Appropriately sufficient, Open Roads has traveled an extended and winding path to launch.
Revealed in 2020, the highway journey journey was initially being labored on underneath the Fullbright title, however then Fullbright co-founder Steve Gaynor stepped down following poisonous office allegations. Then, in 2023, Gaynor revealed he wasn’t concerned with Open Roads anymore, leaving the so-called “Open Roads Group” as the only real developer.
All of which is to say that regardless of a considerably troubled manufacturing cycle, Open Roads is lastly right here. The story of teenager Tess and her mom Opal, who set out on a highway journey to analyze secrets and techniques that lie on the coronary heart of their household, can lastly be advised. One query stays, then: was Open Roads definitely worth the hassle?
Open Roads Spins an Intriguing Yarn
Fullbright’s title might not be on Open Roads, nevertheless it bears the entire hallmarks of Fullbright video games like Gone Dwelling and Tacoma. It is bought low-key storytelling, robust atmospherics, and a heck of loads of random inconsequential objects to select up and study.
This time round, although, there is a stronger give attention to character, doubtless as a result of Open Roads truly has two residing, respiration characters on the heart of its story, which is pretty uncommon for Fullbright-adjacent tasks. Tess and Opal chat, they bicker, they usually bond, and their relationship varieties the core of the narrative.
Open Roads‘ story is fairly low-stakes, and it is easy to think about proceedings slipping into irritating “mumblecore” territory. Fortunately, a wholesome dose of humor and glorious voice performances by twin titans Kaitlyn Dever and Keri Russell helped to swerve that individual pothole.
The thriller on the coronary heart of Open Roads is an intriguing one, too. Tess’ grandmother, and Opal’s mom, has died, and he or she’s left behind a suitcase containing clues to a secret double life she might have led. I will not spoil its twists and turns, however they’re entertaining and I genuinely did not see most of them coming.
It helps that the character writing is robust too. Teenage characters could be a troublesome prospect; too morose they usually’re no enjoyable, too quippy they usually grow to be unbearable. Tess by no means falls into both entice, and her mom is believably exasperated with life spiraling out of her management. There’s little or no melodrama right here, and that is refreshing.
There Is not A lot to Do in Open Roads
Narrative is the watchword of Open Roads, and, certainly, of most strolling simulator-style video games, so it most likely will not come as a shock that the Open Roads Group has put all of its eggs into this basket. There may be, to place it merely, little or no gameplay to talk of right here. If you happen to’re in search of puzzles, you must look elsewhere.
A couple of times, you may be requested to discover a key to a lock. Generally the lock and key are actually a lock and a key, and typically they’re another object and an issue solved by stated object, however the “puzzle-solving” by no means evolves past that easy system.
If you happen to’re a fan of strolling simulators, this would possibly not simply be apparent to you; it is most likely additionally why you are inquisitive about Open Roads. I am completely happy to report that for those who cherished Gone Dwelling and Tacoma, then this one’s tailored for you as nicely.
With that stated, there have been occasions I felt like Open Roads might have been a contact extra bold. A few of its areas symbolize thrilling, adventurous prospects, however the methodology by which you discover them is rarely extra interactive than simply “press the button on the factor to maneuver on”.
It does not assist that Open Roads additionally has a fairly painfully sluggish strolling tempo. Fortunately, most of its environments are small, dense, and cluttered, however there have been nonetheless occasions I needed I had a dash button helpful so I might speed up Tess’ meandering.
Open Roads‘ Artwork Model Would not Fairly Work
If we’re Open Roads as a brief movie, then its visuals grow to be one of many key focal factors. I wasn’t fairly positive about Open Roads‘ artwork model, and that sense of slight unease caught with me till the closing credit rolled.
All of Open Roads‘ environments are rendered in full 3D, and there is an inventive sensibility to the aesthetic that makes the world really feel tactile and lived-in. Open Roads has tons of objects to select up and switch round, and whereas a lot of them are pointless, I have to admit to a childlike pleasure each time I picked up a superbly rendered can of chopped tomatoes.
Characters, in the meantime, are drawn excessive of environments in a 2D artwork model that jogged my memory of Damaged Sword or the Discworld point-and-click adventures. It is a lovely-looking model in and of itself, however its stark distinction to the 3D environments meant I discovered immersion troublesome at occasions.
Finally, the differing artwork kinds of Open Roads settled for me, and I used to be in a position to overlook the conflict in aesthetics. Regardless of that, it by no means felt pure, and I discovered myself questioning whether or not Open Roads would have been higher off rendering its environments in the identical model as Tess and Opal’s character portraits.
It is testomony to the standard of Open Roads‘ storytelling that regardless of the visuals being a contact jarring, I nonetheless needed to discover each nook and cranny to search out out as a lot as I might about Tess and her household. I would wish to see the staff experiment with a extra cohesive artwork model subsequent time, although.
Open Roads Overview | Last Ideas
In some ways, Open Roads looks like taking a real-life highway journey. Whereas it will not allow you to depart the automotive, the sights alongside the best way are definitely worth the journey, and the motive force is a fairly attention-grabbing particular person, too.
If you happen to’re available in the market for a brief, candy expertise that does not push the boat out and takes completely no gameplay dangers, then be happy to strap your self in and let Open Roads inform you its unusual, endearing story. It does not have the experimental coronary heart of one thing like What Stays of Edith Finch, nevertheless it has loads of coronary heart.
Open Roads was reviewed on PC with a code offered by the writer over roughly 3 hours of gameplay – all screenshots have been taken throughout the means of evaluation.