Back in December at The Game Awards, a number of trailers were unleashed on the spectators, and while there was no jaw-dropping moments such as No Man Sky‘s reveal, some clips imprinted themselves into the minds of us attentive viewers. Only a minute in total was provided, but all I needed to bookmark Road 96 for further investigation, and I was not disappointed upon trying it out.
Road 96 is a procedurally generated road trip, where you play as a rebel on your way to leave the country of Petria, who is in the middle of a lot of political troubles because of the extremist views of the reigning parties. Your character, who changes every time you play the game, is looking to get out of this mess by crossing the border, something deemed as a criminal act by the current government, meaning the process will not be easy, and you must use all the means possible to get out of Petria and get out alive.
The Steam Next Fest running alongside E3 week was an excellent opportunity for further insight into Digixart‘s upcoming title, as a demo was available for download for the period. Having been on my bookmarks list for 6 months, I immediately looked up the page and downloaded the demo, eager to learn more about this game which we did not know much of, but it still was extremely intriguing from the first trailer alone.
Road 96 Steam Next Fest Demo Gameplay – FULLSYNC
In the gameplay above, I went through the demo to experience for myself, and for anyone viewing as well, the different encounters which one may have in Road 96. There are loads of scenario possibilities, and although in the demo the distance to the border did not have an effect, I believe the finished game will have multiple different situations depending on how far or how close the border is.
Apart from the multiple scenes that this game can throw you in, there are also other characters looking to cross the border, and interactions with them feel real; you can sense the rush that Stan and Mitch are feeling, or the sadness that Alex feels. These emotions are very hard to craft, but through the medium of games, we can come to experience the feelings which the main character gets to feel, and Digixart have done a great job at this.
Choices in the game will not only have an impact on the current scene you are living but can also have an impact on future episodes you are thrown in. This can be deduced from the game itself telling you that the choice you have just made will affect the outcome of the future. These choices can be politically oriented or even person-oriented, as I would imagine you can run into one of these characters again in a later scene during the same playthrough and have them judge you depending on the previous dialogue.
Road 96 is a very promising game, and with a release coming in the coming months, with a Summer 2021 date planned, it feels ever so close to being out and into my hands. This is definitely a game to keep on your watchlist, or better even just buy it when it comes out, as it is sure to be an experience unlike no other.
Wishlist Road 96 on Steam through this link.
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