Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! caught my attention with its unapologetically goofy name that no doubt pays homage to the ridiculous and long-winded titles of many a light novel turned isekai anime.
With its over-the-top premise, Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! is, in practice, a rather simple game, offering players a city sandbox to zoom around in. With the impetus of the story revolving around a familiar isekai setup: Our heroine, Carissa Ward, becomes the latest victim of a truck-related death, transforming her into a legendary hero sent to the mystical lands of Talinfold. Forming a bond with the guilt-ridden truck driver, players team up to help Carissa thwart the Skeleton King and open a portal back to our world.
The basic gameplay loop in Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?!, which has players drive around a metropolitan city, causing as much mayhem as possible to rack up stars that let Carissa, at the bottom of the screen, gain action points to clear the legions of monsters in her way.
Of course, there is a method to the madness, with objectives written out on the right side of the screen. Objectives include everything from destroying a set number of objects, such as parked cars, fences, and hedges, to gaining airtime, running through billboards, unaliving pedestrians, and slamming into special shielded targets that require using the boost or side slam ability.
The story contextualizes the killing of innocents, keeping things fairly light-hearted in the promise of them returning after the adventure is said and done. In fact, one of the best aspects of Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! is its writing and the unseriousness of it all that feels apt and right at home for fans of comedy and anime, bringing to mind shows like Konosuba. Unfortunately, even with its solid writing and its short runtime of around 4 hours, Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! can feel fairly repetitive due to being limited to a single map with only a mission mode and free roam mode available at launch.
“…Playing Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! in short bursts can alleviate some of its repetitiveness, making for a fun game to play for a few minutes here and there.”
Thankfully, playing Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! in short bursts can alleviate some of its repetitiveness, making for a fun game to play for a few minutes here and there. On top of the aforementioned destruction-focused objectives, Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! also features optional but crucial delivery missions that offer Crazy Taxi-style delivery ops, providing a solid boost in stars and powering up Carissa during her exploits on the bottom half of the screen.
I do wish Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! featured more of these structured objectives like the delivery mini-game, as they feel less repetitive and random. Something as simple as driving other pedestrians or delivering specific types of items would have added so much-needed variety to the overall gameplay loop present in the game.
A typical run in Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! lasts as long as the player completes objectives, adding time to the ticking clock. Final Fantasy-inspired magic items, such as feathers and vials, are also strewn about the map, which further add bonus time to the clock. Completing a series of objectives can also raise Clarissa’s wanted level, prompting police cars to pursue the player and adding to the mayhem and chaos of the experience.
The bottom of the screen features a window into Talinfold, the fantasy setting Clarissa has been reborn into. With clear inspirations from the 16-bit era of SNES Final Fantasy titles, the sprite work used to demonstrate Clarissa’s exploits in another world stands out, particularly in regard to the whimsical and fun monster designs that add a lot of personality to the game.
“With clear inspirations from the 16-bit era of SNES Final Fantasy titles, the sprite work used to demonstrate Clarissa’s exploits in another world stands out…”
Accompanying the silly and over-the-top gameplay found in Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! another key highlight of the experience is the game’s soundtrack, featuring music from award-winning artist David Mason, who has previously worked on the game Dredge. The music itself feels appropriately bombastic and fun, making it feel organic and perfectly tuned for the driving and destruction.
In terms of additional modes and content, the game is fairly light. Still, Strange Scaffold does promise an unlockable garage once the game launches, giving players some cosmetic options to look forward to unlocking. Priced at around $10 USD, Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! is fun despite its shallow nature, making for a solid experience best played in short bursts, particularly for anime fans with a sense of humour.
