Road 96 Review

Which road will you choose?

Very few games offer such a cocktail of choice and companionship as Road 96, an ambitious and groundbreaking playable narrative by French developer Digixart.

To set the scene, you play as multiple teenagers trying to cross the border of the country of Petria, which could arguably be a reflection of Trump's America. Each time you play through the game and it's procedurally generated story events (6 - 8 times, depending on how many times you die!), you return to a new teenager who is starting out their 'escape' from Petria.

Each road taken – and the transportations choices are varied, from hitchhiking to stealing cars – offers insight into the lives of the seven main characters whose individual story threads you follow throughout your experience. These include a runaway teenage girl, a one-sided (and often two-faced) reporter, a too-smart-for-his-own good fourteen-year-old boy, a pair of rather unprepared burglars, an overwhelmed police officer, a trucker with one or two secrets under his belt, and a taxi driver with some.. anger management issues.

Without giving away the story, Road 96 lets players delve into the lives of these seven characters and discover how their paths converge on Election Day, the pivotal event everything builds up to. The game involves making fight-or-flight decisions, such as choosing between supporting the law or a revolutionary group, which leads to both positive and negative outcomes for your selected teen and offers a variety of different endings. Impressively, this looping road trip features over 90,000 possible sequences, encouraging replayability to explore more of the individual character stories. Notably, in one playthrough, I only fully completed one character's storyline, with some remaining at just 34%, highlighting the many alternative paths—or 'roads'—you could have taken.

That being said, choice isn't the only key gameplay mechanic here – Road 96 features a broad range of different play styles, not unlike a narrative adventure such as What Remains of Edith Finch. On my play-through, I played air hockey, arcade-style games, gambled with my very little funds, swerved left and right in a Subways Surfers style car chase, and even electrocuted myself several hundred times while trying to fish a key out from behind an electrified grill. All of these mini-games offered something fresh and fun, and broke up the otherwise heavy focus on making decision through actions and dialogue options. On the topic of dialogue options, there is definitely work to be done when it comes to how easy it is to actually select certain choices. Sometimes I selected something that I didn't want to say as a result of the character – and the text – bobbing about or running away. This is something which needs patching, especially in a game which evolves so much around choice.

While the oppression by the story's main antagonist, President Tyrak, is visually evident throughout the game, and we can inquire about characters' opinions of him, it's unclear how actions like vandalizing a political poster influence the outcome of the country's upcoming election. It may seem obvious at first, but I couldn't quite work out how my actions were having an effect on others. Additionally, it would have been intriguing to have more cutscenes featuring this dictator to enhance the oppressive atmosphere. Elements like the mention of 'The Pits'—a place where captured teenagers who attempted to flee the country are sent—are unsettling but lack impact since we don't see them visually or hear from characters who can confirm their existence or share experiences. Conversely, one might argue that this adds an element of mystery and intrigue, and perhaps the uncertainty makes it even more terrifying.

One of the game's biggest triumphs is its art style, which is not dissimilar to games such as Firewatch. Warm hues bleach expanses of dessert while cold pallets colour more intense evening scenes – such as being held at gunpoint by a hitchhiker. Many of the backgrounds of Road 96's roadside locations include towering mountain vistas contrasting with pump-jacks draining the Earth of oil. All of these details – not mentioning the shabby-chic appearance of the many service stations, diners and motels you visit – create an impression of a nation suffering with economic collapse, all adding to the tone of the over-arching storyline.

Accompanying this is a killer 90s-inspired soundtrack, something which expanses as you find more cassettes tapes around the game's packed world. There were some really catchy-tunes here – and I especially enjoyed how you could essentially play different tracks during different events, altering the atmosphere and feeling of the world. Voice acting and dialogue is authentic and engaging, though at times I felt that some character's lines were a little forced or otherwise cheesy, such as a fourteen-year-old (albeit in the 90s), repeatedly calling my 'homie' and 'dog' after every single line.

This is also a good time to note that humour – although not always present – is sprinkled selectively throughout the game, often making me chuckle at an unexpected moment. Lines such as "Welcome to Happy Taxi" followed by a reminder of the cab driver's anger management issues, were delightfully dry and entertaining. These contrasted heavily later on in the experience when such characters are revealed to have much darker intentions that you originally predicted. I wouldn't say there were any 'shocking twists' in the story, but I enjoyed how the player is given ample opportunities to learn more about character's backstories and lives, and how they all connect together.

In conclusion, Road 96 is less about reaching the border and more about the personal journeys you take along the way (Yes, I really just used the 'it's not the destination that counts' old chestnut...). Its branching narratives, unpredictable encounters, and blend of lighthearted moments with heavy themes make each play-through feel unique and meaningful. While some rough edges in mechanics may break immersion, the game’s emotional weight, strong atmosphere, and memorable cast more than make up for it. For players who enjoy narrative-driven adventures that value choice, consequence, and replayability, Road 96 stands as a compelling road trip worth taking.

9.5 / 10 Happy Taxis

A Must Play