On its surface, Kentucky Route Zero appears to be hyper-traditional. a grab bag of 20th century theater apeing and david lynch fanfic without any real art in sight, utterly painful, Notable Video Game Releases: New and Upcoming, 22 Most-Anticipated TV Shows & Movies to Watch at Home in April, 25 Great Workplace Comedies to Stream (That Aren't 'The Office'), Release Dates for All Notable Upcoming Games, Music title data, credits, and images provided by, Movie title data, credits, and poster art provided by. Kentucky Route Zero screams an emphatic and stubborn “yes” to that question. Kentucky Route Zero is an absolute masterpiece. With a Metascore of 93, Hades ties Ori and the Will of the Wisps for first place. The characters and themes will both keep you up at night and put you soundly to sleep. Along the way, I meet people who can help me on this quest. I loved. You may be confused, even bewildered by your initial steps down into the subterranea that exists somewhere beneath this version of Kentucky but, by the end of your journey, you'll have made friends and memories and been escorted through a rich and beautiful experience that will stay with you much longer than you may expect. Playing "Kentucky Route Zero" reminds me a lot of seeing. A magical realist point-and-click adventure that takes you on a beguiling journey to a place that exists both below and beyond. I don’t feel like you’re really supposed to try and take it all in as a whole. Even as an episodic game, developer Cardboard Computer took years at a time to release acts — something most episodic titles try to avoid. It’s frequently stunning to look at and beautifully written throughout. The characters and themes will both keep you up at night and put you soundly to sleep. If I hadn’t already spent the last several years being told that Kentucky Route Zero was a special game, I’d have known it immediately. This game is one of the most beautiful, artistic and tragic games I've ever played. Kentucky Route Zero takes place in your head just as often as on the screen. As the video game industry experienced tumultuous change in the last decade, Kentucky Route Zero has felt like an anomaly, unconcerned with industry trends. I hope. An antique furniture delivery man trying to make his small shop's last delivery gets lost along the way and meets a haunted TV repairwoman, a young boy and his giant eagle brother, a Kentucky Route Zero is a magical realist adventure game about a secret … It’s the people, the world, the journey itself that all make this game tick. Modern America can be a disorienting place in which the … Please enter your birth date to watch this video: You are not allowed to view this material at this time. Clicker on a rail. Notable Video Game Releases: New and Upcoming, 22 Most-Anticipated TV Shows & Movies to Watch at Home in April, 25 Great Workplace Comedies to Stream (That Aren't 'The Office'), Release Dates for All Notable Upcoming Games, Music title data, credits, and images provided by, Movie title data, credits, and poster art provided by. The David Lynch analogy has been played to death, but I think it's apt in this case. The Art of Starting Over. Metacritic Game Reviews, Kentucky Route Zero - Act IV for PC, Kentucky Route Zero is a magical realistic adventure game about a secret highway in the caves beneath Kentucky, and … It's more like a great book than a video game. Through that, it became one of the most important experimental games ever, establishing itself as a major player in the discourse of whether games are art. Overall Kentucky Route Zero may not be for everybody, but those for whom it is for will find it an incredibly well put together experience. Kentucky Route Zero’s fifth and final act launches on PC on January 28 alongside its TV Edition, which brings the entire story to PS4, Xbox One, and … A magical realist point-and-click adventure that takes you on a beguiling journey to a place that exists both below and beyond. I loved every second of it and I can't wait to play it again. This is one of the many reasons the video game must be appreciated as an art form, and I have no doubt this game will be something to tell your kids about years ahead, or years soon to come. It tells a story in a way I haven't seen in any media. 90. It should be said that Act V ends not with a bang, not with a whimper, but with the kind of deep sigh you hear from working folks at five o'clock on a Friday after a hard week. Instead, KRZ, with it’s myriad of references and views, seems like it’s supposed to be taken a piece at a time. Sounds suspiciously like art to me. As a subjective experience, it also questions the connections between video games and other forms of art. Paying dividends if you decide to input your own personality, it’s a work of art that I can’t recommend enough. Summary: Kentucky Route Zero is a magical realist adventure game about a secret highway in the caves beneath Kentucky. To speak of entrancing elements, head writer Jake Elliott has taken nearly ten years to spin the intoxicating yarn present in this game. It's a trip to be savoured, ruminated on; no need to rush. Together, they explore the nocturnal highways and country roads of Kentucky, the storied Echo River by ferry, and the mysterious Route Zero, the secret highway that runs through Mammoth Cave. It’s like Kentucky Route Zero was rejecting every rule, doing things its own way. KENTUCKY ROUTE ZERO is a magical realist adventure game about a secret highway running through the caves beneath Kentucky, and the mysterious folks who travel it. Even with its faults, Kentucky Route Zero is well-written and contains wonderful art and sound design. 1 Summary 2 Characters 3 Locations 4 Soundtrack 5 Development and references 6 Reception 7 Notes and references The Echo River Act IV opens to the scene of Will, the handyman of the Mucky Mammoth ferry, struggling with a manual for mechanical mammoth repair. Act IV of Kentucky Route Zero was released on July 19, 2016. Damn good art. What I can say, is that Kentucky Route Zero is a beautiful game. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I can only imagine how it feels after seven years. This publication does not provide a score for their reviews. The David Lynch analogy has been played to death, but I think it's apt in this case. I won’t spoil it here, but even my relative disappointment at the conclusion reinforces something I love about the rest of the experience: Kentucky Route Zero is about appreciating the journey, not reaching the destination. It's a unique game. Developer Cardboard Computer apparently knows exactly how graphics, sound and storytelling can support your imagination. Metacritic; Kentucky Route Zero – Act I: 81/100: Kentucky Route Zero – Act II: 82/100: Kentucky Route Zero – Act III: 91/100: Kentucky Route Zero – Act IV: 90/100: Kentucky Route Zero: PC: 86/100 NS: 87/100 PS4: 88/100 XONE: 87/100 Instead, KRZ, with it’s myriad of references and views, seems like it’s supposed to be taken a piece at a time. Kentucky Route Zero is a fascinating story with a thick atmosphere and themes which will leave you thinking long after playing each act. Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition is the full and complete Kentucky Route Zero experience. David Lynch would be proud of it. What started as a small episodic experience became a years long journey to the end which released in 2020. Kentucky Route Zero tells a story unlike anything else you'll find in gaming. He … Not only the story is vague; everything is vague. It's a unique game that touched people in ways that no other game could. Kentucky Route Zero is a lyrical game that is very much about life in America today. Parts of it remind me of who and where I was when I first played them, and it’s hard not to look at the game as a whole without also remembering that stuff. Kentucky Route Zero is something special. © 2021 METACRITIC, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. I hope. Paying dividends if you decide to input your own personality, it’s a work of art that I can’t recommend enough. It took the better part of a decade to happen, but I’m finally in a position to say that when everything was said and done, Kentucky Route Zero came together beautifully and has solidified itself as essential for anyone interested in games that have plenty to say and share their message in a … The game begins; I’m given a clear objective; I’m going to see this through. [Polygon Recommends]. based on The dark and mysterious atmosphere and memorable locations mixed with well written and human feeling characters make this game something that players who value a narrative focused experience won’t soon forget. Playing "Kentucky Route Zero" reminds me a lot of seeing "Twin Peaks" for the first time. Metacritic is perhaps one of the best websites to go to if you want to know if a video game is, generally speaking, any good or not. Kentucky Route Zero is an absolute masterpiece. At the end of a tumultuous decade, it’s only natural to reflect on the years gone by. You may be confused, even bewildered by your initial steps down into the subterranea that exists somewhere beneath this version of Kentucky but, by the end of your journey, you'll have made friends and memories and been escorted through a rich and beautiful experience that will stay with you much longer than you may expect. Kentucky Route Zero is a magical realistic adventure game about a secret highway in the caves beneath Kentucky, and the mysterious folks who travel it. You KNOW that Kentucky Route Zero will change something for the game medium, but it will not spawn a lot of clones because it's to unique. The way it tells its magical modern-day story can sometimes be hamfisted, stuttering like a dying old delivery van at times, but the creativity with which it delivers its dialogue and the freedom you have to shape it toward your interests makes this an ethereal road trip worth taking. This is one of the many reasons the video game must be appreciated as an art form, and I have no doubt this game will be something to tell your kids about years ahead, or years soon to come. Goosebumps. Developed over nearly a decade, the last episode of Kentucky Route Zero has finally arrived, and with it the complete edition of the game. It uses a point and click adventure format that's pretty basic, but hits high notes with its dialogue, themes, and music. - The characters and themes will both keep you up at night and put you soundly to sleep. Each act here brings with it some new perspective, new places and people to forge deep connections with. It can almost be considered as an interactive fiction, but with a real attention given to the player and the meaning of its actions throughout the game. You may very well tell your future kids about how you played Kentucky Route Zero back in the days. Kentucky Route Zero is ultimately a story about America's ghosts, literal and metaphorical. Generally favorable reviews The David Lynch analogy has been played to death, but I think it's apt in this case. Sounds suspiciously like art to me. Doesn’t even classify as a game. Clicker on a rail. Playing "Kentucky Route Zero" reminds me a lot of seeing. Mostly Positive ( 34 ) - 73 % of the most beautiful, artistic and games. 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