Road 96

It might be a stretch to call it a piece of work on par with that of some of the most-acclaimed film directors of the modern age, but Road 96 is an incredible adventure game that succeeds thanks to a strong narrative, a superb cast of characters, one of the year's best soundtracks and its unique procedurally-generated approach that might see you coming back after the initial eight hours or so, jus...

Road 96 is a masterpiece in storytelling and depending on your own experience, you may even be moved by its through line of hope, loss, and the ultimate goal of personal freedom. Many of the game's themes haven't directly applied to my life, but Road 96 is an education in empathy and it really makes you feel for the folks out there who are scrambling to get their lives in order because of other pe...

Imagine taking a road trip to the same place but taking a different route each time. You’ll see sights you may have missed, experience different emotions, and you may even meet some new friends along the way. That's Road 96.

While Road 96 doesn’t have quite the level of freedom of choice that it advertises, it doesn’t matter. This is a moving, thought-provoking adventure that’s filled with obscure moments, dark comedy and characters you won’t forget in a hurry. Its heavy political slant won’t be for everyone, but if that doesn’t put you off, you’re in for one hell of a journey.

Interactive dramas often appear to have more narrative branches than they actually contain. Although games like Heavy Rain can take you on wildly different paths, they start at a designated point with decisions at pivotal points altering your route. With 148,268 story permutations, Road 96 promises to make everyone’s trip unique. Offering a staggering number of possibilities, will this procedurall...

Road 96 is a special title well worth checking out for anyone with an itch for adventure. Its replayability may be limited, but for its budget price tag, this is one narrative-driven, decision-based adventure that almost completely delivers on its ambitious vision for the genre.

Road 96 is an adventure game that’s stuffed with fascinating characters. Everybody has a story, and the game does an excellent job at weaving those stories together in an interesting way. The use of music and the game’s art style also helps to elevate the experience. Road 96 is a bit bogged down by some UI issues and framerate drops, but that didn’t stop me from really enjoying the complete produc...

Road 96 wears its political commentary like a badge of honor, and while its themes aren't always elegantly explored, it remains an interesting and unpredictable experience.

Strong themes and good writing can't save the game from itself. Procedural-generation ruins what would otherwise be a great narrative adventure.

On Wednesday night, as a hurricane tore its way through the Eastern Seaboard, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld a Texas law that essentially criminalizes abortions after six weeks. The 5–4 decision, issued at midnight, effectively nullifies Roe v. Wade, which has been the law of the land for nearly half a century. Though the letter of Roe still stands, the road is now paved for future ...

Road 96 from DigixArt centers around the plight of teenagers who are trying to escape an authoritarian nation by crossing the border. It obviously has more than just subtle ties to current events. The world is divided. Multiple refugee crises, political turmoil, war, homelessness, crime, and disease are running rampant. So, just as we’ve seen with music, literature, film, and art, it makes sense t...

It's these non-playable characters that really help cement Road 96's world. There is a cast of figures who will reappear throughout the game on different journeys, and help the player explore the reality of the totalitarian state they live in, those who help to prop it up, and those who are fighting against it. There's some great variety to be found here too, from the satirical angle of state TV r...