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. 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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