Two years ago, Digixart launched its narrative adventure Road 96, and although Alberto was in charge of analysis in Spain, I analyzed the English version of this game and loved it. The decisions you had to make felt important and real, the story was gripping and emotionally conflicting, the character development was great, and overall it was a really fun experience. Today, Digixart wants to expand this series with a prequel that revolves around two characters (including a very important one for Road 96) and that establishes the setting and the plot of the original game, while including a lot of elements of games known to entertain Road 96 veterans. But since this prequel is also very different, does it stand out as much as the main game? This is something I don’t quite agree with.
Because the magic of Road 96 lies in its randomness. You never knew what the next level would bring you or who you would bump into. You could have a nice chat with John in his truck or ride in the sidecar of a criminal’s motorcycle. This mystery was what made the story so compelling, and the fact that this method also intricately and delicately weaves together the narrative and character development, so that you had to figure out who the characters were and how they all connected together. to each other, it made it a really special and unique game. Route 96: Mile 0 is insufficient in this regard for several reasons.
Being a prequel, the mystery of the story is not present from the first minute, since you know what awaits you. Second, the options are less varied, as it’s not about doing whatever it takes to escape an authoritarian nation, but rather about questioning your beliefs about the civilization you grew up in. It’s still shocking and emotional most of the time, and Digixart doesn’t mince words, but the allure and mystery that made Road 96 such a special game is gone.
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And I think part of that is because Mile 0 takes place from the perspective of two different protagonists. On one side we have Zoe (the young woman we meet several times on Route 96), the daughter of a high government official who is faced with the task of accepting or beginning to question her existence. even in a clearly polarized nation. . On the other hand, we have Kaito, an individual of humble origins who works with his parents to do whatever it takes to escape the nation of Petria in hopes of a better life. The two characters follow completely different trajectories, and while I can understand Digixart trying to use their two opposing livelihoods to convey the issues Petria faces, the frequent shifting of perspectives detracts from the narrative and its message, as you can never really connect with either of the two protagonists.
Given the frequent shifts in perspective, Mile 0 also doesn’t offer the same level of character development as Road 96, as the secondary characters don’t seem as prominent or integrated into the story as those in the main game. In fact, it seems Digixart decided that Mile 0 should focus on unusual gameplay elements rather than narrative, and while there are some goofy mechanics that are entertaining, Road 96 mostly stood out for its captivating story.
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But when it comes to wacky gameplay, Mile 0 features plenty of fast-paced action sequences and fast-paced events, which often go hand in hand. The rhythm gameplay is entertaining and puts a new spin on the Road 96 formula, but it’s also pretty rudimentary and feels more like a niche addition than a real gameplay evolution. As for quick events, love ’em or hate ’em, they’re there in spades and serve to keep you on your toes during the story’s most intense moments. Add to that a bunch of even more specialized systems that appear out of nowhere and add more spice to the gameplay, whether it’s a combat-style conclusion, basic little environmental puzzles, or even creative paint systems. . They are surprising and fun, but also very ephemeral.
And in the spirit of being a Road 96 prequel, there’s the Elections, which is less about life and death, and more about the kind of people you want Zoe and Kaito to be. For example, should you throw away the billboard or fix it? Should you call the policeman for his barbaric behavior or let it pass? Should you pick up the flyer asking you to vote for the tough presidential candidate or just walk past it? Zoe is torn between accepting society’s indoctrination or running away in hopes of a better future, and Kaito is torn between being a revolutionary and joining a “terrorist group” or being more reserved and quiet.
Along the same lines, the animation style is quite unique and unusually realistic, but just as crude. The characters are designed in a quirky way and that’s a highlight, but the way their lips don’t sync with the dialogue, and the way their walking animation doesn’t line up with their movement, etc., give a rather mixed impression. in which, on the one hand, you can appreciate the Digixart art style, but, on the other hand, it seems a bit lacking in care.
All in all, that sums up everything I experienced with Road 96: Mile 0. I continue to love the world and characters that Digixart created and continued to develop and explore, and there is many engaging ways in which the studio manages to bring the story to life story with particular and niche game systems. But at the same time, I can’t help but feel that this prequel has lost some of the charm of the series by sometimes deviating so drastically, and for that reason, I don’t feel like Mile 0 lives up to its predecessor. If you’ve played and enjoyed Road 96, there’s still plenty to look forward to here, but is it a step up from 2021’s fantastic title? I think not.