I really wish there were more rogue-lites based around driving. The racing genre is, in my opinion, very ripe for the medium, so when I see one, it’s likely that I’m going to want to give it a try. The oddly named Schrott has just entered Early Access and has a pretty unique take on the driving rogue-lite. Plus, it’s fairly cheap and is only set to stay in Early Access until the end of the year, so there shouldn’t be too long to wait before it’s good and ready. I’ve played through its available content and am eagerly awaiting more, but the question stands: is Schrott worth it in Early Access, or does it need more work under the hood before it’s worth your cash?
Schrott is more akin to a runner than a racing game, I have to say. You can’t break or accelerate, so your car is always going full speed, plus there aren’t any other drivers. Instead, you’ll be dodging obstacles, which is a lot more fun (and potentially more frustrating) than that might sound. There are currently only two maps to go through, one that takes about eight minutes and another that takes roughly six. There are three more coming in, but the game’s current content can be cleared in about an hour and a half to two hours. I also cleared the second map in far fewer attempts than the first took me, so that should be factored in.
Initially, Schrott seems highly difficult. Your car can only take three hits at first, and obstacles are numerous and deadly. Spinning blades, huge slabs, and more all threaten your car, but swerving between everything and coming out alive is quite engaging. I will say that there are more than a few instances where it can seem almost impossible to dodge certain traps. You’ll occasionally not be able to see far enough in front of you, plus the game wants you to react while slamming into the objects that grant you money, so there are absolutely times where you’ll unfairly take damage, which is a pretty big problem in a game like this.
The game operates on having players choose from two pathways at any given time, which are clearly indicated with icons. Some will take you to the pit stop (where you can buy parts, skills, or repair your car), others will lead you to a skill, part, energy for your skills, or boxes of cash. Sometimes these can seem a bit too random. Once, I went more than half the run without a pit stop showing up, so I couldn’t heal or buy anything despite having tons of money, which was frustrating. Another time, I made it all the way through a run only for the pit stop to literally show up directly before the finish line. Suffice to say, this needs some work. I also wish there were an option to not stick the camera to the back of the car, as the camera can be very disorienting when driving at various angles.
You start out in Schrott with all default parts on your car, but you’ll pick more up on runs, either through taking a part pathway or by purchasing them. These parts come in various rarities and boost some of your stats (health, biological armour, and the amount of juice you can carry), as well as having buffs to various aspects. Finding good parts is the reason I was able to beat the second level as quickly as I did. Although I started being able to take just three hits, by the time I got to the second map, I was able to take 11. Power-ups also make a huge difference, as two of them basically make you invincible for a few seconds.
You can even choose to start a run with a random power-up, along with a bunch of other perks. Each of these reduces the experience you receive by 10%, which seems steep to me. Perks can make it so you’ll keep a certain number of the parts you’ve found, how much cash you find in boxes, how fast obstacles are, and more. Additionally, there are modifiers that make the game harder, which give you an extra 20% experience. It’s a solid trade-off, to be sure. Schrott‘s systems are honestly very enjoyable, and I really like seeing my car get stronger. You can even quit out of runs at pit stops if you’d rather keep all of your parts.
As for whether Schrott‘s currently worth it in Early Access, I’m going to say that it isn’t quite, but only because the rest of the content is coming so soon. It seems like it’s going to be a pretty short game in the end, since it’s only set to have 5 maps (here’s to hoping an endless mode is in the works, which would massively increase its staying power). Despite some unavoidable damage here and there, this is honestly an extremely enjoyable game that I think will be very much worth a purchase once its content is finished out.
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