Fruitbus – A Review

What is the first experience that you remember as a child? Perhaps, the first day of meeting
your best friend at primary school. Or a family trip where you discovered your love for
gaming. Whatever the case, these formative experiences tell a very specific story of who we
are and what they represent for us to this day. Fruitbus, as unique as it may sound, presents
a joyful and sensorial adventure committed to eliciting these strong feelings by telling a very
particular, personal story that it is impossible not to feel endeared to.

Gaining consciousness in the middle of a meadow, you hear the voice of your grandma
calling out to you. From a first-person perspective, the world looks much bigger than you,
easily noticing you are taking on the role of a younger character. You pick your teddy bear
and run towards the safety of the familiar. The wondrous innocence in the gentle soundtrack
as you get your bearings feels fitting. Today is going to be a good day.

These are the first moments of Fruitbus, a game that effortlessly captures how a perfect day
feels. As the name suggests, you are put in charge of a food truck that serves fruit salads,
smoothies, and sandwiches. Pretty neat, right? But of course, the game is not all touchy-
feely all the time, which makes it all the more appealing. There are moments where it is flat-
out hilarious. For instance, as your grandma tells you to grab a knife and cut the fruit
carefully, the animation as you cut the fruit is so quick and professional, you would be
right to think this kid is a professional chef. Dismayed, the grandma mentions that she was
not careful, but it got the job done.

Of course, life happens, and this gentle intro is just a preamble to what’s in store for the rest
of the game. All grown up, you must recruit people from all over this fictional land to
celebrate Grandma’s last dinner party. With plenty of hiccups along the way, it is up to you to
be able to recruit the many friends invited to this party. The Fruitbus is now in your capable
hands. Driving over a certain period, you will explore several islands to collect all the guests
for Grandma’s party.

Not all is sunshine and rainbows, as every guest invited to the party has a bone to pick with
her, and it falls on your hands, err, paws, to reconcile their differences. This is done mainly
by fulfilling their requests for highly specific products for you to make on your food truck.
Fruitbus lets you roam free in several open areas, which will be required to upgrade and
personalize your moving kitchen. Just do not forget to park the truck, as it might just fall off a
cliff.

A handy journal with every guest that reminds them of each of their quests keeps things tidy,
and its day and night cycle gives the impression of the world around you being as lively as
can be. There is an increasing level of complexity to the requests of each guest to agree to
go to the aforementioned event. Stocking up on food on your food truck, completing orders
for each customer as soon as you ring the bell, and earning money to buy tools to obtain
unreachable fruits is a simple enough gameplay loop that will only get more entertaining the
more you progress.

With elaborate set pieces all the way to being a food truck caterer of a wedding, Fruitbus is a
sprawling adventure that will take anywhere from 15 to 20 hours, if not more. Driving around, finding recipes and the fruits to make them with, and thoroughly exploring each island, filled to the brim with useful items and secrets. Eventually, having to use an oven or a frying pan to sauté vegetables, your journey is an exciting one that is as meaty as it is thrilling.
Reaching a flow state, cutting fruits, and putting them in a blender to create the perfect
smoothie, and fulfilling the customer requests feels especially gratifying.

Verdict

Alas, there is so much more to the world of Fruitbus beyond fulfilling demanding orders from
customers. Every character has their own daily routines, preoccupations, and goals.
Disrupting their lives with your whimsical food truck also entails listening to their problems,
hopefully forging bonds with them in the process. By the end, you will likely even have
favorites among the charming cast.

Fruitbus is a true food truck adventure. Impulsed by the perpetually funny
dialogues that never take themselves too seriously, I found myself purposefully talking with
every anthropomorphic animal to not miss a silly conversation. Set to the tune of a cheerful
soundtrack, Fruitbus is a video game with a lot of heart, and one that not only remembers
The good times but creates special new experiences along the way.

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