
Release Date: December 11, 2018
The original combination of arcade racing game, RPG production and life simulator, which is set in the distant future. In Desert Child we play the role of the pilot of a levitating scooter, which executes various paid orders, trying to bind the end to the end.
Desert Child is a mix of a 2D racing game, RPG and life simulator, set in a distant future where Earth is slowly being abandoned by people. The game was developed by Oscar Brittain from Australia. The creator is an architect who made his debut in 2016 with a small game World's Fastest Pizza, released exclusively on PC.
In 2017, Desert Child was funded through a successful Kickstarter fund-raising campaign. The author was inspired by numerous science fiction anime productions, including Redline, the legendary Akira and Cowboy Bepop. Desert Child has been honoured and awarded at numerous independent game festivals.
Desert Child takes place in the distant future. The Earth is slowly being abandoned by its residents, who chose a new life on Mars, using government travel subsidy programs. After a few years, however, the chance of extraterrestrial relocation ends when the ticket price is raised to a level that only the richest can afford. The main character of Desert Child is a pilot of a levitating scooter. He tries to make ends meet by performing various types of courier orders and hunting for people from wanted letters.
The main element of Desert Child are scooter races. The game is presented in a two-dimensional, side-scroll style. Depending on the task, we race in illegal competitions, hunt for a specific target or try to reach the end of the route in the shortest possible time while transporting valuable cargo and avoiding obstacles. Our vehicle can be equipped with various types of weapons and power-ups, which we buy during visits to the city. There, we can also talk to many interesting characters, deal with gangsters and discover the secrets that will potentially lead us to the desired wealth.
Individual missions can also be performed together with another player through the online mode and local split-screen co-op.
Desert Child has detailed 2D graphics, using the aesthetics of pixel art. The soundtrack consists of original lo-fi hip-hop songs.
Platforms:
PC Windows
PlayStation 4
Xbox One
Nintendo Switch
Developer: Oscar Brittain
Publisher: Akupara Games
System Requirements for Desert Child Video Game:
PC / Windows
Minimum System Requirements:
Dual Core 2.2 GHz, 4 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB GeForce GTX 760 or better, 600 MB HDD, Windows 7.
Game Ratings for Desert Child Video Game.
Nindie Spotlight: 5 / 10 by Nindie Spotlight
There seems to be a seed for what could be a decent game in Desert Child but it honestly feels unfinished. If the focus had been on the action of the racing and slowly layering more elements to that action with some progression I would have probably been fine just stopping there. At least it would have had a clear focus and the central activity could have remained interesting through slowly and smartly evolving. Instead you’ll quickly find yourself wasting your time walking around a city for no really good reason beyond demonstrating some artistic flair with different angles in each area and playing through variations on the same theme over and over again. Perhaps an audience can dig in and find the enjoyment but with so many better conceived games on the eShop it’s hard to give Desert Child a recommendation.
GameSkinny: 9 / 10 by Jeffrey Rousseau
Desert Child strikes is a fun indie title that balances being a racer, a RPG, and being unconventionally cool.
oprainfall: 4.5 / 5
Desert Child is indeed a very special release. It’s not only unique in being an M-rated indie on the Switch, but it’s also perhaps the most impressive indie title that I’ve played in years. Every aspect of the game is teeming with originality and the passion of the developer comes across clear as day. That’s to be expected though, as creator Oscar Brittain created nearly every aspect of the game himself. The relatively short gameplay certainly detracts from the game’s overall score, but I can mostly look past this given how impressive my time with it was. I’d say that this one lies somewhere between a 4.25 and a 4.5 on the review scale. Desert Child released for all major platforms on December 11, 2018. I played the Switch version, but it can also be downloaded on PS4, Xbox One, and Steam. At just $11.99 on any of them, I can’t recommend it enough.
Average score from votes.