Pacific Drivecombines atmospheric driving simulators with survival, horror elements, and car modification to create a solid sci-fi experience. As you traverse the Olympic Exclusion Zone, you have only yourself and your trusty ride to make it all the way.
Although procedural generation adds some flavor to the roguelike, you may finish the story in around 12 hours. Video content leadSam Hallahan reviewed the gameand found that, while it’s a great and refreshing title to sink hours into, you will likely only get more playtime if you’re intent on getting all the car upgrades. Lucky for you, there are many more games to try out after you’ve parked Pacific Drive for good.
Why not trade the open road for the open seas? While not a survival title,Sea Of Thievesmay scratch that itch for adventure that ties you down to a sole vehicle of choice. As you face off against other pirates, the Kraken, and all manner of enemies across islands, you will have to maintain your ship to prevent it from falling apart in battle.
You can also cook to aid in your health and get upgrades to make your ship feel more like your own. Of course, any upgrade you apply to your ship is cosmetic only because of the PvP nature of the game. This ensures a fairer playing field and prevents it from becoming pay-to-win.
If you want more hostile environments that you can explore from the safety of your ride, you’ll want tohop on that motorcycleand enjoyDays Gone. In this open-world zombie survival game, you spend your days scavenging and crafting different equipment to last.
You need to keep your bike fueled if you want to get through the map, and you will eventually be able to acquire various upgrades from mechanics. Many of these are practical elements like ammo, fuel capacity, and storage, but you can also get some visual improvements to make your motorcycle showcase-worthy.
8My Summer Car
Dude, Where’s My Car?
My Summer Car is the logical next step if you enjoy the car-fixing aspect most. Although this game has a much more comedic tone, don’t expect it to be more forgiving. You have the freedom to get to the endgame as you please, but the path to get there is laid with permadeath mayhem.
It doesn’t exactly fit the same ‘roguelike’ system that Pacific Drive inhabits. Still, you’ll feel the burn of having to build your car and find the right parts dozens of times just to fail a mile away from your destination. Try not to get run over by a train, either. Or do — it’s your summer!
Embrace Your Fury On The Road
How else can you ride in style through a desolate landscape if not in the Magnum Opus? You primarily do combat in your car, so much of the game sees you collecting upgrades across the desert to create the ultimate battle vehicle. Certain story missions and Death Runs can also unlock more vehicle options. Third-person is the default, but you can opt for a first-person perspective.
The game’s online functionality was retired in 2020, but this only hinders you from one function that allowed you to get extra scrap in-game while you’re offline. It doesn’t hinder the gameplay experience significantly, though it does bar you from certain achievements on both PC and console.
6The Long Drive
No, We Are Not There Yet
Ah, nothing like the infinite stretch of land you see before you when starting a road trip. In The Long Drive, it takes the ‘infinite’ literally as you will be hard-pressed to reach the borders of the randomly generated desert you find yourself in.
The main objective of this game is simply to drive and explore, with all manner of strange elements thrown in to keep things interesting. Go alone or with a friend, and you’ll see that it’s not as simple as it seems.
5Barotrauma
Trauma For The Brave
If you’re all about surviving strange creatures while maintaining your means of transportation, few titles step up to the plate like Barotrauma. Riding your submarine with a crew in tow, you will quickly miss the sun as the dread creeps in the deeper you go.
Explore the deep and complete missions for different factions. While you do that, you also need to face different malicious underwater creatures and make sure your submarine is well-maintained. Electrical issues, leaks, diving needs, you name it. There’s nothing like impending doom sinking in as you realize you’re, well, sinking.
4Titan Chaser
A Relaxing Drive Through The Unknown
Some of the most wondrous and terrifying things in video games arehuge monstersthat have no business being that close to you. Pacific Drive mostly comes close to this by way of Tourists and Abductors, but if you want larger fish to fry, then you may want to jump into Titan Chaser.
Just as the name implies, this game is all about driving around and scouting Titans. You can spend most of your time simply basking in the ambiance, though, as Titan Chaser doesn’t force combat on you. You can just cruise, listen to music, check out some locations, and verify you drive off these creatures using environmental tools and light.
Subnauticais an easy choice if you’re looking for the same vibes as Pacific Drive. Instead of anomalies on land, though, you must survive the wildlife of an alien planet. As you pilot your submarine, you find out more about the gorgeous underwater expanse all around you.
Scan, craft, and explore your way through a game that is equal parts awe-inspiring and terrifying. It’s also one of thebest survival games you can play in VR, largely due to its stunning design and engaging mechanics.
2Jalopy
Old Car, New Tricks
Jalopy is all about taking an old hunk of junk and turning it into something more. As is the nature of old cars, you’ll need to be careful with maintenance and upgrades as you embark on a road trip to remember. Thankfully, your journey will bring you all the tools (and potentially cash) you need to juice up your ride! Just try not to be accused of carrying contraband.
This game also has a procedurally generated world and a very simple gameplay loop, so your adventure should be unique despite the static story. Go on, bring your uncle to Istanbul in a janky car! What could go wrong?
1Forever Skies
There’s No Base Like Home
In Forever Skies, even calling Earth inhabitable is a huge stretch with the state of things. Good thing you have your safe and cozy airship base! Naturally, you will need to upgrade, maintain, and customize it to fit your needs as you try to survive on the planet.
You’ll also need various resources to stay healthy and find a way to cure an illness ravaging your family. With toxic dust and mutated dust all about, you’d be surprised how comfortable your base can still be with a few blueprints on hand.
