From the second I saw the first trailer for Road 96, I was intrigued. The idea of a procedurally generated approach to a narrative was immediately something I had to see for myself. Road 96 is almost like an interactive film but leans more toward the choose-your-own-adventure style books of years past. That’s not exactly the best way to describe it though, it is more than that.

To get into what Road 96 is, I need to lay down a little backstory. This isn’t really a spoiler, as it is something that becomes apparent to you in the opening moments of the game. Road 96 takes place in the fictional country of Petria, which also happens to be a dictatorship. Think Cuba under Castro or Russia under Putin.

The country is close to its next election, though the citizens themselves (most anyway) are aware that this election will likely be rigged by the incumbent president Tyrak. However, his strongest opponent, Flores, still has devoted followers. The problem is, the media is partially owned by the government, and many resources are put in place to keep the status quo as it is. Petria is at a tipping point though, as a rebel faction known as The Brigades are trying to take down Tyrak and clear their names of guilt from a massacre that happened years prior.

At the same time as all this, teens are going missing from the country of Petria. Some are fleeing to the border via the titular Road 96. Some, however, are being taken by law enforcement and sent to a mysterious work camp called The Pits, where they are never seen again. The government denies this, but it is clear that something is going on.

This is where you come in. In each procedurally generated run, you play as a missing/runaway teen, who is trying to get to the border and escape Petria. Each run has you progressing in various ways, between scripted events. Which events you get in each run seem to be different, and I haven’t managed to get any repeat events yet. If you successfully complete a run (I.E escaping Petria or getting to the end) it will progress the story to the next episode.

The choices you make in the encounters with each of the game’s characters help craft an individual story for those characters. By seeing all of their events, you see a full picture of who they are, and how they relate to the other characters. The storylines of the various characters are entwined, and I won’t go into detail about any of them, because frankly, they’re best experienced for yourself.

However, I will say that each character that you encounter is distinctive and feels like a legitimate person. They have reactions to how you speak to them and to the choices you make. Ultimately, when you finish Road 96, their fate, and the fate of Petria, will be shaped by your actions.

On the gameplay side of things, it is a veritable box of chocolates. You may get a stealth section that has you chewing your lip trying to focus on not getting caught or you might be asked to do a puzzle or two. There is a large amount of variety in the various gameplay elements here, and all of them are well done, unique, and engaging.

Additionally, riding in a car, on a bus, or exploring the environment, you can look at items, pick things up, and learn more about various bits of lore. You can talk to people around you about the climate in Petria, and you’ll be surprised at what you hear. Let’s just say that Road 96 has some timely themes and some very interesting perspectives.

Each run also gives you the opportunity to gain access to abilities that you can use on further runs. You’ll get abilities like picking locks, hacking electronics, and other things that will affect the choices you can make with future characters.

The great thing about Road 96 though, is that every character is voiced over. While a few of the lines sound a tiny bit awkward, I actually really like the voices involved. The characters are all distinct and somehow maintain the vibe of the character in question perfectly. Dangerous characters have voices that make you feel on edge talking to them, while endearing characters or kind ones have a calm, gentle demeanor.

You can also adjust subtitles with various accessibility options, and there are plenty of ways to tailor your experience. Honestly, Road 96 is a classic in the making. Each run is between 30 minutes and an hour-long, which makes a single full playthrough somewhere around six to ten hours if you’re taking your time. If we’re really digging into it though, I’d say you can get at least double that time, if you want to see more than one of the endings and ways the story could play out.

Road 96 puts you in a realized world, filled with political intrigue, strife, and so much more. This game reminds me a bit of Sunset by Tale of Tales, in that it deals with the fallout of political conflict by focusing on the people that are affected. The characters all have stakes in what comes of this election, and even your player character is someone that wants to be free and make change.

This game really feels like the ultimate, ever-evolving, road trip experience. Road 96 is more than just the first of its kind. It is a timely experience, but more than that, it is a human one. I can tell you for certain that I’ll be thinking about Road 96 long after I finished with it, and I’ll definitely be on the road again soon.

A PC review copy of Road 96 was provided by DigixArt for this review.

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Road 96

$19.99 USD

10

Score

10.0/10

Pros

• Charming Characters
• Engaging Narrative
• Tons of Replay Value
• Gorgeous Environments
• Fantastic Soundtrack