Road trip mystery-adventure title Open Roads is one of those games that immediately establishes not just where players are, but when they are. The moment the game starts in protagonist Tess Devine's room, the game's 2003 setting is clear.

Game ZXC recently sat down with members of the Open Roads Team to talk about how they established Open Roads' early-oughts vibe and strove to be faithful to a time period they knew many players would remember with fondness.

Nostalgia Is Everywhere In Tess's Home

The team first started, explained graphic artist Harrison Gerard, by making a list of objects that reminded them of the 2000s. Then, they went about putting those objects into Tess's room because they wanted to establish the time period from the very first moment of the game. Gerard eagerly rattled off a list of some 2000s staples players might find if they carefully explore Tess's bedroom: "a dead Tamagotchi, LipSmackers chapstick, the big old Mac computers with the colored plastic on the outside."

During a preview of Open Road's first 20 minutes, engineering lead Aaron Freedman also showed off Tess's collection of Scholastic Book Fair erasers and her yearbook filled with "HAGS" (have a great summer) and "Signed your crack!" scrawled across the book's spine. Freedman revealed that he doesn't remember when or why the team settled on the year 2003, but emphasized that the decision was made early in the process and that the team was immediately committed to making the period a big part of Open Roads.

Music Also Inspires Nostalgia

Another area in which the time shines through is the game's music. While every song featured in Open Roads is an original composition, they draw inspiration from the popular music of the 2000s. In particular, the songs players can listen to on Tess's radio in her room are inspired by early 2000s movie soundtracks because Tess is a movie buff. "It's kind of inspired by Thomas Newman and his soundtracks for Finding Nemo and Road to Perdition," said executive producer Amy Fincher.

2000s-inspired music can also be heard via the radio in Opal's car during the road trip segments of the game, sometimes as ambiance for the player. This creates a layered experience in which players become immersed in Tess's life in 2003 while also remaining conscious of the fact they're playing a game in 2024. As Fincher explained,

"The music that is non-diagetic - that the characters can't hear - is less tied into the time period and a little more ambient, but the things that you hear from the world are inspired by the movies and music of the time."

Open Roads is filled to the brim with nostalgia and not just for the mid-00s. Opal, Tess's mother (voiced by Keri Russell), shares stories of her childhood that will resonate with an older generation, hearkening back to the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Tess and Opal also discover several items belonging to Tess's recently deceased grandmother, such as a Playbill from her favorite musical, Pirates of Penzance, and photographs from family summer vacations in years past. Open Roads' grounded setting helps establish its essence as a story about the different generations of a family coming to understand one another.

Fincher describes Open Roads as a game that can appeal to people who "aren't already habitual gamers" because of its nostalgic setting, deep story, and relaxed pace. The team also hopes that Open Roads will be a game that families can play together, due to its focus on the bond between Opal and Tess as they set out on a journey together to delve into their own family's history and secrets.

Open Roads is set to release on February 22 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.