We can hear the thoughts of PC gamers reading this already: “Not heard of Kentucky Route Zero? Clearly these Call of Duty fans aren’t as in-the-know as they think they are.”
While console users have long had the upper hand (or so they think) on PC users, one thing they probably weren’t aware of is this game. For the past seven years, we’ve been playing along through three acts (plus a few extra stories) of this point-and-click adventure and now the full story is finally coming to PS4, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.
Without spoiling too much of the story, the main crux of the game is that players take control of Conway, a truck driver accompanied by his dog (who you can name). Conway is a delivery man for an antique shop owned by a woman named Lysette, and he’s been sent out to deliver something to an address in Kentucky, USA.
The thing is, he can’t find the place, so heads to a local gas station called Equus Oils for directions. It’s a strange old place and they tell him the only way to get to his destination is by taking Route Zero.
It’s on this journey that Conway meets a whole host of mysterious strangers with wacky, engaging and sometimes zany stories.
It’s all about the narrative with this one. There aren’t any real puzzles or challenges to complete, just the chance for gamers to pick dialogue options for Conway (along with other characters) and tell him where to go with a simple click. That’s all that’s needed, though. The unique and sometimes eerie art design, deep narrative and calmness about travelling the roads of a unknown highway is riveting.
It’s only now console players will get the full story arc, including the fifth and final act of the game, thanks to the TV Edition.
It’s an amazing effort from developers Cardboard Computer, which has just three people on its books. It goes to show that indie titles are still booming.
Available Jan 28 on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
