Feels like a combination of No Man’s Sky and Firewatch. Very much like a “Telltale Games” game
I went into this game with zero expectations, and it’s been a pleasant surprise. Each interaction across the map is procedurally generated, just like No Man’s Sky. You start off as a random nameless teen runaway on a road trip to make it out of country, at least this was how my story unfolded. The country the road trip takes place in is a fictional country named Petria. This fictional country Petria, is in the midst of a political uprising that takes place in 1996. Based on your choices, the story unfolds entirely different, and no two playthrough’s will be exactly the same. There’s no going back and changing things neither, so once an event unfolds in a specific way, that’s it. I got my first teen killed, and I started over thinking I could save him, but it was no use. He was forever gone seeing as it was procedurally generated. You play as a variety of teens who hitchhike along the way to Road 96, and you meet a variety of colorful personalities along the way. Each teens adventure plays out in what’s known as an “Episode.” There’s at least 6 episodes per play through, but up to 10 total episodes. You can fail to get your teen to the boarder up to 4 times; hence the minimum of 6 episode's, and the maximum of 10 episodes. You will be forced to make some tough decisions along the way. While it has this relaxing feeling, and great music, there’s also a tension that’s building up in the background that keeps you on edge. This is why it reminded me so much of Firewatch, the art style is very similar as well. With the way your choices shape your adventure, it has many similarities to “Telltale Games” games such as The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and Game of Thrones. It feels very much like a game from “Telltale Games.” It also has elements that make it feel like a visual novel with adventure elements. If you enjoy these types of games, and you like the idea of a road trip across the country as a variety of teens during a political uprising; I highly recommend it. This is definitely worth the $30, and because of how your options shape the story, I feel this game has a very high replay value. I wouldn’t say it’s a must play game, but it’s still very much worth the time commitment. I’d rate this game a 7.5/10. No, it’s not perfect, but it’s still really enjoyable. I also found Road 96 to be a game best enjoyed in short increments. I played one episode each day, and the story continued to feel fresh and exciting. Road 96 is an indie game, so it won’t have the same polish or the attention to detail as a AAA game; so don’t expect it to blow your mind graphically. Being honest, the graphics aren’t great; but I loved the art style, music, and the atmosphere this game gives off. This is one of those games that gives instant nostalgia as soon as you finish it. I definitely would love to play this again with a friend. TL;DR: A fun experimental indie game with great music and atmosphere. Every road trip is different and no two will ever be alike since they’re procedurally generated like No Man’s Sky. The game is centered around political themes, so if this bothers you I’d suggest skipping it. However in my opinion, this game isn’t what I would call political, or “woke.” To me this game was about survival, cultivating friendships in unlikely places, and most importantly the journey. It’s not a must play, but it’s definitely a fun an enjoyable adventure. I’ll definitely play it a second or third time to see all the endings. It’s worth $30, plus it has a high replay value. 7.5/10. Read more