It’s a dangerous world out there, for teens chasing freedom.
 |
This kid's so young his voice still hasn't cracked, yet he is
already driving and building computers and coding games. |
Developed by Digixart, published by THQ Nordic and released on August 16th, 2021,
Road 96 is the story of Petria, a country in disarray under the iron-fisted rule of the tyrannical President Tyrak. It’s 1996, most citizens have little choice other than to obey, and rebellious teenagers risk everything to leave the godforsaken country behind. For all these young hitchhikers, it goes through Road 96, a bottleneck point that’s the only trusted way out. Those who get caught fleeing are arrested and sent to “The Iron Pits”, whatever that is… if they’re not outright killed. Just gotta make it through, whichever way possible – bribes, stealth, friends, anything. The Black Brigades, rumored to have played a part in a tragedy ten years prior when Tyrak was elected, and seen as terrorists by the regime and part of the population, could help. Then there’s that upcoming election, with candidate Florres that could rise to power and put an end to all this…
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Apparently, there is only one way out of the country.
Nothing South, and no other options anywhere on that border. |
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Of course, this means that you have to engage with the
scenario put in front of you, and the game will force your hand
if you don't want to. Wanna get away from the robbers? Nah,
they'll hire you whether you want to or not. |
How to describe this one… Imagine a narrative-driven Telltale game à la Walking Dead, with some roguelite randomness built in. You play through your first character’s story, and when their run is over, you are given a choice between three other teens. You’ll never know what to expect… or in which order, really. You interact with the other major characters of the story, and like with Telltale, your answers can influence them one way or another – some answers will cause shifts in those characters, and perhaps even in the wider world. The closer you get to the end (with some of your teens making it through, others not), the more you see the repercussions of your choices.
 |
Why is there a meter rising up about the cab driver's cold
anger? I dunno, how about we ask the soon-to-be-murdered
guy stuffed in the taxicab's trunk? |
You’ll encounter one major character in every segment, with each one having several segments dedicated to them (as denoted in the loading screen). You never know who will be the next onemet, or which scene you’ll witness (some scenes can only happen after specific ones have been played). Will you meet the runaway teen that keeps getting herself (and others) in trouble? The well-meaning cop mom who’s unfortunately helping the tyranny? Or her son, a hacking genius? The bumbling thieves? Or the guy who wants to kill the #1 newscaster in the country? Hell, you can run into said newscaster, and she might give you jobs or pick you up as a hitchhiker, even though she’s on board with the tyranny.
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No, Officer! I know I look sixteen, but I was born in...
Uh... '42! Promise! |
Outside of those where the choice is made for you, after some segments, you have options as to what your next travel method will be: By foot, by taxi, by bus, hitchhiking, stealing a car… I assume that the next scenes you’ll experience are picked based on your choices.
The other element that makes this a roguelite? As a runaway teen, you must manage health and funds carefully. But there are perks!
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Me? The worst cameraperson you've seen? Hey, you are
the one who asked me to sub in, lady! I don't even like Tyrak! |
-You often lose health due to traveling, but it can be refilled by sleeping, eating, or drinking. Sustenace can be paid for… or dug out of the trash. You’ll often start a chapter with low health, so finding ways to refill it will be necessary.
-Your money will generally be low when you start on a new teenager. Cash is needed for bus/taxi, sometimes for food. Small amounts can be found in hidden spaces. The setting being what it is, you might take on degrading jobs (maybe pro-Tyrak, against your character’s worldview) to have anything to spend. Staying morally upright can only take you so far.
 |
Big John, here, has gien you the gift of life! By which I
mean, the gift of two extra HP for the remainder of the
game. You just had to make, and then drink, a nasty
beverage to obtain them. |
-Completing specific segments can net the player new skills, which will stick around for every subsequent chapter. These can involve better odds whenever a luck roll is made, a lockpicking ability, hacking, an easier time dealing with police forces, and a “quick wit” to have the best response in some situations. The sixth skill permanently increases your max health by two points.
Several scenes have their own associated minigame; though there are rarely any significant rewards for victory, they shake up the formula and offer some levity in a game that otherwise doesn’t have much of it. Connect 4? Trombone Hero? Pong? That’s cool.
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| Yes, Trombone Hero. Eh, why not. |
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Tension! Action! Horror! This game should be a TV show.
Just need one solid season. One teen per hour-long episode.
|
The game boasts an excellent soundtrack (there’s even collectibles in the form of tape cassettes that you can play on car radios), and the cel-shaded graphics give it a great style. Your choices can influence some of the details, but there’s only three possible major events that count as endings. And all of them are bittersweet at best, as even the happiest will have at least a few characters dead. Road 96’s colorful look masks its bleak story; there’s always something that goes wrong, or that you can’t make better no matter which dialog option you choose. The most horrible characters have their moments where you may empathize, but never enough to redeem them. The best characters will not always make the best decisions. And those that garner the most sympathy from you might still lose it all in the final stretch. It’s dark, but it’s inevitable considering the subject matter. All to highlight what we all should know, which is that authoritarianism fucking sucks.
But hey, there’s always people out there who need the reminder… Anyway, yeah, very good game here.
Road 96 is available on Steam for 19.99$ USD.
