Road to Guangdong

The frequent lulls of its road trip, coupled with a monotonous roster of characters, means this driving sim should be left in the dust.

Road to Guangdong is a tough one to score, because what it does right – the character interaction and small-scale personal dramas – are engaging enough to be worth praise. It's just that the mechanical glue holding it all together is close to disastrous at times. As a result, we can't give it a recommendation without enough caveats to make it sound like a warning. You might like Road to Guangdong, but even if you do, you'll like it despite it doing its level best to push you away.

Road to Guangdong is a decent game IF you’re just driving around listening to the music. Getting the parts needed to get the car running, and keep it running is where the game falls just short. Decent enough to warrant a buy, for sure.

Road to Guangdong is a game about the importance of family and how traditions get passed down throughout generations. Set against the evocative backdrop of 90s China, we take on the role of Sunny. Sunny has just inherited the family’s restaurant, which has fallen on hard times. As a last ditch attempt to save the restaurant, Sunny and her Great Aunt, Gu Ma, set off on a road trip in search of long-lost relatives that hold the secrets that could reverse the restaurant’s failings and bring the customers flooding back. As Sunny and Gu Ma set off on their journey they have to contend with not only the generation gap between themselves, but also their choice of transport – Sandy, the family’s old beat-up car.

Road to Guangdong can be commended for its unique concept and colourful imagery, but that is all it has. The mundane feel of the story is part of the appeal, as is the relaxing vibe, but there is no substance or discovery to be had, since there is no agency or wrong path. Driving is barely deeper than driving in one direction. Keeping the line under the red bar, and just selling whatever that can found is as engaging as picking out maggots from a heap of rice. The original OutRun is over 30 years old now, and yet manages to have more going on when driving.

Road to Guangdong is a barebones, unchallenging driving simulator that sneaks up on the player with its beguiling aesthetic and warmhearted nature. It will appeal to anyone looking for something very relaxing to wash over them, but don't expect to find a lot of interesting choices to make or inspiring gameplay.

The Road to Guangdong is paved with good intentions, but ultimately it's much more of a bumpy and boring ride with a few pleasant stops along the way. Had the focus been less on the driving and maintenance of the family car and more on the family and their relationships, the handful of hours it takes to see the story to completion would be much more of a pleasure cruise. If you're willing to overlook the time spent behind the wheel of Sandy, there's a worthwhile and unique narrative to uncover here, but Road to Guangdong is a difficult recommendation nevertheless.

Road to Guangdong is far from the visual novel with an added “zen” driving experience that it claims. This game feels like it was hastily thrown together as fast as possible with little care regarding gaming mechanics. The controls do not respond as they should and even trying to look around is a frustrating, difficult experience that is not worth the time or money, in my opinion. When considering Road to Guangdong‘s price point and all of its flaws, I would definitely steer away from this game.

This graphic adventure brings enjoyment on it’s narrative, managing all the car subsystems make up for the bulk of the experience, sadly the lack of Budget is noticeable on it’s scenarios.

Whilst Road to Guangdong does suffer from various gameplay issues and a laborious process of managing the upkeep of your car, its story is engaging and uplifting.