Game Cover

Do you believe in ghosts?

I do believe a place can be haunted.

Platform played on: PC

# Review

In this melancholic point and click adventure, the player assumes the role of Conway, a truck driver who is tasked with one last delivery where he must travel across the mysterious Route Zero in Kentucky. The journey is surreal and unpredictable.

Conway and his dog

The gameplay is minimal, mostly clicking on things and scrolling through walls and walls of text. The atmosphere is the main selling point of the game, the minimalist graphics with the eerie soundtrack creates an enthralling and mysterious environment. Unfortunately, after playing the game for a bit, the environment became boring and the writing became more and more voluminous and increasingly mundane. In the last couple of acts, the text can fill multiple expository essays but much of the writing is senseless and goes nowhere in terms of plot. It felt like I was reading AI-generated dribble that’s designed to be random and pointless.

Mundane conversations

As a video game, Kentucky Route Zero is lacking, but as an artistic experience, there are certain parts of it which I really enjoyed. For one, the characters are interesting and the game flushes out not only each character’s background, but also the lore behind the various fantastical locations. The game is very philosophical but doesn’t force an interpretation down the throats of the player; people can decide what the game means for them. For me the game reflects the realities of Appalachia, from the abandoned mines to the hollowed-out communities. The tone of the themes are bittersweet but also hopeful.

Characters with backstories

# Conclusion

Interesting atmosphere but not my cup of tea.

# Overall rating: 7.3

What does the rating mean?