Escaping From The Devil With A Car And A Dream Is Wicked Fun In Scaravan 66

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If you haven’t been checking out Lithic Entertainment’s Scaravan 66, it’s definitely worth your time. This car-centric roguelike offers an exhilarating and chaotic journey through a hellish landscape influenced by 1950s greaser culture and 1980s British punk rock music. The gameplay is incredibly engaging so far, and I can’t wait to delve deeper into the full experience.

While the storyline hasn’t blown me away yet, it has the potential to become intriguing as more of the game unfolds.

In the game titled Scaravan 66, you assume the role of Lucky D, a character clad in a leather jacket and sporting a pompadour, who is a Road Reaper tasked with collecting mortal souls for the Devil in an eternal highway of the underworld. However, Lucky D is weary of this endless duty and yearns to break free. The Devil dispatches her minions to thwart your escape, including zombies that hurl explosive barrels and lycanthropes armed with guns. Along the way, Lucky D can stop at exits to converse with other Road Reapers and various inhabitants of Hell. Each encounter offers unique abilities to acquire and a personal tale to unravel. As a roguelike game, Lucky D must begin anew following each unsuccessful escape attempt, gradually discovering more about the underworld, her fellow Road Reapers, and permanently enhancing her weapons and vehicle with each reincarnation.

In their joint email to you, Lithic Entertainment’s co-founders Al Bellemare and Andy Wood stated, “Scaravan 66 follows the traditional roguelike gameplay pattern, enhanced by a theme representing the monotonous cycles we often feel stuck in, longing for escape. These are the cycles of life that we didn’t choose but have to confront daily.

In this game, I thoroughly enjoyed weaving through enemy vehicles, firing at hellhounds, and leaving a trail of vibrant explosions on the highway. The third-person viewpoint in Scaravan 66 enables you to monitor the road directly ahead and nearby, while a rearview mirror offers glimpses of pursuers. The twin-stick shooter controls permit simultaneous driving, aiming, and shooting, ensuring seamless action. Starting out was exhilarating yet somewhat overpowering; however, mastering the essential controls wasn’t too challenging. With each lap, I improved my ability to drive and shoot concurrently, allowing me to focus on designing an optimal playstyle by the end of the demo. My favorite weapons were Lucky D’s shotgun and power rifle, which had a slower rate of fire but delivered a satisfying auditory and visual impact. During reloads, I’d accelerate and crash Lucky D’s car into any overly curious opponents or launch fireworks to pick off distant targets that were keeping their distance.

In my gameplay, I primarily allocated my permanent bonuses towards armor, health, additional lives, and other survivability features. Meanwhile, I’d request specific run-related upgrades from my Road Reaper companions, such as a bone spear on Lucky D’s vehicle to corrode enemies with necrotic damage if they scratched her car. Due to the unpredictable nature of roguelike games, I wasn’t always able to select my favorite perks for each run, but the game generally offered effective abilities in areas like offense, defense, and healing. As a result, adjusting my strategy on the fly was seldom problematic. Even when faced with unfamiliar options, I could discern how each might be beneficial and create a build based on the one that seemed most advantageous at the time.

Bellemare and Wood stated that players can’t predict which upgrade-giver they’ll meet until they reach a specific junction. Although the physical junctions and locations remain constant, some enemies only show up at particular spots. By observing carefully, you might make educated guesses about the probability of encountering certain enemies at specific locations.

In addition, there is an intelligent enemy system that adjusts according to the player’s performance or choices. This unseen entity is none other than the Devil herself, who is always monitoring your progress and maliciously controlling her minions based on Lucky’s advancement. So, be wary if you spot the Devil looming in the distance, gazing down mercilessly like a colossus—she’s about to alter your journey.

In their analysis, Bellemare and Wood described that Lucky’s vehicle possesses a magical attachment to her, much like a scythe for a Grim Reaper. This bond makes Lucky’s car the focal point of the game. A variety of enhancements are offered to boost its capabilities, and despite being equipped with numerous weapons, Lucky primarily relies on her vehicle for defense and causing damage. The car is also quite swift, but I seldom experienced drifting off course or a sense of loss of control.

In Scaravan 66, if we didn’t take precautions, players might veer off the road and crash into the woods at every bend or during combat. As the character Lucky only moves forward narratively, Bellemare and Wood explained that they’ve designed the control system so the car automatically goes forward to ease the need for constant pushing of the movement key. Players can still navigate left or right, and have options to break-check or boost forward, but the car will always move forward unless the engine overheats. Additionally, a system has been implemented to gently guide the car away from the edge of the woods, preventing it from getting lost and missing out on the action.

Concerning the boundary where the forest ends, Bellemare and Wood shared with me that character Lucky D will venture into locations past the woodland and have exciting, notable encounters with formidable foes during her adventure. However, in the demonstration version I tested, neither of those elements were present for me.

They shared that in the full game, there will be three distinct ecosystems, some of which aren’t present in the current demo. Lucky embarks on her adventure in the forest, a common starting point for many heroes. This initial biome symbolizes change and transformation, making it an appropriate setting for the initiation of Lucky’s rebellion. As she progresses, she encounters her second ecosystem: the desert. This vast, open landscape is flanked by mountain ranges, signifying the trials that arise during a hero’s mid-journey. The sky above may hold reminders of past beginnings, but the destination remains distant and elusive. The final biome is the coastal region, seemingly idyllic but deceivingly dangerous. Despite its bright, cheerful appearance, this area hides numerous hazards.

In my initial comments, I expressed concerns about the narrative in Scaravan 66, finding it a bit thin compared to other aspects. However, this could be due to the demo version, as there may have been additional story elements and gameplay options locked off, hinting at a more comprehensive story in the full release. Despite some reservations, I appreciate the character designs and voice acting, hoping that the story unfolds more engagingly than suggested by the demo. Regardless, the gameplay seems robust enough to hold my attention for numerous hours.

The game titled “Scaravan 66” is scheduled for a PC release in the year 2025. You might want to take a look at the demo that I had the opportunity to play during Steam Next Fest, commencing on February 24.

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2025-02-13 17:41