Road 96 (review)


You walk along a dusty road, the evening is warm and clear. You round a corner and there in front of you is a bar. You're so thirsty, you've been walking for miles. At least, if the barman won't give you drink, you can drink out of the tap in the toilets.
You enter the bar and it all goes deathly quiet, as you walk exhausted up to the bar and ask for a drink,
"You look a bit young to be coming in here don't you?"
You look a bit young, perhaps, because you're only 14, yet before you have chance to say anything, the barman has some sort of emergency and you're roped into working behind the bar, in a bizarre mini game.
Don't look old enough to drink, but the same rules don't apply to working behind the bar it seems?

This is just one example of the typical bizarreness you encounter on a regular basis in this game. One minute you're helping a love struck trucker get a date, the next you're shooting a nailgun out of the back at "Road pirates". One minute you're trying to steal a motel room key, next you're waking up with a serial killer that wants you to help them dispose of a body in the motel room bathtub.
Like i said...
Bizarre.

So what is Road 96 then?

Road 96, is some parts telltale-style comic adventure, all multiple paths and dialogue choices (which we'll get to in a minute) and part rouge-like, by that I mean when you die, or cross the border, that's it for that character and you start again.
I'll not go too much into the story, because that's actually one of it's best qualities. But it essentially revolves around a burgeoning dictatorship and an event that happened a decade earlier, where a terrorist group detonated a bomb, in an attempt to kill the wouldbe dictator and instead killed lots of innocent people. This caused a crackdown and a situation where runaway teens are trying to cross the border to escape the country and also being kidnapped to work in the mines. All the character's stories, that you meet on your journey, all revolve, in some way around that past event and your interactions will determine what will happen on election day.
Let's get the obvious out of the way, yes it has woke undertones as you're meant to sympathise with the plight of your refugee status child that you're playing. At least these ones are actually teenagers and not the 36 year old married father of 2, passing himself off as 12, that you normally see! Though you never see your characters face, so you never know?
The main dictator is, quite obviously, based on Trump. With his opposition looking suspiciously like Hillary Clinton. But, quite honestly, that's surprisingly how far the wokeness gets really. The story itself is really rather well written and the political aspects of it all, are completely avoidable if that's what you wish? Even more surprising is it does affect the story, as does the plight and fate of your character you play.
This is where things fall down however, in my opinion.
Let me explain.
In a story based game, let's use the game this is emulating as an example, tell tale's "the walking dead", it is not only the relationships your character is developing, with the other characters you encounter, but also the relationship that you yourself are building with the character you're portraying and playing through that character. Your character is immediately recognised and remembered as a good guy, or a weird pervy tosspot, depending on what floats your boat in the game.
The way this game is structured though, using a new avatar on every death, or escape, means that the usual relationship and necessary connections you would have and maintain as that character are lost. Rather than care about your teen refugees plight, in fairness you couldn't care less. The people you meet are far more interesting, though this also opens another problem. The people you meet, will react to you differently, depending on how your last encounter went? This once again causes a jarring sort of feeling, as your lift, border crossing partner even cops, almost recognise you and yet don't recognise you at the same time.

This can cause a bit of a problem, when it comes to the immersion formed through the dialogue choices and decisions you make, as you feel that weird recognition of you and that familiarity, coming through in their dialogue. Which is something a stranger, especially one you met only 2 minutes prior, certainly wouldn't feel and would act very differently. So seeing as dialogue is a big part of the gameplay, this can make the dialogue seem a little forced. It's almost as if the multiple refugee idea, was somewhat of an afterthought, towards the end of development.

Graphically, it's blatantly obvious where the inspiration came from, as it has that cartoon / comicbook kind of style, bold colours exaggerated features ect. So though they won't blow your mind, they're not unpleasant to the eye.
It's the soundtrack and sound in general, where this game really shines. The acting, particularly for an indie game, is excellent and the music (apart from one humongous cheese fest, that it plays one too many times) is also very good. Thumping 90's Techno, grunge and late 90's indie pop fits well with the aesthetic of the surroundings. As do the ambient sounds, distant highways. Birdsong. Flowing rivers. All sound realistic and again are perfectly aligned to the setting.

Overall

On the one hand it has an interesting story and can be genuinely quite engaging. With multilayered interconnecting stories, that make you interested in finding out what's going to happen (a bit like a bigger budget and actually interesting Eastenders!) that's well acted, with a decent soundtrack.
On the other, it has a genuinely hard time trying to work out what exactly it's trying to achieve and that's very much to do with the player character, or lack there of.
Finally, it does do a commendable job at hiding it's obligatory woke elements. Though I suspect, they may've also been tacked on at the end, in some cases, just by how well hidden they are?

Graphics - 70%
Good, but nothing to shout home about.

Sound - 90%
(barring one song) For an indie game the soundtrack, ambient sounds and voice acting, are all of an exceptionally high standard.

Gameplay - 70%
There are plenty of dialogue choices and other actions, that do genuinely have an effect on the story's development. Minigames are bizarre in nature and also when they're implemented. But regaining your interest at just the right moment. Apart from one where the controls are a little off.

Longevity - 75%
There is a new game+ mode, once you've finished the story for the first time. But with the multiple plays from either death or escape, to get to election day, almost makes you feel like there's not much point going through it again. However, the main story will take roughly about 5 - 6 hours.

Value - 85%
It's currently out on Xbox gamepass, so it's basically free on xbox. But even at full price, it's £16.49 (just under $20) so it's not too bad pricewise.

Wokeness - 25% (low yield)
Wokeness is present but not in your face and completely avoidable, but potentially can be dependent on the choices you make?

Nostalgia - 70%
Makes you yearn to play walking dead again (well the first 2 seasons the rest is dogshit!) or The wolf among us (the sequel out later this year) no bad thing!

Total score:

78%

Good, but just misses the mark in a few key areas.

Severed Steel Review

You kick open the door in front of you, so hard it flies off it's hinges and straight into the face of an armed man across the other side of the room. You only have mere seconds to ascertain how many men there are, where they are and what they're packing? 2 to your left 4 in front and 5 to your right, all with guns of some denoscription and... You hold that thought, as 2 take off with jetpack, before diving into action. Quite literally diving, to your left, kicking one of the men and propelling yourself into the air and taking his side arm in the process, as time slows down. You empty the magazine into him and his buddy on that side, as you backflip, landing on the floor into a slide and ditching the empty pistol, for a more powerful assault rifle and begin firing at the men in front of you, as you slide under a table. A hail of bullets fills the room, like a sandstorm as you emerge, from beneath the table, pumping bullets into 2 guys in front of you still in full slide. Immediately you dive towards the back wall, grabbing the next available fire arm, a combat shotgun and break into a sprint, launching yourself at the next wall and running along that to gain some height, before springboarding off that and opening fire at the 2 flying jet pack guys, grabbing a machine gun from the second, as you turn upside down and take out the remaining few guys, before using your arm mounted grenade launcher, to punch a hole in the floor and drop through it.
This is just a typical engagement in Severed Steel.

Admittedly, this is a typical engagement in Severed Steel, when you get good and only when it begins to click. Before you get good, a typical engagement will have you resembling a daddy long legs, crossed with a geriatric hippo with a limp and with all the balance and poise of a cow trying to climb stairs. You mistime jumps and dives, misjudging your placement and position and instead of hitting a wall for a wall run say, you'll jump out of a window. Or as you're aiming to slide gracefully under a table, you completely mistime it, instead flying face first into it. All the while, the enemies in the room, after scratching their heads in bemusement and resisting the urge to laugh, begin to pump you full of bullets.
This is how it will be for you the vast majority of the game initially, as you can see what the developer is trying to do, has been trying to get you to do?
Yet for some reason you begin to feel like it's just not clicking and perhaps never will?
Suddenly it feels as hard as, not making any matrix references, in this review!
Things just seem so alien to you, the controls feel just far too loose and you think that may be the problem with it?
It's not though, it's you. It's most definitely you!

Then you decide to give the campaign a break and try firefight mode instead?
It's here that you notice that, most levels that you've already done, are still locked. That the weapon selection is limited and that there are different versions of your arm cannon. All of which are locked. They're locked and only opened getting a certain total score, experience level and by doing a certain amount of challenges.

"Challenges?", you say to yourself, as you press start.

"Yes challenges...", the game says to you, "They're quite simple and there's only 3 per level, so don't worry!"

The thing is Severed Steel isn't being entirely truthful with you. You see these challenges start off simple, yet throws in more and more complicated maneuvers at you with each level you unlock.
I have to say the level progression on this mode is excellent. It is so well balanced and suited to what the designers perceived would be your skill level, by the point you're returning to them to get those extra challenges / higher score / experience level, necessary to open up another level / gun / cannon variation. It's amazing how addictive and how satisfying these firefight levels, that consist of kill everyone in the level and that's it, actually are?

You see, the simplicity of the main objective is this games strength, leaving you the task of honing your skills and killing in style. The more stylised and varied your kills, the higher your scores will be and this is where the challenges, throughout the 30, or so levels, come into play, as each one is actually teaching you a new mechanic, or nuance to the controls that opens up some brutal and matrix-like (Dammit, I wanted to avoid that comparison!! Well that's a quid in the jar!) kills and aerial balletics, once the aforementioned clicking takes effect.
These newly acquired skills from later levels, open up more chance of achieving the much needed higher scores, from the earlier levels, to open up more levels, more options and most importantly, more variation in your acrobatics and skill set. It's actually a sneaky and subtle training mode and perhaps, the most enjoyable part of the game. From this mode, you learn the finer aspects of the game, things begin to make sense and those loose controls you were blaming, all of a sudden you realise they aren't too loose at all, but incredibly precise and thank god they are?
I can't imagine the amount of hours of playtesting, that went into honing these controls, but I'm glad they did. They're set absolutely perfectly and are just the right balance of speed and precision, that you're able to do the moves in the first place.

You have your 4 face buttons on your controller, that are your jump, dive, slide and grab weapon. You have your triggers (L2 and R2) as shoot and slow time. And your bumpers (L1 and R1) as your arm cannon. Then there's clicking your right stick in, to kick which, when done on a person also handily steals their side arm. To wall run you just jump at a wall, side on and you'll begin running and as long as you keep your momentum going, you can effectively circle a room, jumping from wall to wall.
It's how you keep this momentum going that's the key here however and is the difficult part to master. For it's your momentum and how much of it you have that will determine how easy you can pull off certain moves? Back flips, for instance though they can be done from a standing position, are far easier to pull off and more effective if done after a wall kick, that it self was started by jumping at the wall after sliding at it.

All this is helped a tonne, by one of the best soundtracks of any game I've heard. With Techno, Trance, Dubstep and Drum N Bass tracks thumping a rhythmic bass, in the background, that really helps keep your rhythm and your momentum going.

There are a few criticisms however, as the game isn't perfect and these are aimed at largely at it's graphics.
Don't get me wrong, they aren't bad, per se, they just aren't that mind blowing. With textures that seem a little flat, despite them being drenched in neon and being also quite similar looking too. Then again, the layouts of them are sublime, with opportunities and options a plenty, to use the entirety of your skill set, within every room. They just don't look like it's other obvious comparisons, those being Ghost Runner and Mirrors Edge. Not that you'll notice the graphics too much, as you'll be too busy concentrating on making yourself look like a cross between Trinity / Neo from the Matrix and Blade from... Er... Blade?
Apparently there's a story to this game and it has cutscenes, but in all honesty, it's so forgettable, I forgot it by the time of writing this review.

Pros:
Tight controls and fast and varied gameplay, make this an absolute must. Whilst the soundtrack, not only adds to helping you keep your rhythm, but is some of the best electronic dance music out there and wouldn't feel amiss in a club.

Cons:
Not graphically the best and the story may aswell not be there, its that forgettable. The time it takes to click, may put some people off.

Graphics: 70/100

Functional and that's about it

Sound: 98/100

From the boom of the weapons and explosions to, the absolute banging soundtrack. This is a real treat for the ears

Gameplay: 90/100

Controls so tight that they make it easy to do what you're intending and shooting whilst doing stunts even easier, but only when it clicks. It's the time that takes, that may put many off?

Longevity: 95/100

The length of time it's taken me to do this review, should be an indication of it's longevity and incidentally, I'm still playing it now.

Value: 95/100

Tonnes of replay value, with it's one more go factor. With a campaign that lasts around 5 hours, the firefight mode, challenges and new game+ with the campaign and all for around £15 (around US $20 - 25)

Nostalgia: 90/100

If you've played the original Mirrors Edge, not the poorly done sequal and remember how innovative that felt back then, then you'll feel right at home playing this.

Wokeness: 7/100
The main protagonist is a woman and... That's about it. The story may hold woke elements, though I didn't notice and can't remember the story. So not intrusive at all.

Total

90%

(Monotomic Gold Standard)