Mon Bazou

We've mentioned countless times before that video games have been getting more accessible over time. And by accessible we don't mean that they've been getting cheaper, but that it's more possible for people and small studios to make their own games right now. One of the coolest things about it is that games can get to be oddly specific, as they are made by smaller teams with direct interests and for a specific audience. And here we just love that. If you also like weird, oddly specific games with clear labor of love, well, we have one for you: Mon Bazou, which roughly translates in Québécois French as "my shitty car." But, what is Mon Bozou all about, and why is it so specific? Well, Let's talk about it.

About the game

Mon Bazou is a game where you have to earn money by doing small jobs to turn the titular Bazou into a real racing car. It all takes place in Canada, in 2005, around "the hot scene of tuner cars and wannabe street racers."

Although Mon Bazou is in Early Access, it's clearly a labor of love from solo developer SantaGoat. Honestly, I'm impressed by how much is packed into it, considering it was only released a few weeks ago. At the time of writing, it has over 100 reviews on Steam that are incredibly positive. For us, that's the same energy that made My Summer Car a hit and made it one of the most original racing games we've seen in years.

You can chop wood, sell it, build a garage with the wood, build a sugar shack to harvest maple syrup, deliver pizzas at night, or spend it racing and betting on races, hell, scavenge at the junkyard to get good parts for your vehicles. Just make sure you earn enough money to keep gas in the tank. In short, live the rural Canadian dream of making your own poutine and growing grass in the woods.

There are plenty of upgrades to make to the titular car, as well as mechanics for a trailer, a boat, and an ATV. It's a rural, pedestrian game with a strong sense of humor. It's about being happily engrossed in one's hobbies.

Characteristics

There are a lot of things that make this game stand out from a lot of other car games. We know it's a genre that sees a lot of competition, so it's not easy to make it stand out from the rest. So, what are some of the things that make this game stand out? Well:

• A huge amount of customization available
• You’re able to change every element of the car by hand
• Different kinds of cars and vehicles
• You get to actually make maple syrup and sell it
• Run a maple syrup business
• Develop your crops to create a successful business
• Gather resources and enhance your production
• You can pick up scrap parts to customize your vehicles

Review: 6.5/10

The game is pretty solid gameplay-wise, and it works pretty well, however it is a very specific game. You have to really be looking for something like this, otherwise, it could be a bit hard for the player to connect with this title. While the gameplay is all right, the visuals could use a little more polishing.

Pros:

• Has a solid gameplay system
• It’s incredibly fun to play

Cons:

• Some parts of the game are pretty buggy
• The graphics aren't really great