Desert Child

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 8
  3. Negative: 1 out of 8
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  1. Shacknews
    Dec 20, 2018
    70
    It's an odd thing for a video game to bank so heavily on its aesthetics, but in the case of Desert Child, the plan works. This isn't a dense game, nor is it necessarily a complex game; instead, it's a simple title that suits retro gaming enthusiasts with good visuals, good music, amusing interactions, and a series of high-speed races.
  2. Multiplayer.it
    Dec 25, 2018
    60
    Desert Child delivers some nice retro-style graphics and a great soundtrack, but the game becomes repetitive and grindy very soon.
  3. Push Square
    Dec 16, 2018
    60
    Desert Child is stylistically fantastic and has some of the more exciting racing gameplay we've seen this year, but it really suffers from its short length. There's an interesting, colourful world to explore in Olympia, but unfortunately things ends when it feels like Desert Child is just getting started. Still, it's an admirable effort from a talented one-man team.
  5. Game Informer
    Dec 12, 2018
    60
    Grinding for slim rewards during the few hours it takes to finish Desert Child encourages you to think broadly about financial hardship. While that’s a worthwhile topic to consider, the inert world and thin gameplay aren’t enough to translate Desert Child’s core concept into an entertaining game.
  6. Game Revolution
    Dec 11, 2018
    50
    Desert Child is built upon the promise of solid ideas that don’t quite come together. And sadly, they’re so deeply intertwined that a mistake in one aspect of the game critically injures the other part of the game. Hoverbike racing is a neat central mechanic but it wears thin and is stifled by its lack of difficulty and useless upgrades.
  7. GameSpot
    Dec 11, 2018
    50
    Desert Child has a wonderful sense of style, and there are moments when it clicks. When you jet across the water on your bike firing a shotgun blast that shatters several televisions in front of you, or when you first start to wrap your head around the aesthetic of Mars, the game briefly, but brightly, shines. But Desert Child doesn't quite hang together, and by the end of its very brief runtime the things that seemed exciting just an hour prior have lost most of their luster.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 2 out of 7
  1. Ashsams
    Aug 18, 2021
    5
    Only buy it on sale and only if you:
    A) like artsy, aesthetic games
    B) don't mind grinding The game isn't bad, but it's not what I would call    Only buy it on sale and only if you:
    A) like artsy, aesthetic games
    B) don't mind grinding

    The game isn't bad, but it's not what I would call fun. The races can be switched up slightly with bike upgrades but the core gameplay is largely static. You do one thing and you do it often. The world itself is cool until you realize that's all there is to explore and what can be explored is rather shallow. No conversations, just 1-2 lines when you visit the merchant, the mechanic, etc.

    The game is a good effort from a small indie team but with so many good games—indie or otherwise—just waiting to be played, sinking hours into getting a little bit of cash on the way to the $10,000 goal just doesn't seem worth it. I finally quit when the cops took all my cash after 1-2 hours of grinding.    … Full Review »
  2. Jacobnorman
    Jan 12, 2019
    7
    This is not a racing game. The main way to progress is to play a racing/shooting mini-game with a variety of maps of different aesthetics andThis is not a racing game. The main way to progress is to play a racing/shooting mini-game with a variety of maps of different aesthetics and goals for each race, but thats not how you will spend most of your time. One will spend most of their time exploring the world, and that is where this game shines. The world is designed as if it were in the cowboy bebop universe with music and tone to match. The overall art of this game is beautiful and the characters you interact with all have a unique quality. This game constantly references hip-hop and jazz, making one smile and laugh from time to time. I payed $11 for this game and have really enjoyed it, but I would wait for the price to drop. If the desert punk bebop vibe of this game interests you at all, I highly recommend it. I have played nothing like it, and would like to see more titles like this released in the future!… Full Review »
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