It’s June 16 / 30, 20XX, and Desert Child‘s protagonist is in trouble. See, not only is he broke, but also unemployed and more than a little eager to get to Mars for… a variety of reasons. As such, there’s only one thing to do: race! Actually, there’s more, as that immediate need for cash means you can’t be picky about where it comes from or rely purely on your hoverbike. Time to eat a lot of ramen and get your hands dirty!
Oh, and by ‘get your hands dirty’, I mean that you’ll be delivering contraband, making shady deals with gangsters, and perhaps even a little bounty hunting on the side. All in the name of getting to Mars, ya know? Of course, there will be a fair amount of racing too, and at times, you’ll be better off throwing said event than finishing first. Might not look good on your resumé, but if it pays better, who cares, really?
You’re not in it to win it after all. Not until the Grand Prix that is, at which point… well, you’ll probably want to give it all you got, hopefully with a properly upgraded hoverbike and a belly full of food to give you an advantage or two. Like the money-making aspect of Desert Child, anything goes in the big racing leagues. Doesn’t matter how you cross the finish line or who’s hoverbike you have to blast to secure the #1 spot. Winning’s winning.
That said, since you actually have a life to live while all this takes place, rent still has to be paid and unless you want to hit the track with a handicap, better make sure to chow down on that ever-delicious ramen. Food of the future, apparently? I don’t know. Could be worse though. Imagine if all we had to eat in the year 20XX was brussels sprouts, lettuce and other… ugh… healthy things. Long live the mighty noodle!
Note: while the embedded trailer is more recent, this is the one to watch for a gameplay glimpse. Also, the demo is available from Game Jolt and itch.io links below.
Desert Child will be on Steam, Switch, Game Jolt, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2018.
