On the road again
As video games become more diverse, creators dream more and more daring of the types of games they would like to make. One of the most surprising genres to surface recently is also one of the most sincere: the adventure of the road. From Final Fantasy XV And The Grand Con to the next titles as Open roads And SeasonThere is no better time to take the road open.
Route 96 is at the forefront of this grassy kind. Developed by the French studio Digixart, the game tastes players with a fictitious and fascist journey in search of freedom and goal. Its history establishes heavy parallels with the United States of the Trump era – with police brutality, political tyranny and disillusioned voters. Add a “procedure” hook that promises a unique road trip for each player, and Route 96 has a lot to offer.
And yet, it is not without its nests-of-poule-many of which are deep. The strong political leaning of the game, although laudable, is retained by a system of simplistic dialogue. His procedural gameplay is faithful to his name, but serves more novelty than something really revolutionary. And his characters, many of whom are charming and well written, are underestimated by a stiff and missing hit-or voice.
Route 96 It is worth playing, especially for those who are open at the most rough edges. It is certainly a memorable journey, but it could have been extraordinary with the good varnish.
Born to run
Route 96 Put the players in the role of an unnamed teenager. During your early time, you will make your way through the country of Petria, visiting a multitude of locations and engaging with the inhabitants. From guests to motels, service stations at trailer parks, each stop in your travels brings you closer to several hundred kilometers from your ultimate goal: the 96 holder road.
For years, Petria has been captivated to the regime of President Tyrak: an autocrat in anything but a name that governs with fear and an iron fist. Following a terrorist bombardment in 1986 which led to physical victims and an emotional division, Petria became a militant state. Adults are essentially indoctrinated, while young people who seek to escape are driven and apprehended by the police.
But only if these adolescents are captured. The legendary route 96 has attracted dozens of “missing adolescents” like you, who seek to jump the border and have a chance to make a new life. It will not be an easy trip – and not everyone will – but the reward is well worth the risk.
No country for old people
Route 96 Is not afraid of his inspirations. The game is withdrawn from various periods and historical events – from Nazi Germany, on September 11, in Black Lives Matter and in the United States of Trump – to propel his story forward. The developer Digixart delivers this story via quick thumbnails from 10 to 15 minutes, licensed with paste chapter titles (generally named after a successful song from the 90s). THE Studio cites A quartet of filmmakers as influences – Quentin Tarantino, the Coen brothers and the Bong Joon -Ho – but the Muses extend far.
False news. Rock n ‘roll. Neo-black. It takes a skillful hand to juggle so many themes and melt them into a whole cohesive. Again Route 96 Take advantage of the subject with confidence and mainly manages to make it work, mainly. The game represents a generational death of the guard, in which adults bear their sins, so that young people can bring the future.
Unfortunately, in its fervor to comment on the state of modern politics, Route 96 Trace an too deep line in the sand. If you are young, you are progressive. If you are old, you are helping progress. And if you try to fill the ditch – by voting the conservative tyrak for an independent candidate – you are either a moderate, a fool or both.
The game doubles this reflection with a rudimentary dialogue system which allows players to choose between one of the three alignments: protest, vote or flee. By selecting these options at critical moments, you can help influence Petria’s political climate and the end of the game. Unfortunately, the options are so clear that I found myself choosing a path defined for myself, rather than putting all thought in what I said. Telltale is the Walking DeadThis game is not.
Aside heavy themes, Route 96The scenes are poignant, funny, endearing and almost always entertaining.
King (or queen) of the road
Part of the call behind Route 96History is its procedural nature. Once you have reached Route 96, you will have the opportunity to escape Petria for good. Whether you wise a guard at the border, you rush into the sewers or put yourself in a freight truck, your character’s journey will end.
However, this is only the beginning. As the narrator of the game explains, even when a Petrian finds refuge, there are countless others in search of freedom. After going back to the main menu, you will start a new chapter – viralizing and literally – and select a new playable character in a list of missing adolescents.
This is where Route 96The gameplay is really in good shape. Each new character embarks on his own road trip, with unique scenes, places and characters. A scenario could make you take a job in a service station for additional dollars. Another can wow cars for you on the highway. Another could still have you attend a Burn-Esque music festival. When you sail from one place to another, you are trying to fill your belly, keep your energy, save funds and ultimately go to Route 96 for a clean getaway. Flatter at any time, and you will be welcomed by the police, or worse, you suffer from premature death.
The structure of the character which is an intelligent way to deliver on the “no road trip” marketing point. The internal algorithm of the game guarantees that the scenarios are mixed at random, to the point that no player will have the same experience. Add the mechanical of light resources management, and Route 96 Wins the prize for the most improbable Roguelike.
And yet, this Roguelike is relatively superficial. The game depends so much on the story that each scene can never be really procedural. The act of living them in a unique order is a fun novelty, but in substance, you will live 90% of the history of the game when credits are driving. Even if you miss a few scenes, a new game + game option guarantees that you can dive to catch what you missed.
Constant companions
New or not, these games have never been expired for me, largely thanks to Route 96Solid support characters. As you exchange between the characters of the players, you will cross a recurring distribution of personalities, each with its own reasons to travel the open road.
You have Fanny, a black cop with good heart enriched in a broken legal system. There is John, a formerly radical demonstrator who has since adopted a quieter lifestyle. Stan and Mitch are a Thelma & Louise– Pair of bank thieves, while Alex is a young boy with a talent for computers. Sonya Sanchez is the Laura Ingram of this world, and Jarod is a taxi driver with a thirst for blood. Finally, there is Zoe – a teenager who began to escape Petria because of her family ties. (Think of a softer chloe of Life is strange.)
During Route 96Campaign from eight to 10 am, you will slowly unravel the stories of each of these companions. Before a long time, you will understand their motivations and start to see their lives intertwine in an often surprising way. I will avoid the spoilers, but some of the most gratifying moments I had played in the game came during these moments of a moving character.
Although the writing behind these characters is generally strong, I cannot say the same thing for vocal action. Performance Route 96 Pass the help of the helpful (Sonya, Alex, Jarod) to Tradhright Horrendous (Fanny, Stan, Mitch). The two exceptions are Zoe and John, which both save every minute of screen time given to them. Whether I left a laugh with Zoe on a flooded guitar agreement, or listened to John’s father-comment conferences, I cherished these moments more than anything else in Route 96.
Sives and sounds
Route 96 Can have its bumps on the road, but if there is one thing that I can guarantee about this trip, that’s this: you will sail in style.
The game has an absolutely stellar soundtrackwhich covers artists, genres and influences. From Pop Synthwave of Robert Parker, to the folk melody of “The Road” by Cocoon, to the Bop infused with the soul which is “Hit the Road”, ” Route 96The soundtrack of the band brings energy. It is a sublime work, and the only aspect of the game, I have no qualms about recommending entirely. If nothing else, listen to it:
Route 96 gets less well in the visual department. I met a lot of pop-in during my playing time and I found that the details on the textures were particularly lacking. Despite the jank, the game always manages to admire and Wow, largely thanks to magnificent lighting during the key scenes. He is not always a spectator, but it nevertheless impresses.
Get your kicks on Route 96
Route 96 is imperfect but fascinating. It aims for American politics in a way that I saw some games attack, if necessary. Although it is far from being subtle in its approach, the game is sure to generate precious conversations between players – and that deserves praise. The game also impresses with its new narration structure, its rapid rhythm and its intelligent use of the support characters.
There are problems. The procedural nature of the game is undermined by a “look, do not touch” design philosophy. The narrative advances the game and the gameplay almost always takes a rear seat. The game offers little difficulty, and the voice game is so bad, the game would have been better without lines expressed at all.
And yet, Route 96 is much more than the sum of its parts. This will not appease all kinds of players, and he will certainly not win those he seeks to criticize, but those who give him a chance will certainly warm up in his charm.
Route 96 is a worthy trip, hen nests and everything.
Score: 7.9 / 10
Route 96 is now available for PC and Nintendo Switch to a PDSF of $ 19.96.
*Review the code provided by the publisher
