Road 96: Mile 0

Road 96: Mile 0 is a strong narrative adventure that not only builds on the original, but offers new and exciting gameplay elements.

Mile 0 is a new and exciting avenue for Road 96. The rhythm sections are euphoric and the world-building is complex and fulfilling. Zoe and Kaito’s story is a great entry point but it does feel like it’s just getting started as it ends, falling under the traps of being a prequel.

Road 96: Mile 0 is a wonderful snapshot of a world that many fell in love with. While the game steps away from its procedural roots, it does so to offer a fresh experience. The new gameplay aspects are a joy and the storytelling is stellar which makes DigixArt’s latest release a must for fans of narrative-driven games.

Road 96 Mile 0 is a prequel that will be well received by fans of the first game by dynamically introducing new gameplay concepts such as musical mini-games. Although its approach loses strength by eliminating the originality of the procedural narrative, the plot will keep your interest thanks to a conventional, but very successful script.

Road 96: Mile 0 is a deceptively dark adventure game that centers around player choice and questioning those in power. We see this world through the eyes of two unique protagonists who keep you invested in the overall narrative. There are some hiccups with pacing at times, and the writing can be a little forced, but the conclusion makes the entire experience worth it. Pair that with a musical runner and way too many minigames to count, and you have an excellent adventure just waiting to be your next game.

We cared deeply for both Kaito and Zoe throughout our time with Road 96: Mile 0, wanting to make the best choices for both of them. Their journey may be brief, but it’s filled with sincere moments, whether emotional, funny or tense – and it’s a story we simply couldn’t put down once we’d started. This is an excellent addition to Road 96, adding extra weight and context to the events of that game, but also standing strong on its own two feet, as a tale of two teenagers struggling to make sense of the complicated world around them. Once again, Digixart has created something wonderfully unique, and the studio’s talent for storytelling shines brighter than ever.

As a prequel designed to expand the narrative universe of Road 96 by offering a much more classic gameplay, Road 96: Mile 0 is an appreciable first-person adventure that abandons the roguelite elements to accommodate game dynamics typical of Rhythm games. However, this time the developers of DigixArt Entertainment have yet to tell an intriguing and profound story, despite a multiple-choice dialogue system and alternative endings, which unfortunately do not solve the problem of poor longevity.

Road 96: Mile 0 is a smaller, different experience than Road 96. While the game’s story helps fill in some blanks and provide some context for Zoe’s journey in the first game, the gameplay style mash-up between branching narrative and linear/on-rails gameplay leaves the experience lacking just a bit.

Prequel to Road 96 and - at the same time - spiritual successor to Lost in Harmony, the new DigixArt title contains a multifaceted experience, in the name of hybrid gameplay and a story yet to be written. The system of moral choices and the racing phases inherited from the 2016 title manage to give shape to an engaging story and to transmit important messages on sensitive issues. On the other hand, it is clear how the desire to create a work of limited size has sometimes made the narration too frenetic and the races on the track too hasty. In short, we would have liked to see something more, but net of this Road 96: Mile 0 is confirmed as a good prequel, appreciable both by those who have played its sequel and by newcomers.

At just over five hours long with scope for additional playthroughs depending on whether you're sympathetic to Petrian regime, rebel against it or fall somewhere in-between, Road 96: Mile 0 belies its budget price with a surprisingly choice-stuffed narrative that doesn't match the broad calibre of Road 96 but is nonetheless still worth playing all the same.

While featuring some great elements and features, Road 96: Mile 0 fails to flesh them out enough to make the game truly great. However, despite this, it still offers players an enjoyable experience.

Road 96: Mile 0 doesn’t set out to expand the gameplay that made the original so unique. It instead seeks to flesh out the world through a smaller, more intimate story that tugs on your heartstrings. Pair this with some radical gameplay sections and awesome music, and you have yourself a fun, if a little short, experience.

A prequel to Road 96, that adds skating mini-games but removes the procedural generation of the original – but it’s still engagingly written, and has a lot to say.

Road 96 Mile 0 takes familiar elements from Road 96 and Lost in Harmony and impressively incorporates them fairly seamlessly. Although I did feel that the exploration portions could have benefited from some variety in gameplay, the music-running portions definitely picked up the slack. If anything, Road 96 Mile 0 excels in its ability to showcase two best friends struggling against an unfair world while still trying to be regular teenagers. Whether or not they remain friends is for players to decide.

Road 96 Mile 0 is a choir that sings for free speech, even if it lacks that sense of adventure that made the original game unique and unforgettable.

Road 96: Mile 0 manages to leave a great aftertaste, especially thanks to its final phase, and makes you feel like in the original game. But knowing at all times how your decisions affect and that it is so unsubtle in its message takes away a lot of fun.

Mile 0 is the prequel to Road 96, a highly valued indie game. Sadly, this prequel cannot live up to the expectations. The choose your adventure mechanic doesn't work if the final result is already known, the game is short and marred with technical errors. Also, the game seems designed for mouse and keyboard with controller support added as an afterthought. Sadly, we cannot recommend this game in its current form.

The prequel to Road 96 introduced substantial gameplay changes, but not everything was for the better. The music rhythm challenges are decent and fun for the most part. However, the game lacks in its adventure format, especially due to the poor narrative and shallow characters.

Mile 0 is not as strong as the main title, and one of the main reasons is its gameplay. At least, those who want to explore the universe of the series will find more to discover here.

Mile 0 not only fails to improve on Road 96, but also fails to meet the same standards, and if you are not already in love with Road 96's world, you are better off skipping Mile 0 and spending your time and money elsewhere.

Road 96 Mile 0 is not the prequel we wished to have: leaving behind the procedural structure and the roguelike dynamics to introduce not very well-baked rhythm game sections, DigixArt’s work fails to express the ludic, emotive and political incisiveness that Road 96 could boast. Moreover, the replayability factor has been drastically reduced. The team’s will to change direction and go further on new paths is completely understandable, but the developers’ work lacks focus and fails to engage the players in the adventure’s various ludic systems.

Road 96 Mile 0 is a rather nice dive into the dystopian universe. The prequel suffers from its classical aspect and loses everything that made its predecessor so special and instead brings musical sections that are rather boring and imperfect on consoles. A game that nevertheless manages to shine at times thanks to its soundtrack, its pop atmosphere and its staging that is sometimes really impressive.

Road 96: Mile 0 feels like a missed opportunity. Rather than building on what the original game had done so well, it deviates to tell an uninspired story with a gameplay mechanic that just doesn’t really feel all that interesting to play. Road 96 fans will find something to like here, but don’t go in expecting an epic sequel. Even at just five-hours, it can feel like a bit of a drag to finish.