Caravan SandWitch
Caravan SandWitch
Sorti le 12 septembre 2024 sur PC, Nintendo Switch et PlayStation 5, Caravan SandWitch est une aventure narrative d'exploration développée par le studio indépendant Plane Toast et éditée par Dear Villagers. Proposé à 24,99 euros et propulsé par l'Unreal Engine 5, le titre mêle les genres de l'aventure, de la réflexion, de la plateforme et du jeu indépendant pour offrir une expérience centrée sur la découverte et le récit.
L'intrigue invite le joueur à parcourir Cigalo, une planète désertique aux allures de Provence de science-fiction, à la recherche d'une sœur disparue. Le mystère sert de fil conducteur à travers des paysages vastes où l'on progresse à pied ou à bord d'un van améliorable, cet outil permettant d'accéder à de nouveaux passages et ruines au fil de l'aventure. Le jeu se distingue par l'absence totale de combat, de mort ou de chronomètre, privilégiant une progression libre où l'on interagit avec les communautés locales pour les aider dans leurs tâches quotidiennes.
L'univers dépeint un monde post-apocalyptique teinté d'espoir, marqué par les séquelles d'une terraformation ratée qui a asséché une planète jadis verdoyante. On y croise les Reinetos, une espèce aborigène ancienne, des robots abandonnés après l'exploitation des ressources, des humains restés sur place après l'exode de leurs semblables, ainsi que la mystérieuse SandWitch. Ces factions cohabitent pacifiquement dans un environnement hostile, et le scénario, conçu pour être inclusif, met en avant l'entraide communautaire face aux difficultés environnementales. Des options d'accessibilité sont par ailleurs intégrées pour élargir le public concerné.
Côté réception, le jeu obtient une note agrégée de 74,21, avec 74 sur Metacritic et 72 sur OpenCritic. La presse a salué l'expérience, GameSpew qualifiant l'aventure de captivante dans un monde intriguant, tandis que GAMINGbible a souligné l'impact émotionnel de sa conclusion, variable selon les choix du joueur. Du côté des joueurs, les retours positifs mettent en avant une direction artistique soignée, un lore profond, des mécaniques simples mais intéressantes et une atmosphère relaxante dépourvue de violence, bien que la taille de la carte soit parfois jugée modeste. À l'inverse, certaines critiques négatives sur Metacritic ciblent les développeurs pour des raisons politiques extérieures au contenu ludique. Pour en voir le bout, il faut compter environ six heures et demie pour l'histoire principale et une dizaine d'heures pour une complétion totale.
Médias
Avis des critiques et joueurs
Critiques de la Presse (Metacritic)
« An open-world adventure game set in an intriguing sci-fi world, I've absolutely loved every moment I've spent with Caravan SandWitch. Whether you're exploring, completing a side quest or hunting down important components, there's so much to do — and the fact you can do it all at your own pace makes this an absolute joy to play. »
« Caravan SandWitch is still fresh in my mind, as is its emotive finale, a conclusion reached based on the choice you make. I suspect, however, that in the days to follow, Sauge will often pop into my mind, her orange van waiting for me to start the ignition once more. The main story may be over, but the world of Cigalo is too beautiful to only explore once. »
« A mysterious journey through a fascinating world, Caravan SandWitch is a relaxing adventure that is brimming with charm and is highly recommended. »
« With a script that’s so off, it really says something that not only was I invested enough to play Caravan SandWitch to completion, but that it ended up being one of my favorite experiences of the year in spite of the poor dialogue. Exploring this extremely chill, open world while digging around amongst the ruins of corporate greed held my attention from start to finish, and even by the time I had solved all the mysteries and had done all the things, I was still quite ready to spend more time in this world. It’s not without its flaws, but Caravan SandWitch remains one of my favorite experiences of 2024, and I would strongly encourage the developers to continue their work — I look forward to being delighted with something new. »
« Caravan SandWitch is a pretty good game. It does have a few flaws and technical hitches here and there, but nothing that ruined the experience for me. The story, characters and setting are more-or-less solid, sucking me into a whole new futuristic world and their lives. I myself felt as if I had lived in Cigalo! The gameplay is good too, especially the driving around, exploring, and fetch quests. I liked that they chose not to include any enemy encounters in any form. The only threats are the TARAASK storm and Witch, which only adds to the intrigue and makes the game more gripping. If you like narrative-driven open-world games with no combat, give Caravan SandWitch a go. »
« It may lack punch but its satisfying driving and laid-back exploration are ideal if you’re looking for a soothing adventure. Perfect for treasure hunt lovers. [Issue#46, p.93] »
« Caravan SandWitch definitely has its heart in the right place and impresses first and foremost with its interesting world and pleasantly relaxed atmosphere. However, uninspired missions and various technical errors hinder this charming adventure game from fully developing its undoubted potential. »
« Caravan SandWitch is just a really pleasant video game. It can be a bit rough around the edges in terms of animations and technical performance, but its story intrigues, and its atmospheric brand of exploration is largely a delight. »
Avis des Joueurs (Metacritic)
« Absolute masterpiece. If you've played Stray and never found another game like it, this is the one. Amazing story, wonderful level design, cozy and relaxing atmosphere, mysterious vibes, artistic direction is absolutely GORGEOUS, and there is this wonderful tech, abandonned & exploration feeling. The gameplay elements are wide and well implemented, clean, satisfying and engaging. The sound design helps a lot and is a huge win as well, especially for dialogues with this "typo" sound that changes for each character. The lore/story part is great as well and I was eager to know more about the lore. Just the end isn't what I was expecting, the choice doesn't have enough impact in my opinion. The only real downside is narration. It feels a little bit too "modern" and "juvenile" and lacks naturalness while being almost cringe sometimes. There also is an emotional depth that lacks precense and authenticity in the dialogues. I played the game in french, and the inclusive writing is very disturbing : while this is a totally respectable choice, it makes everything feel artificial and forced, to the point where I got lost in the genre of the characters (for example I thought Nefle was a feminine character), and I often had to read a second time to try to understand the "ellui"-type of words. Again, I think this is a respectable and assumed decision, but maybe to an extent where it might impact the game and the player experience too much (at least mine), especially since we don't usually use that writting. Music is great as well, matches perfectly the identity of the game, it might just lack diversity sometimes. This remains one of the best games I've played in my life. I highly recommand playing it on controller though, the experience is peak ! Thanks, and hyped to see what what's to come from this studio in the future ! »
« Trash game,the devs are political trash. Let them fade away with this waste of space. Got my other review deleted cos they're cowards that talk crap online. Laughable. Only play this if you're into diddy »
« Wow talk about a really boring game. This game is good if you’re looking to go to sleep but that is about as far as it goes. »
« Mildly janky around the edges, but I’d definitely recommend for a chilled time. The characters are a little bland but the world held my attention. Luckily the game doesn't outstay its welcome. »
« There are good cosy games and there are bad cosy games. The good ones hide the fact that you're doing something repetitive and pointless with either a good plot or rewarding gameplay. This is one of the bad ones. It's a walking simulator (you do sometimes drive) where you just go from A to B, pick up an item, listen to some uninteresting dialogue and do it all over again. There's no unique plot, no interesting purpose for completing the mundane actions, no interesting gameplay along the way. The character dialogue is mediocre. I can't say this is worth playing when there are better alternatives out there for far cheaper. Try Calico or Toem instead for a better experience and you'll see how games like this are low effort attempts at making a cosy game. »
« I mean it's alright The gameplay and atmosphere and visuals and story are really nice But the character designs and cutscenes and especially character animations are startlingly annoying I was also unnerved cos they don't blink Can excuse the dialogue cos translation It's fun but mediocre Great music tho »
« Wholesome and cosy game, with a very pretty graphic style. It has a lot of personality. »
« Caravan SandWitch is a colossal letdown that proves even a visually charming sci-fi adventure can’t mask a soul-crushingly dull experience, making its $24.99 Steam price tag an outright scam. This so-called “cozy” exploration game traps you in a repetitive slog of driving a clunky van across a barren, Provence-inspired wasteland to collect resources for pointless upgrades like scanners and grappling hooks, which only serve to drag you through tedious fetch quests and backtracking to unjam radar signals. The story of protagonist Sauge searching for her sister amid a post-apocalyptic setting tries to lean on themes of community and resilience, but it’s buried under glacial pacing, preachy dialogue, and uninspired tasks that feel like errands for quirky robots and locals. With no combat, no stakes, and sluggish mechanics, the 10-15 hour runtime is a monotonous chore, plagued by glitches and an empty open world that fails to engage. Save your money—you couldn’t pay me to endure another minute of this boring, overpriced mess. 1/10. »
