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Kentucky route zero art9/15/2023 I felt the loneliness of driving on the road, the beauty of animals in the darkness, and the unnerving buzz of lights and small motors operating electronics in an empty roadside store. From the sparse music that cues at the exact right moment to the ambient noise in every locale, Kentucky Route Zero’s developers know how to use sound to help tell a story. Few games use audio so artfully to drive their stories as Kentucky Route Zero. Unlike so many other game’s stories, I don’t feel like I can predict what will come next, making me extra attentive so I don’t miss any subtle messages. Kentucky Route Zero’s narrative repeatedly hits from unexpected angles, commanding your attention because it’s so atypical. Other times you might encounter a diner on the road and go through a text-adventure-like mini-story where you’ll experience something that feels like a mystery novel, a ghost story and a harrowing tale of love all in one. A house you visit (whose resident is an obviously off-kilter squatter who reveals personal details a bit too quickly) becomes a place where Conway’s inexplicably ripped from reality and shown imagery you’re not meant to fully understand. Almost every piece of dialogue, character and locale places your developing Conway in a world where oppressive reality clashes against the surreal. Why? Because from the moment I decided to yammer with an old man instead of trying to get on with my job I had already begun to invent my Conway in my imagination. He always took the time to enrich his life with the stories of others and always made sure he didn’t leave anything half finished. Even better are the points where you can banter with people about the day or their lives, or just keep everyone at arm’s distance. That then characterizes your relationship with the dog for the rest of the tale. For instance the dog you travel around with becomes a boy, a girl or “just some dog” depending on how you answer a question about the pup. This isn’t revolutionary in an adventure game, but the way you use it to tell your own backstory and what sort of person you are feels especially well done. When someone asks Conway a question, or it comes time for him to speak, you choose his response. Play The way the writing integrates your choices also makes Kentucky Route Zero feel personal.
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