While Fruitbus isn't the unofficial favourite child, there is some love there, so it was cut some slack. Previewed at WASD and immediately on the watchlist; however, this review was purposefully delayed due to some bugs from the early release present in the press and 'influencers' copy, which regrettably carried over to version 1.0.
Developers Krillbite knows of this and is proactive in asking people to share any issues and actively correcting them. However, having a look at other reviews, the bugs incurred were a shared experience across the board. They'll be ironed out, but as a result of disappearing artefacts, NPCs appearing in trees, not being able to earn any more money (and continue the game), and various other bits and bobs, it was time to write the review without finishing it. Is it any good? Yes, but the bugs spoiled it.
Jeitaro
You play a young whippersnapper reliving a memory of hide and seek with their grandma. Serving as a quick tutorial and introduction into what the Fruitbus can be, you'll get to experience one of the loveliest guides in a game: Grandma. She's just so delightful and someone you want in your corner carrying you through the game when needed. Alas, she pops her clogs, and 10 years later, you inherit the Fruitbus, albeit it has lost almost all of its charm and needs some work. The same for its customer base.
Left to deteriorate in an old junkyard, you're given a new set of wheels and some fuel. Once these have been applied, you're free to drive out of the yard and onto a ferry to reach Bananamas Island. After meeting the Captain, the first restart was required as the bus somehow got stuck, and the fruit on board disappeared. An ominous 'unstuck' option is in the menu, similar to Gas Station Simulator, and it becomes apparent that these little fixes are going to be ongoing. Unfortunately, the unstuck option didn't refill the fruit and required starting a new game.
Once back to the Bananamas, it was time to explore. There's a recommendation to check out the local garage for the obvious fuel resources and new gear. The ongoing objective is to reach Grandma's funeral by travelling across three islands, but you're free to do as you please, and it's encouraged. Putting aside the garage, after driving around for a bit, you head out and explore, looking for fruit. Fruitbus is entirely in a first-person perspective and takes a little getting used to the controls. It's not that they're complex, just a little awkward. The shoulder buttons serve as the hands where you can grab and hold items, as well as use them, though you have to hold them in front of you to drop into storage or a bowl, for example.
Jeitaro
Picking out fruit is simple enough, but bananas do grow on trees, so unless you have a fruit picker, found through exploration, or purchase a shovel, there's a limitation to what you can hoard. Additionally, you can only carry two items until sourcing a rucksack. All of this costs money, and to earn that means serving salads and smoothies (when you get the gear) to customers by chopping them up in the Fruitbus and then triggering an ice cream van-like jingle to lure them in. Predominantly customers will want a specific dish, but will occasionally compromise.
Source: Steam
This was particularly tricky in the early stages of Fruitbus as fruit was already limited, as were the bowls they're served in. When earning the money, you have to budget for fuel, bowls, the rucksack, practical flatpack furniture for chopping and storage, as well as aesthetics like flame-themed fenders. At one point, the bowls ran out and without any money, couldn't continue. The small print said to sell simple fruit to customers, but they literally weren't buying it. At a loss, this meant restarting the game once again, and on the first replay, the Fruitbus glitched on the ferry again.
Fruitbus Review Summary
Fruitbus is really a lovely game and completely the opposite of the developer's other title, Mosaic. Even with the bugs and restarts, there was genuinely never a moment of anger, and as an optimist, just know that this will be resolved in the days to come. However, in fear of deadlines and release dates, it's time to produce a Frutibus review and though it is recommended, check out the Steam store page for updates before committing.
