I've got a lot to say about this game, but I'm gonna try to keep it short and still fail anyway. What's this game do best? Get really close to being the kind of game you could play for IRL days in a run. It's really getting there. The customization is a good thing to see. Play with hunger, enemies, or just you the car and the road. Multiplayer is a work in progress, and a feature I really hope gets the bugfixes and attention it deserves cause wandering the wasteland with friends is perhaps the best antidote for the game's biggest shortcoming, the lack of features. I'm the last person to make the comparison, but this game has strong My Summer Car vibes, and the prepared modus operandi you take in that game bringing everything with you should something go wrong really adds to gameplay, and should you forget or choose not to be prepared you pay the price eventually. There's some of that in The Long Drive too, just less. Little enough to really feel kneecapped if you've played MSC or similar games before. I've started runs to find the top tier engine and 30 liters of gas in a barrel in my first garage 5 minutes after a starting. Not gonna lie, it felt good, but then I got bored and quit in less than 10. This game's at it's best when you're just getting by with fuel, food, water oil and fuel, with the hope of finding something a bit faster than your Trabant. The rusty radiator you missed when you swapped out cars overheating on you and forcing you to push and steer the remainder till you find a brush or new rad. Actually getting you to struggle, knowing relief is out there and all on you adds to the game a lot. I know the whole point is to drive, a long long way, but I feel like reeling that in a modest amount would make the game more interesting. Up fuel and oil consumption, wear, add more things to go wrong and more stops with more stuff. More variety of stuff. When something fails add a proper fix with the right part, and an improvised one you're more likely to be able to do, with drawbacks. Maybe a system that incentivizes keeping and sticking with a run by adding even higher tier loot and QOL improvements and restricting them to mid and late game. In a game with such a basic main gameplay element, take from what MSC does and incorporate lots of busy small things, like filling waterbottles with drinkable water and maybe cooking food that can go bad if you keep it too long. Engine parts, maybe carb, block, head transmission etc that can snap together and provide sidegrades/upgrades depending on config. Part wear, to keep you looking and invested. These among many other things I think would spice up the gameplay enough to hold my attention longer than just finding a good engine, stocking up on food and driving till I'm bored. Solid game, great premise and atmosphere, I just hope they're expanded upon.

I've got a lot to say about this game, but I'm gonna try to keep it short and still fail anyway. What's this game do best? Get really close to being the kind of game you could play for IRL days in a run. It's really getting there. The customization is a good thing to see. Play with hunger, enemies, or just you the car and the road. Multiplayer is a work in progress, and a feature I really hope gets the bugfixes and attention it deserves cause wandering the wasteland with friends is perhaps the best antidote for the game's biggest shortcoming, the lack of features. I'm the last person to make the comparison, but this game has strong My Summer Car vibes, and the prepared modus operandi you take in that game bringing everything with you should something go wrong really adds to gameplay, and should you forget or choose not to be prepared you pay the price eventually. There's some of that in The Long Drive too, just less. Little enough to really feel kneecapped if you've played MSC or similar games before. I've started runs to find the top tier engine and 30 liters of gas in a barrel in my first garage 5 minutes after a starting. Not gonna lie, it felt good, but then I got bored and quit in less than 10. This game's at it's best when you're just getting by with fuel, food, water oil and fuel, with the hope of finding something a bit faster than your Trabant. The rusty radiator you missed when you swapped out cars overheating on you and forcing you to push and steer the remainder till you find a brush or new rad. Actually getting you to struggle, knowing relief is out there and all on you adds to the game a lot. I know the whole point is to drive, a long long way, but I feel like reeling that in a modest amount would make the game more interesting. Up fuel and oil consumption, wear, add more things to go wrong and more stops with more stuff. More variety of stuff. When something fails add a proper fix with the right part, and an improvised one you're more likely to be able to do, with drawbacks. Maybe a system that incentivizes keeping and sticking with a run by adding even higher tier loot and QOL improvements and restricting them to mid and late game. In a game with such a basic main gameplay element, take from what MSC does and incorporate lots of busy small things, like filling waterbottles with drinkable water and maybe cooking food that can go bad if you keep it too long. Engine parts, maybe carb, block, head transmission etc that can snap together and provide sidegrades/upgrades depending on config. Part wear, to keep you looking and invested. These among many other things I think would spice up the gameplay enough to hold my attention longer than just finding a good engine, stocking up on food and driving till I'm bored. Solid game, great premise and atmosphere, I just hope they're expanded upon.