Beaten: Nov 26 2021
Time: 11 Hours
Platform: Switch
Between this and Disco Elysium, I feel a new maturity in games writing. Maybe it was always there, but prose like this has never gotten such attention before. Kentucky Route Zero confidently steps away from the puzzles that define the point and click adventure genre, opting instead to put its knotty intellectualism squarely in the written word. More simply, if you like the kind of books whose language doesn’t give itself to you easily, you’ll like this game.
KRZ is upfront with what it is. The game begins at a gas station shaped like a horse, where you have a meandering conversation with an attendant, talk to your dog, and try to get directions. It takes its time, loads you up with casual symbolism, and sends you on your way. You’ve only got street names for directions, so you’ve gotta look for landmarks and pay attention to where you are. The map isn’t too big, so it’s not too hard, but it does get you immersed in the world in no time.
As a game, it’s just a very simple point and click adventure. You walk around til prompts come up, click on em, and get started reading. It has a strong aesthetic sense, especially in the backgrounds, which are detailed and concrete as often as they’re composed of stark abstract vector graphics. The character models leave a bit to be desired in their simplicity, and personally I feel that a more expressive style might’ve suited the game a bit better, but what’s here is strong and gets everything across well enough.
KRZ is an enormously affecting piece of media. It stirred memories in me, good and bad, every couple of minutes. Sometimes I’d rediscover an old dream, or a newfound anger, or just a vague emotion. If ya like books and feeling things, check it out
Time: 11 Hours
Platform: Switch
Between this and Disco Elysium, I feel a new maturity in games writing. Maybe it was always there, but prose like this has never gotten such attention before. Kentucky Route Zero confidently steps away from the puzzles that define the point and click adventure genre, opting instead to put its knotty intellectualism squarely in the written word. More simply, if you like the kind of books whose language doesn’t give itself to you easily, you’ll like this game.
KRZ is upfront with what it is. The game begins at a gas station shaped like a horse, where you have a meandering conversation with an attendant, talk to your dog, and try to get directions. It takes its time, loads you up with casual symbolism, and sends you on your way. You’ve only got street names for directions, so you’ve gotta look for landmarks and pay attention to where you are. The map isn’t too big, so it’s not too hard, but it does get you immersed in the world in no time.
As a game, it’s just a very simple point and click adventure. You walk around til prompts come up, click on em, and get started reading. It has a strong aesthetic sense, especially in the backgrounds, which are detailed and concrete as often as they’re composed of stark abstract vector graphics. The character models leave a bit to be desired in their simplicity, and personally I feel that a more expressive style might’ve suited the game a bit better, but what’s here is strong and gets everything across well enough.
KRZ is an enormously affecting piece of media. It stirred memories in me, good and bad, every couple of minutes. Sometimes I’d rediscover an old dream, or a newfound anger, or just a vague emotion. If ya like books and feeling things, check it out
2 Comments
already played it!! but thanks :)
Hattori
1 year ago