Road 96 was one of my highlight titles from last year, even making it into My Top Ten Games of 2022. It’s got a beautiful art style that pairs well with it’s rather emotional story, all backed by a magnificent soundtrack which makes Road 96 a must-play in my opinion and is still available on Xbox Game Pass at the time of writing. I can’t urge you enough to go and try it out, its amazing. We do also have a review of Road 96 here that you can check out by Harry, who also happens to be a massive fan of Road 96.

Mile Zero is a prequel title that helps to explain and set up the main events that take place within Road 96. Whilst the original game let you explore multiple paths and meet plenty of quirky characters along the way. Mile Zero puts it’s sole focus on the friendship between Zoe and Kaito whilst incorporating an “on the rails” experience which blends the soundtrack into it’s gameplay effortlessly, with the soundtrack being a standout feature in these games, its a very welcomed choice.

Although I went into this prequel almost blind, at a first glance I was sceptical with the change of formula but ultimately, I walked away falling in love with the world of Road 96 all over again and it left me wanting to explore even more of this world.

It’s All About Friendship… and Music!

Mile Zero tells a charming story about the experience of best friends that live two very different lives and hold a very big difference of opinion. Zoe, who you meet along your travels in the main story of Road 96, has a father who works for the government where as her best friend Kaito and his parents live in the less privileged part of Petria, and aren’t to be considered fans of Zoe’s fathers work. I absolutely adored my time being back in this world and Mile Zero perfectly sets up the events of the original game. Watching the friendship between the pair flourish and fluctuate over time only helps to set the characters apart and make for a poignant journey in Petria.

You’ll be faced with multiple different decisions along the way and have some tough choices put upon you which will shape the state of the friendship between the young duo. You will see some returning characters (if only for a second) and some new ones too, including Kaito and his parents who play a pivotal role within the story.

Mile Zero does a phenomenal job of portraying the up and downs of the world within the new musical segments, which function much like an on the rails experience (think Temple Run with more essence) whilst managing to tastefully ooze some important story beats. This new “musical component” being a selling point was what initially made me a little bit sceptical, but from the moment I was thrown into the games introduction, I was blown away at its presentation.

The introductory musical level left me feeling absolutely euphoric and bursting with joy as you’re tasked with shredding through a terrain littered with obstacles that doubles as a great way to deliver key story beats to the player. It’s very clear that Digixart knows that they’re capable of delivering a delightful soundtrack that greatly supplements the story and have managed to elegantly blend the two together and create a new and exciting way to experience the world of Petria. Mile Zero keeps with the same art style that sublimely compliments the story and world building just as it does in the original game. Whilst you could argue that both titles look slightly dated in places (albeit improved upon with Mile Zero) it’s still an incredibly rich and vibrant looking title packed with creativity, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

Performance wise the game is absolutely fine, with no issues or frame stutters or anything of the sort, the game runs as expected, which seems rare these days.

A Home Away From Home

Not long after starting up, you’ll find yourself at K&Z’s hideout, a little home away from home and a safe place for the pair to meet up away from any concerned parents. Here you can graffiti the walls with spray paint, listen to tapes on the cassette player or admire the sticker collection, should you find these items on your travels. There’s even an arcade machine with a Super Skate game you can play should you wish, or you can sit on a run down sofa and enjoy the view. From the hideout, you can venture to Tyrak Square, Presidential Park or go home to Oasis Villas. You are left free to explore as you see fit and witness the story unfold. You can walk around and look for collectible tapes among other things and interact with the environment.

Collectible stickers have a nice nod to previous characters should you find them and you can of course tear down or tag over propaganda posters if you notice them. The game’s pacing is spot on, with some smaller, funnier moments like getting your arse whooped by Zoe over and over trying to beat her at Connect Four to, some more pivotal and emotional moments that I will leave up to your imagination in fear of wandering into spoiler territory. You are free to explore as you see fit and challenge Zoe to as many games of Connect Four as you want and can tackle the game as slow, or as fast as you please.

As previously mentioned, the musical rides are a common theme, with ten of them taking place over the course of the story. They are all unique and fun to complete, whilst adding context to the story, its a wonderful blend. What’s even more wonderful is the scoring system (akin to games like Devil May Cry and HiFi-Rush) that gives you a score based on your performance and the ability to replay these parts as many times as you please from the main menu. With the highest possible score being an S+ these sections do a terrific job of adding some level of replay-ability to an otherwise linear title, especially with achievements being tied to getting an A in certain levels and another for managing an S+ ranking across every single musical level. They really do stand out as the most phenomenal sections and I absolutely adore them.

Edging Towards Freedom

Road 96: Mile Zero does the rare job of making me feel overjoyed throughout. I cannot overstate how much I adore this world, these characters and the story of Petria. It can send you through a wave of different emotions and lots of ups and downs and really makes you feel for the characters involved as sometimes their situations can scarily imitate that of our real lives. The last time a game made me feel like this and have deep thoughts about my life was Road 96. Digixart truly are masters of their craft, weaving soundtrack and story together beautifully to make for an experience you won’t forget anytime soon. Proof in the pudding that I’ve spent the majority of my time piecing this review together whilst listening to the ever so harmonic soundtrack of the original game on Spotify and I just can’t wait for this games soundtrack to become available on there, too.

I’ve spent around eleven hours with Mile Zero and loved every single minute of it. The game will only take you around 5-7 hours to complete depending on your play style, but that’s not forgetting being able to challenge yourself for the S+ rank across all levels. Even without replaying for the scores, 5-7 hours is a perfect run time for this and it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome, at this length it is still worth every single penny and then some. As I mentioned at the start of this review, Road 96 (original game) is still available to play on Xbox Game Pass or purchase for roughly £15, so please don’t do yourself a disservice and miss out of this wonderful story. With me throwing all this praise towards the game, the only thing I have a slight gripe with is the use of Quick Time Events (QTEs). Whilst usually not a fan, they work ok here during the musical segments, but I can take or leave these.

I might be biased as I’m already heavily invested in the world of Petria, but if you give these games a chance, you might find that you are too. Road 96: Mile Zero is not launching in Xbox Game Pass but is worth every single penny, your time and then some. The game launches on April 4th, 2023. Hopefully we can see more within this world Digixart has created, because I absolutely adore it.