In Road 96, players slip into the roles of several teenagers trying to leave the country via the eponymous Road 96, as it is run by a cruel regime. After the last release for Nintendo Switch and PC, it is now being released for PS4/5 and Xbox.
The Story of Road 96
As already mentioned, players control several teenagers who want to leave the country throughout the game. While Road 96 asks the player several questions in the 1st episode to decide which role to play, you decide for the next 5 episodes and have the choice between 3 different teenagers. An episode ends when you reach Road 96 and then attempt to cross the border. It doesn’t matter if you make it or not.
On the journey you get to know a wide variety of people with whom you can make friends. They all have their own personalities and pursue their own goals. But even if you think you know how a person ticks in the game, you will gradually be surprised. This makes them look anything but one-dimensional. The name Road 96 not only stands for the road to be reached, but also for the year in which the game takes place. 10 years ago there was a bombing that all these people are connected to in different ways. If you close the 1st episode, you see excerpts from an impending catastrophe. So of course it is important to find out how to prevent this and what is really behind the catastrophe of 10 years ago. But the characters you get to know are not only connected by the catastrophe, but also with each other. Little by little, more mysteries and connections are revealed, always encouraging players to create their own theories. The story and its characters are very well written and captivate you for the entire duration of the game. But since the story is one of the heart of the game, I don’t want to go into too much detail here.
Talk, explore and move forward:
The rides:
In order to get to Road 96, players must use every path to advance. You can walk, take a taxi or bus, hitchhike or steal a car. All of these activities use different amounts of stamina to take care of. These can be restored by eating or sleeping. Depending on which mode of transport you choose, you get to know other people and arrive at different places. If you are traveling in a car of any kind, you will find yourself in it and can talk to the driver or the respective passenger. You have different options, which influence the course of the game. Every now and then these rather quiet rides are interrupted and players suddenly have to protect the vehicle from robbers with a nail gun or they find themselves in a trip-triggered rhythm game.
The Exploration:
But there is also a lot to discover outside of the car journeys. After each ride, you will be dropped off at a location where you can roam freely. Here, too, you meet different people and learn more about their but also about the general history of the game. As you explore each area, you can find different activities and items. For example, there are credit cards lying around that you can use to withdraw money, cassettes that serve as a collectible in the game but can also be used with any cassette player, car keys that you can use to steal cars, and much more. Activities include playing pong, breaking into a gas station, etc. There is a lot of variety for the players through the different activities and events.
When you then reach Road 96, there are different ways in which the players can cross the border. For example, you can try to climb the nearby mountain or hide in a truck that is crossing the border. What’s interesting is that no matter how the teenager’s journey ends, it’s always talked about in later episodes. Gradually you also learn different skills, such as picking locks or hacking, which gives you more options. If one of the teenagers has learned a skill, the following ones can also use it.
The world and music of Road 96:
With Road 96, players get a world wrapped in pleasant comic graphics. The world itself is crammed with details and items. Everything is lovingly designed.
In addition to the story of the game, you also have to emphasize the music. In addition to suitably melancholic tracks, there is also rock or electro music, depending on the person you’re with. But also the general soundscapes, such as the sounds of the streets or forests through which you come, let players dive even deeper into the world. In addition, the voices of the individual characters are very well chosen to match their personalities.
The technical details
Road 96 ran without crashes or stutters the entire time I was testing it. The controls are very fluid and simple. The loading times are also pleasant, although the game always has to load the next level based on the decisions. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t take advantage of the features of the DualSense controller.
Conclusion
Road 96 is a fantastically written story of freedom with very memorable characters. Even though the gameplay is minimal, mini-games and other activities add enough variety. The soundtrack is also completely convincing. If you are interested in a story-heavy game where the decisions you make really change the course of the game, you can definitely get hold of this one.
Road 96 Rating
I can recommend Road 96 to all fans of story games. The game comes with an interesting and suggestible story, well-written characters, and a terrific soundtrack. If you are looking for a relaxed and at the same time appealing game, you will find it here.
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