Kentucky Route Zero

 PC
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 70 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 70
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 70
  3. Negative: 19 out of 70

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  1. JohnnyGalvatron
    May 24, 2015
    9
    Incredible waltz into an eerie world of magical realism. A game of tremendous atmosphere and almost theatrical set design. The scene when Junebug begins his set in the dive bar is one of my most treasured moments in gaming. KRZ is not a game for button mashers, but for for players who want a thoughtful, compelling experience.
  2. Sinestauta
    Aug 24, 2014
    10
    Even though I have only played the first two acts, I have to say that Kentucky Route Zero is one of the most wonderful gaming experiences I've ever had. Apparently a point-and-click graphic adventure, this is actually much closer to an interactive graphic novel. It's really good literature, or art, or however you may categorize it. Obviously, though, the "game" dimension is only the methodEven though I have only played the first two acts, I have to say that Kentucky Route Zero is one of the most wonderful gaming experiences I've ever had. Apparently a point-and-click graphic adventure, this is actually much closer to an interactive graphic novel. It's really good literature, or art, or however you may categorize it. Obviously, though, the "game" dimension is only the method used to put the player in the middle of the story. The difficulty is trivial, and it consists merely in finding the way through the different locations on the map and sorting out the meaning of the quest, which is but an excuse for a compelling story about lonliness, frailty and oblivion.

    Now, about the script: it's more than excellent, it's really over the scale. Whoever has written the texts in this game has obviously read a lot and written a lot, and knows who Don Delillo or Faulkner are. Very often the choice of dialogues does not have any consequence on the development of the story --- it's just meant to let the player co-author the story, add and choose the details that frame the main characters.

    You won't like this game if you're looking for shiny entertainment and action, for real-time emotions where you can prove your gaming stamina. You will love this game if you enjoy art, design, reading a good story, and obviously if adventure games were your favorite genre. It's very hard to explain how fabulously original, simple, light and complex is the graphic aspect of this game. The map interface is a great idea and the medium by which minigames find their right place into the game, creating a spiraling sensation that destroys the common notion of space as the story approaches the zero. Slowly, also the environments lose features of reality and represent in a fascinating way the tricks of immagination, irrationality, oblivion and selflessness.

    Just play the game, you won't ever forget it. Especially if you like good literature and contemporary art & design!    … Expand
  3. TantFuriosa
    Jan 6, 2018
    10
    Very special, dreamlike and artful game centered around dialogue. You choose what your character says, but pretty quickly it becomes apparent that your choices does not affect the game outcome in any shape or form. The only thing you really choose is your own poetry, your own inner narrative. You have no control over where the game takes you. I found this absolutely fascinating and thoughtVery special, dreamlike and artful game centered around dialogue. You choose what your character says, but pretty quickly it becomes apparent that your choices does not affect the game outcome in any shape or form. The only thing you really choose is your own poetry, your own inner narrative. You have no control over where the game takes you. I found this absolutely fascinating and thought it elevated the game to greater heights. It's beautifully done. This game is for dreamers enjoying a mystery that maybe never will make sense.… Expand
  4. mohammad-gh
    Oct 30, 2020
    10
    nice and good game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  5. PublicNuisance
    Feb 7, 2020
    8
    I had first heard about this quirky game called Kentucky Route Zero a couple years after the first episode came out. I don’t like playing my games spread out like that so I decided to wait until the whole game was finished and to binge it then. Luckily I got the game for a good price in the mean time and years later I was able to complete it from start to finish without waiting. One thingI had first heard about this quirky game called Kentucky Route Zero a couple years after the first episode came out. I don’t like playing my games spread out like that so I decided to wait until the whole game was finished and to binge it then. Luckily I got the game for a good price in the mean time and years later I was able to complete it from start to finish without waiting. One thing I am not too worried about is spoiling the plot to Kentucky Route Zero because truth be told I’m not sure I really know what it is. Do you like games that make sense ? Well this one doesn’t. That may sound like a slur or insult but I look at this game as the closest thing to a video game made by David Lynch or David Chronenberg as I have ever played. I may have not always understood why what was happening was happening but I couldn’t look away and was immersed all the same. The characters are interesting, the locations full of lore and detail; the soundtrack awesome; and the story so odd that I am almost glad the strangest bits went without explanation because it may have ruined it.

    You begin the game as a delivery man who is trying to find an address he has never heard of. He gets pointed to a route called the “Route Zero” and directions to someone who can guide him to it. From there begins the strange journey where you will slowly add more and more people to your group all with their own stories to be told. In travelling this mystical route you will fly on the back of an eagle; find an underground computer to play a video game within a video game that is kept by people who have a giant fire they keep going; discover some of the most realistic government buracracy I have seen and much much more. At different points of the story you will have dialogue options in terms of not just what you say but who says it. You can kind of tailor the story based on who you want to follow and interact with although I am not sure just how much control over things this gives you or how it branches the main story. The game is like a combo of a 2D adventure game and a visual novel. You take control of different characters at different times depending on the parts of the story. There are no puzzles to solve; no enemies to defeat; I am sure some will say no real “gameplay”. I’m sure that there are those out there that will appreciate the game for what it is: a wild ride that has a very entertaining plot. The graphics are a weird mix of a low detail with a good art style. The audio to the game is great, the soundtrack setting the mood very well. There is no voice acting aside from a couple parts where you’re watching video or listening to answering machine messages but I didn’t mind this.

    I played Kentucky Route Zero on Linux. It never crashed on me once. There was one bug where when you are playing as a cat going around listening to peoples stories and meowing at them to get more details I had to check out a hole and the cat wouldn’t exit the hole making me reload the scene after which the cat would exit. Yes you play as a cat in one part, told you this game was odd. There were no graphics options at all to tinker with aside from choosing “modern or classic”. That simply ages the game back to the pixel era or keeps a more modern style. Alt-Tab didn’t work. The game doesn’t have a manual save option. It seemed to auto save at the end of each scene. There are three save slots but only one per playthrough so three people can be playing their own seperate saves but you can’t have more than one save slot for your game. During play the game used 14-85% of my GPU; 391-413MB of VRAM; 18-22% of my CPU; and 1.8-2.2GB of RAM. The game used up 2GB of disk space.

    Kentucky Route Zero was an experience I won’t soon forget. If you enjoy TV shows like Twin Peaks; movies like Videodrome; or games like Oxenfree or Night in the Woods then you will probably enjoy this. There were points that were a little slow paced but overall the game started strong and ended strong. It kept me wanting to know more and to know what the game would introduce next which is something many games these days fail to achieve.

    My Score: 8/10

    My Sytem:

    AMD Ryzen 5 2600X | 16GB DDR4-3000 CL15 | MSI RX 580 8GB Gaming X | Mesa 19.3.3 | Samsung 850 Evo 250GB | Manjaro 18.1.5 | Mate 1.22.3 | Kernel 5.5.2-1-MANJARO    … Expand
  6. pinismenshox
    Feb 23, 2020
    8
    the whole act together is quite strange and if you dont like too much abstract concepts then this game is not really for you. the second to third acts are all very surreal and strange specially when you reach the end of an abandoned mine with people and a funky computer living in it. till the end of act iv till act v which is a lot more than other acts combined together the story unveilsthe whole act together is quite strange and if you dont like too much abstract concepts then this game is not really for you. the second to third acts are all very surreal and strange specially when you reach the end of an abandoned mine with people and a funky computer living in it. till the end of act iv till act v which is a lot more than other acts combined together the story unveils and you are still left wondering what went on about. a good game with a rather weird story but worth it.… Expand
  7. usercriticism
    Apr 24, 2023
    9
    Who ever says the game is boring, then this is not for you. I guess this isn't your tastes in game. The game is a journey. A journey which we create ourselves. People with the taste for a minimalist story telling will enjoy it. If you want something else, buy that rather than berating all the negativity which you couldn't enjoy. The game has its beauty. If you don't like it, don't buy it then.

Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Best PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Gamer.nl
    Feb 18, 2020
    90
    This special Kickstarter project, which spanned five episodes over seven years, comes to an end. This point-and-click sequence is bursting at the seams with creativity and strange happenings. There is no better writing in video games.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Feb 18, 2020
    50
    Exceptional dialogue served even in most exquisite forms (mini-games, different perspective, mixed chronology) are still not enough for the story to be compatible with this medium or to be worth telling altogether. The result is slow and difficult to ingest and sometimes even unpleasant in its archaic mechanics. [03/2020, p.54]
  3. PCWorld
    Feb 12, 2020
    100
    A magical adventure almost a decade in the making, Kentucky Route Zero is every bit as good as you've heard—and maybe more.
    Read full review
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