Sights & Sounds
- Characters and environments are somewhat cartoony and stylized take on realism. I would hesitate saying that it looks comic book-ish, though
- The music is pretty good. The bulk of the soundtrack tends a bit electronic for my tastes, bit it's still a nice auditory backdrop
- The voice acting is a little uneven. Some performances are excellent, but a few parts sound a touch amateurish
Story & Vibes
- The overarching plot of the game features a western nation that's totally not the US on the brink of revolution as it struggles with the erosion of personal freedoms to the point that adolescent work camps become more than just sordid rumors. You take the part of various teens fleeing for the northern border to what's certainly not Canada
- As you would expect from that brief synopsis, the themes are largely political. You can propel the plot forward in various directions by advocating individualism, democracy, or revolution
- In terms of moment-to-moment vibes, the game is actually explores a surprising emotional spectrum. Humorous, ominous, peaceful, and frantic--the game heads in all of those directions and does it well
Playability & Replayability
- Many reviews emphasize the rogue-ish qualities of the game, and that's pretty accurate. You take the role of a series of teens trying to flee the country. Your decisions, resource management abilities, and luck will determine how far you'll get.
- As you travel the road, you're propelled through a chain of story vignettes that (if you don't die) converge at the eponymous Road 96. After you complete each segment, you'll have to choose how you'll get to the next one. Sometimes you'll steal a car or find enough money for a lift, but other times you'll be left to hitchhiking or just hoofing it. Each of these has implications for your health and wallet. Either of these running dry usually spells doom
- The mechanics are mostly in line with a 1st-person walking simulator adventure game. You'll find that your dialogue choices and investigation abilities are important determinants of what track your journey will take
Overall Impressions & Performance
- The reviews are good, but I was still surprised with how refreshing and interesting the fine blend of story and gameplay worked in this title. A really neat idea, and well-executed to boot
- No performance issues, but I did run into some audio bugs here and there
Final Verdict
- 9/10. Definitely worth a try for the unique gameplay loop alone. The extra quality in terms of story and charm are icing on the cake
- Characters and environments are somewhat cartoony and stylized take on realism. I would hesitate saying that it looks comic book-ish, though
- The music is pretty good. The bulk of the soundtrack tends a bit electronic for my tastes, bit it's still a nice auditory backdrop
- The voice acting is a little uneven. Some performances are excellent, but a few parts sound a touch amateurish
Story & Vibes
- The overarching plot of the game features a western nation that's totally not the US on the brink of revolution as it struggles with the erosion of personal freedoms to the point that adolescent work camps become more than just sordid rumors. You take the part of various teens fleeing for the northern border to what's certainly not Canada
- As you would expect from that brief synopsis, the themes are largely political. You can propel the plot forward in various directions by advocating individualism, democracy, or revolution
- In terms of moment-to-moment vibes, the game is actually explores a surprising emotional spectrum. Humorous, ominous, peaceful, and frantic--the game heads in all of those directions and does it well
Playability & Replayability
- Many reviews emphasize the rogue-ish qualities of the game, and that's pretty accurate. You take the role of a series of teens trying to flee the country. Your decisions, resource management abilities, and luck will determine how far you'll get.
- As you travel the road, you're propelled through a chain of story vignettes that (if you don't die) converge at the eponymous Road 96. After you complete each segment, you'll have to choose how you'll get to the next one. Sometimes you'll steal a car or find enough money for a lift, but other times you'll be left to hitchhiking or just hoofing it. Each of these has implications for your health and wallet. Either of these running dry usually spells doom
- The mechanics are mostly in line with a 1st-person walking simulator adventure game. You'll find that your dialogue choices and investigation abilities are important determinants of what track your journey will take
Overall Impressions & Performance
- The reviews are good, but I was still surprised with how refreshing and interesting the fine blend of story and gameplay worked in this title. A really neat idea, and well-executed to boot
- No performance issues, but I did run into some audio bugs here and there
Final Verdict
- 9/10. Definitely worth a try for the unique gameplay loop alone. The extra quality in terms of story and charm are icing on the cake