Before we get started, it’s worth noting that Road 96: Mile 0 has a bit of a mountain to climb. Road 96 was my GotY last year, a truly gripping and stunning tale that was unafraid to touch on some really hard subjects.

My hopes for French studio DigixArt’s follow-up prequel are therefore sky high.

Last Mile

Road 96: Mile 0 acts as a prequel to the events of the main game. The game aims to fill you in on more of the world’s backstory, as well as help to develop your connection to some of the characters in the main tale.

Though what it shares in terms of storytelling with the core game, it totally shakes up on the gameplay front. Many of the core mechanics have been dropped or simplified and this natually has a huge impact on things.

This is a short adventure with you seeing the credits roll in at about 4-to-5 hours depending on how lost you get exploring this new slice of Petria.

Worlds Collide

The tale is built around best friends Zoe (who is seen in the main game) and Kaito who is new to the Road 96 world, but was the lead character in another DigixArt game called Lost in Harmony.

If you have played Lost in Harmony it will help you get a better understanding of Kaito and his tale. He is very much thrown into the mix here with a few rough edges in terms of his drives and focuses beyond bringing down the Petria’s elite.

A large part of his tale is based around losing his friend Aya. But beyond a few moments in the game you never really understand who she was. Or what happened to her. So it’s maybe worth blasting through Lost in Harmony before jumping into this chapter.

But the core of the game is that Kaito wants to stop the corrupt government at all costs, while Zoe is unsure if what he is saying is true. She is the daughter of one of the core government members and as such lives a much better-off life than Kaito and his family.

Choice-Driven

Across a number of chapters you are faced with options and choices that will affect what you are hearing and even seeing. And this is a replacement for what was your “energy” bar in Road 9. Kaito’s dilemma here in Mile 0 is a bit more black and white – be a rebel or conform.

Things are broken up by a number of mini-games that the game calls ‘Rides’. These are a mix of QTEs and having to dodge obstacles. All while bagging as many points as you can. If you have played Sayonara Wild Hearts you’ll have a solid idea of what these are like.

Rides are extremely cinematic and often paired with an outstanding music track, but they are short. And also a little light on gameplay; which is fair given it’s a sideshow in a game built heavily on its tale.

However, getting a good or bad score in these sections doesn’t really affect the game at all. Even to the point if you fail one too many times, it lets you skip it totally.

Style Hero

Visually the game has the same style as the core game which you will like or not. It’s a bit of an acquired taste. Though things do go a bit wild during the Ride mini-games, with a number of different styles and effects used often for stunning effect.

As for the sound side Annie Warburton and Kengo Saito both put in a stellar job, as the voices of Zoe and Kaito. With back up for an equally strong supporting cast, who all breathe life into the tale making it grounded and most importantly believable.

A special shout out to the soundtrack, which is a real banger and features tracks from the likes of The Midnight and The Offspring and really helps to set the tone and emotion of a number of scenes across the game.

Detour

Road 96: Mile 0 is an odd one. As it’s a prequel, we already know what the outcome is no matter how much we change things. And it does try to mix things up on a gameplay front – swapping out features for new ideas. Some work and some not did not, but due to its short run time it never gets truly dragged down on that front.

Is it as hard hitting as the core game? No – it has moments and comes close. But Road 96: Mile 0 never hits you quite as hard as the main game. Then again it’s aiming to tell a more focused and, in ways, a more intimate tale than its grander big brother. And on that front it does succeed.