Road 96 Review – The Road Is My Home
Road 96 on PC
The date is June 12, 1996. I’m 1599 miles from the border, have $16 to my name, and my country lies in a state of political unrest. President Tyrak currently prevents citizens from leaving the country, with intense border control following a devastating terrorist attack back in 1986. Florres, his opposition, will tear down the wall, opening up the borders again and giving the people of the country the freedom to travel as they see fit. Determined to be free from this divided country, I set my sights on Road 96, the final road leading to the intimidating wall that runs the length of the border.
Road 96 is a 3D procedural narrative adventure, which sees you assuming control of teenagers who embark on an epic cross-country trip, meeting a diverse cast of characters, and getting tangled up in their own personal quests, trials, and tribulations along the way. The way your road trip pans out, the modes of transport you take, and whether or not you even make it across the border all lies in your hands and the choices you make along the way.
Your task, then, is fairly straightforward: help as many of these unnamed teenage characters get across the border successfully. Each time one teenager’s journey ends — be it successful or not — you’ll begin another, up until the Election Day looming just a few months later after the beginning of the game.
This political backdrop is a prominent fixture of the world. The entire country is divided and everyone you meet will have a pretty strong opinion about it. As I progressed through the game, the political state of the country became more and more divided, to the point it very much feels like a commentary on modern-day politics.