Road 96

 PC
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 42 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 42
  3. Negative: 0 out of 42
  1. Cubed3
    Oct 22, 2021
    70
    Toothless as political commentary, and with its, supposedly, big focus on choice being almost non-existent, it would be alright to assume that this isn't a big recommendation - and yet it is. Digixart's anti-fascist indie might not be as good it thinks when it comes to politics, and the choose-your-own-adventure layer under it all is paper-thin at best, but simply as an experience, as a road trip across a beautiful land, filled with interesting (to say the least) characters, yes, this is one of the best indies that have been released this past month, warts and all. Its replay value is, unfortunately, very low, but do yourself a favour, and try it out when you get the chance. Road 96 is a flawed but undoubtedly memorable journey.
  2. PC Games
    Sep 6, 2021
    70
    Road 96’s story is very interactive and all of our choices have consequences that can be very small or completely change what’s going to happen. Because of that, the replayability is immense. However, the texture quality is bad and gameplay-wise, Road 96 is nothing more than a walking simulator. So you better be in for the story!
  3. Gamer.nl
    Aug 24, 2021
    70
    Road 96 tells a political story through short but intense adventures with fascinating characters. Your choices shape the story and that ambitious set-up works surprisingly well.
  5. The Indie Game Website
    Aug 19, 2021
    70
    Even with some messy execution on its political themes, Road 96 succeeds at capturing a fractious journey on the road and the turmoil of modern American politics. A deeper exploration of Petria’s history may give more context to the game’s narrative of taking change of your own destiny. But without this background, it ends up oversimplifying its premise by positing that the only barrier to equity and justice is a strongman in a suit. In reality, injustice runs far deeper.
  6. Multiplayer.it
    Aug 16, 2021
    70
    Road 96 is, ultimately, a successful adventure, which, however, never manages to get to the bottom, limiting itself to exposing its vision in the most didactic way possible.
  7. DualShockers
    Aug 16, 2021
    70
    Road 96‘s mesmerizing landscapes, unique characters and chilled soundtrack will allow players to kick back and enjoy some really good storytelling in a world that feels strangely familiar to many.
  8. Checkpoint Gaming
    Aug 16, 2021
    70
    Road 96 is an emotional character-driven game that is unfortunately marred by heavy-handed attempts to evoke real-world politics. It is still very much an enjoyable experience with fun mini-games, a beautiful visual style and soundtrack, along with the interesting mechanic of having to make the trip to the border multiple times. It’s upsetting that the game loses itself when it tries to tackle politics when it really should have focused more on the relationships between the characters and their journeys on the road. Despite this, it was still great fun to play the whole way through.
  9. GameSkinny
    Aug 16, 2021
    70
    Road 96 sets out to ask hard questions such as "when is violence the right response to a despotic regime?" and "is voting alone enough to fix a broken system?". But by the end, it never quite manages to answer those questions. While its politics take center stage, it's actually Road 96's interpersonal drama that I came away most fond of.
  10. Edge Magazine
    Aug 14, 2021
    70
    The execution can be uneven, but in all of Road 96's wild ambition there is a touch of genius. This doesn't feel like the endpoint of all these ideas, but the marking out of a route forward. It's one we'd love to see explored further. [Issue#362, p.102]
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  11. CD-Action
    Nov 15, 2021
    60
    Road 96 tries to strike the right balance between randomization and the emphasis on the story and kind of succeeds at that, but fails in many other aspects, e.g. there’s no challenge here at all and your actions lack actual consequences. I was also unable to get through the new game+ without the impression that I had already experienced most of the events during my initial playthrough. [11/2021, p.44]
    All this publication's reviews
  12. GameMAG
    Aug 16, 2021
    60
    Road 96 is a game that fall short of its promises. Branching storylines all have the same outcomes, and subplots of many characters are to predictable, even if a little funny.
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In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Eurogamer
    Aug 20, 2021
    In truth, I loved Road 96 from the start and I loved it at the end, my ending, which probably isn't yours. I loved it at first for its bounty of possibilities, and by the end I loved it for its intricate web, its sometimes goofy animations and cartoonish characters, its Road Runner depiction of the South West, its occasional procedural muddling, and its unwillingness to really represent the 1990s as anything more than a veneer slapped on present political concerns. Like John, this is a game with a good heart, along with a few missing fingers. [Eurogamer Recommended]
  2. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Aug 16, 2021
    This political road trip is rendered an exciting and entertaining time by its cast and the deliberately piecemeal nature of its storytelling, rather than the story itself.

Awards & Rankings

41
#41 Most Discussed PC Game of 2021

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 166 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 102 out of 166
  2. Mixed: 43 out of 166
  3. Negative: 21 out of 166
  1. AlexAstronov
    Aug 18, 2021
    3
    Basically a game for rebellious little girls. I hardly can find the game world interesting and compelling, it's basically good teens runningBasically a game for rebellious little girls. I hardly can find the game world interesting and compelling, it's basically good teens running from big bad government. And it may seem that you have a blank character that you can project yourself on, but not only the top left corner shows that you are some teen girl with hair color crisis, but also the dialog gives you 0 choices. You can only be a kind goody person who for some reason cares for every stranger they meet on the way. I guess this game can be interesting for people who are like that, but if you are a grown up person, i totally don't recommend you spending your money. And yeah, the technical state is just a mess. Made a refund.… Full Review »
  2. ScrewyEvenin
    Aug 22, 2021
    0
    The idea for this game is super interesting. The execution is way below the bare minimum. I am so thankful I did not spend any money playingThe idea for this game is super interesting. The execution is way below the bare minimum. I am so thankful I did not spend any money playing this game, as it wouldn't even be worth the time I put into it. I would be embarrassed to have spent money.

    Narrative games like this need excellent writing and story. This game has NEITHER. The writing is cringey at every part. I don't know if there was a piece of genuine-feeling dialogue in the entire game. Each character is a mere trope, with no exceptions. You do not get attached to ANY character in the entire game. There was not one character I looked forward to interacting with again, with some characters causing me to try to exit the interaction immediately. A perfect example is Alex, the "genius" kid. I struggle to name a worse character in any form of media, and that says a lot especially since this game is narrative-based. So embarrassing that this was greenlit.

    Even worse was the story. Stories in games like this can carry poorly-written dialogue (though it must really be good to get over this bad of dialogue). Here, the story caused me to roll my eyes constantly. Without spoiling, the premise of the story is "big bad government versus 'liberal' political rivals in an election, and the story is told through following teens trying to escape through the border." The execution is incredibly bad with no depth to either side. The villains are surface level with absolutely no depth at all as they are presented as evil for no reason at all, and the "heroes" are presented as perfectly good with the only negatives turning out to be conspiracy theories by the big bad. The ending is one of the worst parts, as it seems that no matter your choices, "good" wins in the end. In my playthrough, the incumbents were safely in the lead, but then the finale was a voiceover saying that the rivals ended up beating them and making change. I couldn't imagine a worse ending.

    The writing is embarrassing. Save your money and time. Not worth it even if free.

    The gameplay is fine. It is to be expected from games like this, nothing bad, nothing special.

    0/10. Stay away from this garbage.    … Full Review »
  3. Ratingss
    Aug 17, 2021
    3
    A politically biased walking simulator with "choices n consequences" and terrible performance for the kind of graphics it has. Reminds you ofA politically biased walking simulator with "choices n consequences" and terrible performance for the kind of graphics it has. Reminds you of any other game? Because to me this is starting to feel like indie game 101.
    The concept of traveling cross country is good tough, and could be done much, much better.    … Full Review »
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