Info about Desert Bus VR:

Official game description:
Desert Bus is back and better than ever! The 1998 Penn and Teller cult hit mini-game is coming to virtual reality, so you can fully immerse yourself in the thrilling eight-hour trip from Arizona to Nevada. It’s almost like you’re driving the “wheel” thing! Desert Bus VR can also be played in standard digital reality if you don’t own a VR headset.  
**FEATURES**  
**Put the Pedal to the Metal**  
Show everyone who rules the road as you take the wheel of a commercial passenger bus. With blistering speeds of up to 45mph and a prominent passenger side misalignment, only the hardest drivers can make it to Nevada and back!  
**Getting Towed Has Never Been More Fun**  
Experience the realistic consequences of driving off the road with a tow service that takes you back to the start in real time!  
**Play Non-Stop for Hours of Amusement**  
Enjoy the action-packed eight-hour road trip from Tuscon to Las Vegas. When you make it to Nevada, turn around and do it all again!  
**Fill the Crushing, Oppressive Silence**  
Tune in to a variety of engaging radio programs, including one featuring the dulcet tones of Penn Jillette himself. You can even turn the radio on and off!  
**Get the Authentic Bus Driving Experience**  
Learn what it’s like to be a REAL bus driver with exciting gameplay that allows you to honk the horn and open the bus door! Tap the fully-interactive air freshener for some hardcore, pine-scented\* action!  
\*Purchase of air freshener required for full effect.  
**Join Your Friends on This Road Trip**  
Play with up to four friends in Desert Bus VR’s groundbreaking new multiplayer mode. Passengers can sit, wave, and even throw wads of paper at the driver!  
**Desert Bus for Hope**  
Desert Bus VR was made in-part to support Desert Bus for Hope, a volunteer organization that holds the eponymous annual event to raise money for game industry charity Child’s Play. Participants play Desert Bus in a telethon-style stream, with others pledging donations in exchange for incentives that can include everything from prizes to increasing the length of the Desert Bus play time.  
Desert Bus VR released on November 27, 2017 – the date selected by Robert “DoctorBobtastic” Nix, the winning donor during the Desert Bus for Hope 2017 “Choose the Desert Bus VR Release Date” charity drive. November 27th is also Robert’s birthday, so if you see him on that day this year, or any other year for that matter, be sure to give him a nice, big cake.  
He also chose to make the driver’s default signature Bill “BWOS” Watt, a tribute to the late LoadingReadyRun crew member. This will be patched in with a future update that also includes the winning stickers Desert Bus Sticker Art donation drive. Thanks to the great artists who contributed!

Release date: Nov 27, 2017

Categories: Simulation, Driving Simulation, Multiplayer, Relaxing and Cozy Gameplay, Social Simulation, Endurance Racing, Interactive Environments


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Multiplayer and social bonding (weight 0.95): The game supports multiplayer mode, allowing up to four friends to play together, which enhances the social bonding experience. Players enjoy the company and the ability to engage in activities like karaoke and movie screensharing, making it a memorable experience.
- High-quality graphics and details (weight 0.78): The game features decent to amazing graphics with a nice amount of detail, both in the environment and the bus interior. Players appreciate the visual fidelity and the overall presentation.
- Relaxing and therapeutic gameplay (weight 0.62): Many players find the game to be a relaxing and therapeutic experience, akin to a spiritual journey. The calm and soothing nature of the drive, combined with the ability to talk about life and share feelings, makes it a unique and enjoyable experience.
- Realistic and immersive driving experience (weight 0.6): The game offers a highly realistic bus driving simulation, with accurate road driving experiences and detailed graphics. Players appreciate the immersive feeling of driving from Tucson to Las Vegas and the realistic mechanics, including the tow truck service that drags you back in real-time.
- Unique and humorous gameplay (weight 0.57): The game is known for its unique and humorous approach, providing an entertaining and engaging experience. Players appreciate the unexpected surprises and the overall enjoyable gameplay mechanics.
- Life skills and personal growth (weight 0.56): The game is praised for teaching essential life skills, motivating perseverance, and providing a sense of purpose. It offers opportunities for self-reflection and in-depth conversations, contributing to personal growth and independence.
- Charity and community support (weight 0.48): The game supports charity fundraisers and community events, adding a layer of social responsibility. Players appreciate the opportunity to contribute to a good cause while enjoying the game.
- Low storage and quick download (weight 0.44): The game has a low storage requirement and a short download time, making it accessible and convenient for players. This is appreciated by those who want to quickly start playing without lengthy installations.
- Engaging and addictive gameplay (weight 0.4): The game is described as addictive and engaging, with a rich gameplay experience that keeps players coming back. The unique and enjoyable mechanics contribute to its popularity.
- Simple and intuitive controls (weight 0.37): The game has a simple interface with easy-to-use controls, making it accessible to a wide range of players. This simplicity does not detract from the overall enjoyment and engagement.
- In-depth lore and hidden details (weight 0.03): The game features a deep and hidden lore that encourages players to dig for more answers. This adds a layer of mystery and engagement, making the experience more immersive.

Common complaints:
- Frequent game crashes (weight 0.45): Players report frequent game crashes, especially during extended gameplay sessions, which disrupts the gaming experience.
- Game is unplayable in VR (weight 0.43): The game has significant issues with VR compatibility, including crashes and bugs that make it difficult or impossible to play with VR headsets.
- Limited gameplay content (weight 0.28): The game has limited content and room-scale functionality, leading to a lack of engaging activities for players.
- Lack of advanced features and updates (weight 0.2): The game lacks advanced mechanics, deep storyline, and has not been updated by the developers, leading to a lack of content and interest.
- Physical discomfort and strange side effects (weight 0.08): Some players report physical discomfort, such as throat pain and sleep disruption, as well as experiencing strange and vivid dreams after playing.
- Difficulty in maintaining focus (weight 0.08): Players find it difficult to maintain focus during long gameplay sessions, risking loss of progress if they are not constantly attentive.
- Harsh and poorly implemented mechanics (weight 0.05): The game features harsh mechanics and poor implementation of motion controllers, making the gameplay experience less enjoyable.
- Lack of save points (weight 0.03): The absence of save points or checkpoints in the game can lead to frustration, especially during long sessions where progress can be lost.
- Time perception issues (weight 0.03): Players feel like they are driving longer than the actual time, which can make the gameplay experience feel drawn out and tedious.
- Lack of advanced representation (weight 0.02): The game lacks advanced representation of certain groups, which may be a drawback for some players.
- Running out of things to talk about (weight 0.02): Players may run out of things to talk about during gameplay, which can make the experience less engaging.

Gameplay feedback:
- Realistic long-duration driving simulation (weight 0.67): The game offers a highly realistic driving simulation experience, requiring players to drive a bus for extended periods, up to 8 hours continuously. It includes detailed driving mechanics, such as handling the bus, interacting with passengers, and managing various in-game tasks like punching time cards.
- Interactive and immersive elements (weight 0.56): Players can interact with various elements during the drive, such as using the horn, listening to the radio, and engaging with passengers. These interactions add depth and immersion to the gameplay experience.
- Unique gameplay mechanics (weight 0.37): The game includes unique gameplay elements such as an eight-hour real-time journey, tight controls, and a night and day cycle. Players must endure a long trip without breaks or checkpoints, adding to the challenge and realism.
- Multiplayer and co-op support (weight 0.35): The game features multiplayer and co-op modes, allowing players to interact with each other through voice chat and limited in-game interactions. This adds a social dimension to the otherwise solitary driving experience.
- Character and life path customization (weight 0.09): Players can choose from different life paths and customize their character with options for male and female avatars. This allows for a more personalized gaming experience.
- Harsh penalties for deviations (weight 0.07): The game imposes strict penalties for going off-road or stopping, including the risk of being towed back to the start. This adds a layer of difficulty and realism to the driving simulation.

Performance notes:
- Game crashes and unexpected closures (weight 0.2): The game experiences frequent crashes and unexpected closures, affecting the overall gameplay experience.
- VR functionality issues (weight 0.19): The game has significant problems with VR functionality, including crashes, failure to launch in SteamVR, and controller issues, making it unplayable in VR for some users.
- Glitches in the game environment (weight 0.06): There are notable glitches such as the ground disappearing and the bus teleporting into the sand, which disrupt the game environment.

Recommendations:
- Accessible and enjoyable experience (weight 0.14): The game is accessible to both VR beginners and those without VR headsets. It is also recommended for fans of the original Desert Bus and offers a perfect experience that can be deeply engaging.
- Recommended for relaxation and stress relief (weight 0.12): The game is highly recommended for those seeking a challenging simulator, looking to relax and unwind, or going through stressful periods. It is also suitable for people with a lot of free time.
- Therapeutic and perspective-changing (weight 0.09): The game can change a person's perspective and is good for therapeutic purposes. It provides an opportunity to ask and answer important personal questions and is great for listening to podcasts.
- Mixed reviews on multiplayer experience (weight 0.05): Some players find it not suitable for driving around with a buddy, while others highly recommend it for playing with friends.

Other player notes:
- Game is free and well-received (weight 0.08): The game is free to play and has received a significant number of positive reviews, with 1714 particularly positive reviews, accounting for 87% of the total. It was officially released on November 27, 2017.
- Players experience vivid dreams (weight 0.05): Some players report having strange and vivid dreams related to the game. There is a desire among these players for the dreaming to stop, indicating it might be an unintended side effect.
- Update on gameplay duration (weight 0.03): There have been updates focused on expanding the daily driving time within the game. This suggests efforts to enhance the gameplay experience by allowing players more time to engage with the game's activities.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.15): Players are frustrated primarily due to technical issues such as constant game crashes, bugs that hinder gameplay, and the loss of progress. Specific mechanics like the steering bug, lack of save points, and limited seat occupancy also contribute to the frustration.
- Amusement (weight 0.08): Players find humor and amusement in the game's mundane tasks and quirks. The unique and challenging mechanics, as well as the relaxing effects of the game, also contribute to the amusement.
- Joy (weight 0.05): Players experience joy from the game's addictive and attractive nature, as well as the ability to play with friends. The online capabilities and overall experience are also highlighted as sources of joy.
- Relaxation (weight 0.05): The game provides a therapeutic and relaxing experience, with a leisurely atmosphere that players find ideal for relaxation.
- Disappointment (weight 0.05): Players feel disappointed due to the game's technical issues, such as lack of VR compatibility and unfulfilled expectations of fun gameplay. The overall poor quality of the game also contributes to this emotion.
- Determination (weight 0.03): Players feel determined to keep retrying and driving despite the challenges and failures they encounter in the game.
- Reflectiveness (weight 0.03): The game provides an opportunity for players to reflect on personal life skills and ask important personal questions.
- Boredom (weight 0.03): Players find the game tedious and lacking in fun, especially during long, continuous driving sessions without breaks.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.03): Players feel satisfied with the game as it gives them a sense of purpose and well-being.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): The game's unique appeal and surprising events generate excitement among players.
- Happiness (weight 0.03): Players feel happiness due to the game's bonding experience with friends and the enjoyable nighttime gameplay.
- Despair (weight 0.03): Players feel despair due to the overwhelming challenges and the feeling that life isn't worth it within the context of the game.
- Interest (weight 0.03): Players are interested in the detailed gameplay mechanics, interactive elements, and the history and context of the game.
- Excited (weight 0.02): Players are excited about the immersive gameplay and unique music, as well as the stimulating journey from Arizona to Nevada.
- Happy (weight 0.02): Players are happy with the game's innovative multiplayer mode, which supports playing with up to four friends.
- Emotional (weight 0.02): Players feel emotional due to the incredible and exciting ending of the game.
- Amazed (weight 0.02): Players are amazed by the unique experience the game offers.
- Pride (weight 0.02): Players feel pride in achieving significant milestones, such as driving 100 miles without using macros.}