Starry sky, music, bonfire, laughter, encounters and farewells, road adventures, escaping adversity - all of these things that happened in 1996 make up your unique game road trip.
This game, compared to being a purely gameplay-focused game, is more like a movie or a novel. Although I have always believed that games are based on happiness, sometimes we need games like this to prove the identity of the ninth art and broaden the boundaries of game expression.
As a game driven entirely by its storyline, the game has almost no mission guidance (in fact, there are no missions at all). Our only goal in the game is to escape, racing along Highway 96, crossing borders, and heading towards what you call freedom. Along the way, what we need is to meet all kinds of people, separate, and then repeat the cycle, discovering the stories behind each character.
For a story-driven game, excessive description of the plot is a blasphemy against the creators. I just want to tell you that this is a story about travel and escape. And you can choose the direction of the plot, and each choice will affect the ending. During the journey, every character that appears in front of you is different. You don't know when they will leave or what they have experienced, but after meeting them, they will tell you some of their stories, and you will share a period of time together. In the end, the story you experience will become a part of your journey at the end of the game. After reviewing this journey, you can start a new one. It's very roguelike, just like life.
The story of the game is evenly distributed among seven main characters. You can trigger their stories through multiple playthroughs to see the complete picture that the game wants to present. The art style of the game is also very distinctive, with a touch of American cartoon style and the incorporation of many elements from the 90s, bringing a unique nostalgic atmosphere. The free and open perspective is also immersive, and the UI design is unique.
As a work with the theme of "escape" and a strong core of the "beat generation" spirit, the game is full of various political metaphors. Fortunately, "Highway 96" does not make choices among those shallow political attitudes. True road travelers do not care about politics, they just set off. As Kerouac said in "On the Road": "In my mind, real people are all crazy, they love life, love to chat, don't show their edges, hope to have everything they want, they are never tired, never talk about ordinary things."
Not everyone is enthusiastic about changing the world, but I believe that everyone should be enthusiastic about the scenery along the way. If you want to experience a border escape journey in a few hours, then it's time to hit the road.