Review: Keep Driving Is Worth the Trip

The journey often becomes the best part about any piece of media. Yes, it is satisfying to see things come to an end. Sure, there’s excitement about getting started. But the part from point A to point B is when it gets interesting. YCJY Games’ Keep Driving focuses on those moments. Sure, reaching the festival at the end is a great culminating moment of “I did it,” but everything getting up to that is what makes it so great. Who are you in Keep Driving? Whoever you want to be. This is a freeform experience, which means you get to customize your identity. That comes down to your backstory, family situation, and car you drive. These choices help set up your starting position as you prepare for a road trip to see a concert states away with a friend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT5YZlFKDgA Keep Driving is a sim through and through, though I feel like it sort of dances among the exact type. It’s a road trip and driving simulation for sure. You’re picking out the right way to reach the concert, achieving milestones and going through experiences along the way. There’s even something of turn-based “combat” when on the road and dealing with other vehicles and incidents. There’s resource management, as there will be events that will “hang” from your rearview mirror. Did you pack and manage to procure certain items like gas and food? How do you handle potential hitchhikers? It does get a bit easy when it comes to a successful drive and dealing with things like threats and challenges can repeat a bit, so I would advise pacing yourself and playing for a few days, then pausing for a few weeks before heading back. I also feel like there are other “sim” elements present here that make things feel a bit more involved. Inventory management is a big deal, since you’re limited in how much space is available in each vehicle. You’ll quickly learn which items are really important to you and rely upon them, so just ensuring you’re able to keep stocked up might be the only thing to keep in mind. Picking your upgrades and skills is a priority too, especially since your passengers also have abilities. There’s also some life sim elements to it. This comes up with selecting work, dealing with hitchhikers, and even choosing what exactly you decide to do. The concert is a possible goal, but does it become your priority and only one? Images via YCJY Games It’s so easy to play too! Runs in Keep Driving take a few hours, and there’s a lot of replay value to the game. It’s easy to jump in and figure out how to play. The controls are commonsense ones, and it just works. I didn’t experience any crashes or issues, and I’ve headed out on three trips so far. However, I might say it is perhaps a bit too easy. By my second run, I felt like I didn’t need to stress at all, and if you get to three then you’ll know exactly how to “win.” There’s little challenge and, while satisfying, it might feel tedious after you’ve gone on a few drives. But then, spacing them out and not playing them back-to-back like I did in the circumstances I did would probably help with that. All of this is complemented by design decisions that make Keep Driving stand out among other games. We’re seeing everything from the side as we drive through this 2D world a la Oregon Trail. Impressive vistas and familiar takes on cities appear in the background. Spritework is used to recreate other vehicles and environmental elements. We’re always presented with all relevant information via what I felt was a well-organized UI. Images via YCJY Games The only downside is that Keep Driving feels like it would be perfect on a Steam Deck or handheld PC… but it doesn’t support it really yet. Unless you’re okay with a virtual or actual keyboard up for driving. It’s not ideal, but controller support is promised. When that arrives, it will be a real force to be reckoned with. Keep Driving is about that brief moment of time when you get that freedom to pick up and go. Safety net? You have family. Obligations? You’re young and unencumbered. Opportunities? They’re absolutely everywhere. Each run can and will feel different, as there are so many options and multiple endings. The only downside is, if you marathon it and take multiple trips in a row, you may get bored due to how repetitive and easy it can be. Still, the road is open ahead of you, and it’s a joy to take off and drive. Keep Driving is available on the PC via Steam. The post Review: Keep Driving Is Worth the Trip appeared first on Siliconera.

Apr 6, 2025 - 14:15

The journey often becomes the best part about any piece of media. Yes, it is satisfying to see things come to an end. Sure, there’s excitement about getting started. But the part from point A to point B is when it gets interesting. YCJY Games’ Keep Driving focuses on those moments. Sure, reaching the festival at the end is a great culminating moment of “I did it,” but everything getting up to that is what makes it so great.

Who are you in Keep Driving? Whoever you want to be. This is a freeform experience, which means you get to customize your identity. That comes down to your backstory, family situation, and car you drive. These choices help set up your starting position as you prepare for a road trip to see a concert states away with a friend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT5YZlFKDgA

Keep Driving is a sim through and through, though I feel like it sort of dances among the exact type. It’s a road trip and driving simulation for sure. You’re picking out the right way to reach the concert, achieving milestones and going through experiences along the way. There’s even something of turn-based “combat” when on the road and dealing with other vehicles and incidents. There’s resource management, as there will be events that will “hang” from your rearview mirror. Did you pack and manage to procure certain items like gas and food? How do you handle potential hitchhikers? It does get a bit easy when it comes to a successful drive and dealing with things like threats and challenges can repeat a bit, so I would advise pacing yourself and playing for a few days, then pausing for a few weeks before heading back.

I also feel like there are other “sim” elements present here that make things feel a bit more involved. Inventory management is a big deal, since you’re limited in how much space is available in each vehicle. You’ll quickly learn which items are really important to you and rely upon them, so just ensuring you’re able to keep stocked up might be the only thing to keep in mind. Picking your upgrades and skills is a priority too, especially since your passengers also have abilities. There’s also some life sim elements to it. This comes up with selecting work, dealing with hitchhikers, and even choosing what exactly you decide to do. The concert is a possible goal, but does it become your priority and only one?

Review: Keep Driving Is Worth the Trip game — Images via YCJY Games

It’s so easy to play too! Runs in Keep Driving take a few hours, and there’s a lot of replay value to the game. It’s easy to jump in and figure out how to play. The controls are commonsense ones, and it just works. I didn’t experience any crashes or issues, and I’ve headed out on three trips so far. However, I might say it is perhaps a bit too easy. By my second run, I felt like I didn’t need to stress at all, and if you get to three then you’ll know exactly how to “win.” There’s little challenge and, while satisfying, it might feel tedious after you’ve gone on a few drives. But then, spacing them out and not playing them back-to-back like I did in the circumstances I did would probably help with that.

All of this is complemented by design decisions that make Keep Driving stand out among other games. We’re seeing everything from the side as we drive through this 2D world a la Oregon Trail. Impressive vistas and familiar takes on cities appear in the background. Spritework is used to recreate other vehicles and environmental elements. We’re always presented with all relevant information via what I felt was a well-organized UI.

The only downside is that Keep Driving feels like it would be perfect on a Steam Deck or handheld PC… but it doesn’t support it really yet. Unless you’re okay with a virtual or actual keyboard up for driving. It’s not ideal, but controller support is promised. When that arrives, it will be a real force to be reckoned with.

Keep Driving is about that brief moment of time when you get that freedom to pick up and go. Safety net? You have family. Obligations? You’re young and unencumbered. Opportunities? They’re absolutely everywhere. Each run can and will feel different, as there are so many options and multiple endings. The only downside is, if you marathon it and take multiple trips in a row, you may get bored due to how repetitive and easy it can be. Still, the road is open ahead of you, and it’s a joy to take off and drive.

Keep Driving is available on the PC via Steam.

The post Review: Keep Driving Is Worth the Trip appeared first on Siliconera.