Two years ago, Digixart started his narrative adventure Road 96 and although Alberto was responsible for the analysis in Europe, I analyzed the English version of this game and I loved it. The choices you had to make seemed important and real, the story was compelling and emotionally contradictory, the character development was excellent, and overall it was a really fun experience. Today, Digixart wants to expand this series with a prequel that revolves around two characters (one crucial to Road 96) and establishes the setting and storyline of the original game while retaining many elements of games known to make Road 96 entertain veterans But since this prequel is also very different, does it stand out as much as the main game? That’s something I don’t quite agree with.
Because the magic of Road 96 lay in its random nature. You never knew what the next level would bring you or who you would encounter. You could have a nice chat with John in his truck or ride in the sidecar of a criminal’s motorcycle. That mystery was what made the story so compelling, and the fact that this method also wove the narrative and character development together in an intricate and subtle way that required you to figure out who the characters were and how they were all related. it made it a really special and unique game. Road 96: Mile 0 falls short in this regard for several reasons.
Being a prequel, the mystery of the story isn’t there from minute one as you know what to expect. Second, the options are less diverse, as it’s not about doing whatever it takes to escape an authoritarian nation, it’s about challenging your beliefs about the world you grew up in. It’s still shocking and emotionally strained, 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 that’s partly because Mile 0 is played from the perspective of two different protagonists. On the one hand we have Zoe (the young woman we meet several times on the 96th Street), the daughter of a senior government official who is faced with the task of coming to terms with or questioning her existence in a clearly polarized nation. On the other hand, we have Kaito, a humble man who works with his parents 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 Petria’s troubles, the frequent changing of perspectives detracts from the narrative and its message, as one is drawn into one another neither of the two protagonists can ever really connect with it.
Mile 0 also doesn’t offer the same level of character development as Road 96, given the frequent changes in perspective, as the supporting characters don’t seem as important or integrated into the story as those in the main game. In fact, it seems like Digixart decided that Mile 0 should focus on unusual gameplay elements across the narrative, and while there are some wacky mechanics that are entertaining, what really made Road 96 stand out was its compelling story.
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But when it comes to insane gameplay, Mile 0 features plenty of rhythmic action sequences and fast-paced events that often go hand-in-hand. The rhythmic gameplay is entertaining and adds a new twist to the Road 96 formula, but it’s also fairly rudimentary and feels more like a niche addition than a true gameplay evolution. As for Quick Time Events, whether you love them or hate them, they’re here in abundance, designed to keep you on your toes during the story’s most intense moments. Add to that a host of even more specialized systems that appear out of nowhere and add more spice to gameplay, be it a combat-style finish, simple little environmental puzzles, or even creative painting systems. They are surprising and funny, but also very fleeting.
And fitting the bill for a Road 96 prequel, there’s a choice that’s less about life and death and more about what kind of people you want Zoe and Kaito to be. For example, should you throw out the billboard or fix it? Should you confront the police officer about his barbaric behavior or let it slide? Should you pick up the flyer urging you to vote for the challenging presidential nominee, or just pass by? 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 .
The animation style goes in the same direction, which is quite unique and unusually realistic, but just as crude. The characters are whimsically designed and that’s a strength, but the way their lips don’t sync with the dialogue, and how their walking animation doesn’t match their movement, and so on, it all makes for a pretty mixed impression. in which on the one hand you appreciate the Digixart art style, but on the other hand you feel a little carefree.
Overall, this sums up everything I went through with Road 96: Mile 0. I continue to love the world and characters that Digixart has created and evolved and explored, and there are many compelling ways the studio has brought the story to life. story with peculiar and niche game systems. But at the same time, I can’t help feeling that this prequel has lost some of the charm of the series due to the sometimes drastic deviations, and for this reason I don’t feel that Mile 0 lives up to its predecessor. If you’ve played and enjoyed Road 96, there’s still a lot here to look forward to, but is it a step up from the awesome 2021 title? I don’t think so.
