Review: Road 96: Mile 0 Takes Players Back to Where It Started

Road 96: Mile 0 is not quite the game I was expecting, but then again, neither was its predecessor Road 96 when I first played it. The first game in the series was a journey, a road trip inviting players to take the road less taken. Playing as random teens trying to make an impossible journey, danger felt present at every junction, and you never knew which pit stop may end your character’s flight for freedom in tragedy.

But all roads lead home again. Road 96: Mile 0 is a prequel to that first game’s journey, and therefore strips away what many players would expect from a follow-up. Gone are the random teens (probably still living somewhere at home). Instead, players are cast as Kaito (a character from Lost in Harmony) and Zoe (one of the characters in the previous game) as the game explores the ups and downs of their friendship.

Gone too is the road trip and the procedural pit stops with it. Instead, players are placed firmly at the White Sands condominium, where they will explore life from both sides of the track so to speak. It’s quickly apparent that it’s a spiritual prison of sorts for both teens. Developer DigixArt takes a risk with this prequel that doesn’t always pay off but offers a fun divergent for fans of the series.

Road 96: Mile 0 Keeps the Series’ Strange Charm

Road 96 was a weird game. None of the aspects seemed like they should properly go together, but somehow it all blended for an experience that was unique and even strangely charming. Sure, the characters could be a bit cringy, and there were some technical hiccups, but it all created the game’s identity.

In that aspect, Mile 0 is definitely a success, transporting the world back in time but keeping its eccentricities. In the first game, Zoe was a bit of a cipher where players learned different aspects of her life through multiple journeys. But in Mile 0, she’s front and center and the central focus of the story. For newcomers, Zoe comes from a wealthy family but has a rebellious nature that makes it easy for her to find friends in Kaito, whose parents work at White Sands.

The two come from different economic backgrounds but quickly become friends. How much stake you buy into their friendship will determine your mileage (pun intended) within this game. It’s highly unlikely that Mile 0 will win the award for best story but the game managed to keep me hooked enough during its short campaign.

Do You Feel the Rhythm?

However, the game’s tone won’t be for everyone. I’m the first to admit that there are some things that could use a bit more refinement. One of the major tonal issues is the fact that Mile 0 switches between musical rhythm segments that represent Zoe and Kaito’s fantasies and emotional states and the more serious, drab real world.

While on their own each part of the game works, they seem to clash when put together as a whole. The rhythm segments are zany and more colorful, and in my opinion, one of the better parts of the game. They remind me of Guitar Hero mixed with Jet Set Radio in execution. But the narrative segments remind players of the darkness and serious nature of living under an authoritative regime.

Perhaps, this was the point. Perhaps, we as players aren’t meant to settle into one frame of mind or the other. After all, life rarely comes in just one flavor. It’s often hilarious and sad and downright weird. In that way, Mile 0 definitely takes the right step forward.