwind with such titles. Let's roll!
CARAVAN SANDWITCH
CARAVAN SANDWITCH has so much charm it should pack it into nice little parcels and sell it to people to make a big buck. It's a beautiful game that elicits in me a certain wistfulness, capable of generating pure nostalgia without a memory to yearn after. The colors, the vibe, the soft music, and the sounds of the landscape all got to me without effort, soothing the soul, and calming the mind. The core of the experience lies in the exploration and collection of odd bits and pieces to fuel, well... Further exploration. You'll craft helpful tools, and aid other people on your journey to seek your family members in this strange, beautiful world. I haven't managed to grasp yet the full scope of the setting, but it seems we're on a rather arid planet, exploited by the usual malignant corporation and left behind after the exploitation was completed. Now the planet is littered with high-tech junk, and the towns and villages shrinking and growing decrepit. It's a strange mix of warmth of nature and cold, clean designs that speaks to me.
The exploration itself is quite satisfying, but there are some minor hiccups I hope will be ironed out in the full game. First, entering and exiting your van is a constant fade to black, without the animation of entering the vehicle. Gets a little tiring, even if it is a nitpick. Also, the curse of the Yellow Paint managed to infect this game too, marking the climbable steps on rocks and structures with the obnoxious yellow, overused in so many games with vertical traversal. It does impact my enjoyment of exploration. Instead of feeling like I scaled a structure, I felt force-fed information, my hand firmly held by the game in some spots. Still, want to praise it, because very few things seem unclimbable. And exploring every nook and cranny has proven rewarding with something often waiting for you in those spaces you dare to explore.
CLOSER THE DISTANCE
What a ride. At first, I was not impressed. The intro was feeling sluggish, the control over the character very limited, first few minutes felt like watching a movie. With a janky cam, no less. But then the concept of the game blossomed and I was genuinely impressed. How to explain it... This is a game about loss. And coping with it, not just on your own, but as a small, tight-knit community. In the tiny village of Yesterby, you are given an intimate look into all the residents' emotions. Their mental state, their needs, wishes, moods. As they wander the village, fulfilling their tasks, and trying to soothe their weary souls, you will explore various interactions to make due. Make the loss manageable to everyone. The idea that everything is happening in real time and you can snoop around the entire village at any time feels fresh. As you send characters to fulfill various tasks, you are free between those moments to check on everyone. To see how they manage. And most importantly, listen to their conversations.
The writing is tight, the voice acting excellent, and while the topic of the story is grim and saddening, it is nonetheless engaging, like a slow-burning drama. I got hooked, moved, and somber in a way, witnessing how mundane everything can be even in the face of tragedy, mimicking the reality of life so well it was almost uncanny. I don't know how to describe it, but it felt like DISCO ELYSIUM meets LIFE IS STRANGE, but with completely different flavors. I would recommend checking the demo out - it's unlike anything I played for a long time.
ON YOUR TAIL
What a cute little thing! Well maybe not so little outside the demo, but here we've got a little morsel of what could only be described as Endless Holidays Vibe. Everything about this game is so pretty. The characters are full of charm, the models are cute and the drawings of them, especially, are super expressive. The writing is fun too, feeling to me like it took some inspiration from Animal Crossing's pun-filled lightheartedness. As a detective on an Italian-themed marina, you will encounter many colorful characters, full of vim, and gather information to solve The Case. Or cases. Anyway, do some sleuthing! And besides that gumshoe adventure, you can explore and do plenty of little and fun side activities. Any game that contains fishing is already superior to contemporaries that do not. I don't make the rules, it's a fact.
The whole game radiates good vibes. It feels like resting when playing it. Collecting cards, reading the well-written descriptions, chatting with those well-animated characters - both in drawing and in their attitudes. It was a pleasant experience through and through, and now I am hyped for the full game to come out.
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