Road 96: Mile 0 Review

Highway 96: Mile 0 on PlayStation 5

While you come across successful, it’s comprehensible that you just’ll need to double down on it. 2021’s Road 96 wowed gamers with its procedurally-generated street journeys to the border, its endearing forged of characters, politically-charged story and assorted gameplay. It was one in every of my very own private favourite video games of the yr, so after I heard that developer DigixArt was releasing a spin-off expertise, I used to be desirous to set off down the ol’ dusty street as soon as extra. This time, although, it’s been extra of a directionless amble than an epic journey to the border.

Mile 0 foregoes the procedurally-generated journey to the border, as an alternative specializing in the lives of two finest mates who come from fully completely different backgrounds. Zoe, the red-headed, trombone-playing teen who additionally occurs to be the daughter of corrupt President Tyrak’s Minister of Oil that we met within the unique sport, and Kaito, the son of a groundskeeper and cleaner beneath the oppressive regime. His girlfriend, Aya was identified with most cancers because of the horrible air pollution of Colton Metropolis, the polluted and harmful capital metropolis of Petria the place they beforehand resided. You may see the place that is going. Regardless of each Zoe and Kaito getting on like a home on hearth, there are political and social points that can inevitably hinder their friendship, and it’s this dynamic that the story of Mile 0 hones in on.

The issue is, all of it feels fairly apparent in its path. Virtually instantly, Zoe spots Kaito having a suspicious dialog with a stranger, of which the latter is especially cagey about. Nearly all of the sport focuses across the two teenagers skirting round awkward conversations and pretending every part’s okay when it’s something however.

You’ll select from a few dialogue conversations to try to steer the story to the decision you need, however the decisions and penalties system within the sport feels so skin-deep and superficial — merely transferring an arrow up and down a really obscure bar within the higher left-hand nook — I oft questioned why it was included within the first place. Additionally, the dialogue choices you select aren’t voice acted through the regular gameplay sections, that means that whichever of the 2 teenagers you’re not controlling seems to simply be having a dialog with themselves. Nonetheless, when Mile 0 transitions right into a cutscene, each characters will chirp up and have a standard dialog. It’s a minor factor, however it’s jarring all the identical and takes away from the extent of polish {that a} narrative-driven expertise ought to have.

That being stated, there are moments of usually humorous dialogue and whereas the story is a bit clichéd, it’s a really private and somber one which highlights how politics and private circumstances similar to household can fracture a friendship. The place Highway 96 felt targeted on offering an ever-changing and stunning street journey, although, Mile 0 feels misplaced in what it needs its focus to be.

This primarily comes all the way down to the gameplay, which is break up between the same old Highway 96 fare of exploring environments, speaking with characters and interesting in some very primary mini-games, and an odd, music-based on-rails ‘Rides’ mechanic. It’s these rides that I took most subject with, which is especially damning on condition that’s the massive promoting level of the spin-off.

‘Rides’ see each Zoe and Kaito using down very linear paths by way of psychedelic environments, amassing gems to rack up rating and avoiding obstacles to maintain their combo going. There are some good licensed tracks in right here so as to add to the environment, however the controls really feel floaty and inaccurate, resulting in collisions that really feel much less about your personal ability stage and extra concerning the mechanics itself. That, mixed with stage designs that may make it troublesome to see whether or not you’re truly navigating obstacles or not, meant that regardless of the sport clearly wanting you to replay these segments to set new excessive scores, I had completely no want to try this.

There’s no rating requirement to progress by way of the story, both, so I’d stumble my method by way of these sections after which instantly neglect about them, determined to get again to the extra typically-Highway 96 affair. For all their faults, there are some cool set-pieces in these, and the inclusion of The Offspring’s No Brakes led to one of many extra pleasurable situations of those segments.

However herein lies the issue with Mile 0. It looks like a hodgepodge of concepts, with random mini-games thrown in to pad out the runtime, fairly than specializing in what made the unique sport so darn good to start with — the colourful forged of characters you met alongside the way in which. Whereas some do return similar to whizz-kid Alex and information anchor Sonya Sanchez, a lot of them are relegated to very minor cameo roles the place they’re not given an opportunity to really shine.

All in all, Highway 96: Mile 0 looks like a missed alternative. Relatively than constructing on what the unique sport had achieved so nicely, it deviates to inform an uninspired story with a gameplay mechanic that simply doesn’t actually really feel all that attention-grabbing to play. Highway 96 followers will discover one thing to love right here, however don’t go in anticipating an epic sequel. Even at simply five-hours, it could possibly really feel like a little bit of a drag to complete.

Reviewer: Chris Jecks | Copy supplied by Writer.

Professionals

• Some humorous dialog when Mile 0 does what Highway 96 does finest.
• Cameos of beloved characters from the primary sport will put a smile on followers’ faces.

Cons

• ‘Rides’ sections are a bit boring and lack any actual problem
• The story feels clichéd and apparent.

Launch Date
April 4, 2023

Developer
DigixArt

Writer
DigixArt, Ravenscourt

Consoles
PS5, PS4, Nintendo Swap, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Sequence X|S