Road 96 was a surprise hit in 2021 that focused on several teenagers trying to cross the border from the autocratic Petria into a nation in the north, and now fans have a follow-up released in the form of a prequel aptly titled Road 96: Mile 0. The game follows Kaito, a teenage boy grieving the loss of a close friend who has since developed a deep bond with Zoe, an important character from Road 96. With one being the daughter of Petria's Oil Minister and the other being a boy from the oppressed working class, these two have highly contrasting backgrounds that somehow have managed to work against the odds.

What makes Road 96: Mile 0 interesting from a narrative sense is not only its connection to the previous game, but it also acts as a follow-up to developer Digixart's first game Lost in Harmony. While much of the cast comprises characters returning from Road 96, Kaito is one of the protagonists from Lost in Harmony, and not only follows up on that game's story, but it also incorporates some of its gameplay into this new title. Unfortunately, Road 96: Mile 0 stumbles on many of the notes that made either of the studio's previous games work so well and rushing a story that could have been an emotionally resonant lead-up to the previous game.

Like Lost in Harmony, this title places much of its action in imaginative segments called Rides that have Kaito and Zoe skating through their imaginations to the beat of a song for the sake of sorting through whatever is emotionally distressing them at the moment. There are where the title can offer some of its most striking visuals even if they lead to moments where it can be difficult distinguishing Kaito and Zoe from everything else happening, leading to some annoying deaths. This is only a minor gripe since players are never sent back too far in a song, and if anything, it would have been nice to see the Rides be expanded. Most of them only last a couple of minutes, and with only 10 Rides in the whole game, it does feel like they could have been a larger part of the overall experience. What is here is strong, offering a mix of original songs and some licensed ones, but including some more could help strengthen its ties toward its origins.

Between Rides, players will often get the chance to explore the city of White Sands, and find some collectibles scattered across the map. These range from cassette tapes of songs from the game's soundtrack, stickers to be applied on the wall at Kaito and Zoe's hideout, and cans of spray paint in a variety of colors. These do not add a lot to the game as a whole, but can act as a nice deviation from the story, and allow the player to take the game at their own pace and soak in the atmosphere of whatever district they happen to be exploring.

Road 96: Mile 0 is a game that is worth taking in the sights, even if it is to appreciate the specific vibe each district is attempting to go for. From the carefully tended gardens in Presidential Park to the impoverished conditions of Tyrak Square, the simple art style excels in giving players the information they need to know how to feel towards an area. The same can be said about all the character models, who all pop in the same stylized designs that helped distinguish Road 96 from many other titles that came out around the same time. A few scenes do look rather barren from a lack of far-off detail, and can distract a little from whatever is happening in the story, but those issues are few and far between. Animations for some characters can feel stiff or their bodies will move robotically, but those moments rarely take much away from a scene.

Road 96: Mile 0 is a far more linear affair when compared to the first title, with the player having a more guided experience through the narrative and only having some choices that impact the story. While many of the choices are superficial, several that do have a payoff are nice to see. It does not match the wide range of choices found in Road 96, but in a smaller-scale prequel adventure, this is not much of a complaint as the focus is clearly focused on telling a more intimate narrative between best friends who divert due to clashing worldviews. These views are somewhat player determined, with Zoe torn forced to confront her upbringing and Kaito charting his own path.

While brief, game's length is not an issue, but the story is paced in a way that still somehow feels rushed. The game does a fine job telling players that Kaito and Zoe are good friends but does not allow enough time to make them feel that connection. Later developments in the story where that bond is tested could have been compelling, but the game doesn't give that enough time to be fully explored. Even the concept of figuring out one's ideology is hampered by a set of choices that aren't impactful. There is a point where a major decision is dictated by the player's ideology, but it would have been nice if there were more of them.

It might be easier for fans of Digixart's previous games to connect with the cast, but newcomers will find it difficult to get attached to the characters. With the lack of Road 96's procedural elements, a narrative with a tighter focus could have really shined, and it's a shame this was not taken advantage of to full effect.

To clarify, the story has genuine highlights. The dialogue and voice acting flow well, the characters are fun, and the plot is mostly engaging, but more could have been done to flesh out why the characters act the ways they do. The main issue is that the time spent in the world will likely not make many players feel all that attached to it or its characters, something that the first game was highly praised for, and inspiring players to make sure their favorite characters are saved.

There is the core of a solid follow-up to Road 96 in this prequel adventure that unexpectedly crosses over with Lost in Harmony, and some of that is realized. But a little more could have been done early on to establish why the player should care about Kaito and Zoe's friendship, and for the Rides, more could have been added, or the mechanics could have been fleshed out a little more to make them a more meaningful part of the game. Exploration works well as a supplemental part of the experience and the art style does a great job immersing players into the world, but that does make the narrative issues sting a little more. There is a lot to like here, but the ever-present feeling that more could have been done to improve the overall game hurt it.

Even with the brief runtime, Road 96: Mile 0 ends just as the narrative becomes interesting, making it difficult to care about what does occur. These are issues that could have been potentially fixed with slight tweaks to the story, but there is enough that works to inspire some curiosity as to how the overall narrative can be expanded in a theoretical sequel. There are reasons to go back and do multiple playthroughs if one wishes to see all potential outcomes, but that can only be recommended for someone who already has an attachment to the characters and would like to spend more time with them.

Road 96: Mile 0 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant was provided a PC code for this review.