Open Roads Game Review

A mother and daughter are in the midst of a very difficult moment in their lives: Grandma has passed away and the pair are getting booted from her house with nowhere else to go. While packing the last of their belongings, they happen upon a very personal mystery that rouses conflict, brings up tough discussions, and ultimately strengthens their bond. Open Roads, published by Annapurna Interactive, is a short but sweet mystery adventure game that takes players on an emotional journey.

Essentially a walking simulator, the first offering by developer Open Roads Team definitely won’t appeal to all gamers. The interactive story shares Fullbright development roots with 2013’s Gone Home and therefore has a similar feel, but Open Roads is ultimately a much simpler game whose slow opening may lose a lot of players. But those who make it through the first rather uninteresting minutes will soon realize that they’ve jumped into an absorbing little thriller.

Open Roads Does Nearly Everything Right

Set in a nostalgic slice of 2003-era Michigan, the majority of Open Roads’ two to three hours is fully engaging, and what initially felt like a potential slog turns out to be an intriguing adventure that almost ends too soon. The mother, Opal, is voiced by Golden Globe winner Keri Russell; Dopesick’s Kaitlyn Dever brings 16-year-old Tess to life. Both actors offer authentic performances that will lead many players to appreciate the two protagonists and maybe even care for them a bit.

Supporting the strong voice acting is the well-written and compelling story, which is presented almost entirely through dialogue and rich, detailed environments. Grandma Helen, it turns out, might have had a few secrets literally hidden in her closet, and Open Roads’ Opal and Tess set out to uncover the truth. They put aside their packing and climb into the car for a road trip that will reveal not only Helen’s past, but Opal’s as well. Both mothers faced unforeseen bumps in the road and made difficult decisions out of love for both themselves and their children. And the unexpected ending provides a satisfying, almost relieving close to the game’s well-crafted mystery.

The character development in Open Roads is top notch, and by the end of the game, the two protagonists feel almost like real people with relatable worries, hopes, and occasional obstinacy. Even Grandma Helen, whose presence in the game is limited to photographs and letters, is brought to life through the skillful storytelling and art from Open Roads Team. And by the end, many players will feel nostalgic for Helen, saddened by her passing, and hopeful for the future of Opal and Tess.

The Art Style of Open Roads Might Be a Sticking Point

A simple but appealing art style accompanies the game’s adept storytelling and character development, and though it might seem a bit too basic for some tastes, it accomplishes everything it needs to. Taking a closer look reveals that a lot of attention went into crafting the world of Open Roads: bits of rust on an old sign that will barely be noticed by many players, dressers with scratches on their surface, or even a fork on the floor of a long-abandoned kitchen. All these little details, many of them nonessential, add life to Tess and Opal’s surroundings in significant yet unobtrusive ways.

However, this art style might be the one major sticking point of Open Roads. While the backdrops are delightfully detailed, with some individual items looking almost real, Opal and Tess are rendered in a more cartoony way. They are flat, two-dimensional, and unanimated with only a few poses each. And, oddly, their images always look slightly blurry, making the player want to blink their eyes a few times, and this only becomes more noticeable when the camera zooms in on their faces. Eventually, the game’s two distinct art styles will begin to jive for some players and become less disconcerting, but it could be a real turnoff for others.

Much like the unassuming but varied details in the game world, the music in Open Roads is understated and may often go unnoticed. But it also does its job very well, flavoring the mood of each scenario without the player even realizing. There are the sounds of birds tweeting, insects chirruping in the nearby grass, wind rustling leaves, and even occasional cars driving unseen on a nearby road or a plane flying overhead. The combination of these different elements has resulted in a world that feels alive and is a pleasure to explore.

Open Roads Won’t Be for Everyone

Of course, even the fact that Open Roads Team has done a stellar job with almost every facet of the game won’t be sufficient to draw in every type of player. There is ultimately very little gameplay, and most of Open Roads will be spent clicking through dialogue and searching for items to trigger the next story beat. Many of the objects that Tess can interact with serve only to add interest and worldbuilding, and most of it can be ignored if a player just wants to cruise through the game. Unfortunately, that will mean missing most of what Open Roads is all about.

The game is a snapshot of the lives of three women, uncovered over the course of a few days, the discoveries they make about each other, and how the whole experience brings them closer together. And like most people’s lives, it’s not all action, dungeon crawling, and loot collecting. It’s mainly emotions, arguments, secrets, heartache, and love; in other words, what the game has to offer simply won’t seem very interesting to everybody. But for anybody looking to spend a relaxing afternoon with a heartwarming tale, taking a brief road trip with Tess and Opal in Open Roads may be just the answer.

Open Roads

Reviewed on PC

In Open Roads, Tess and Opal embark on a road trip adventure to explore a series of long-abandoned family properties, unearthing the past. They’ll search the ruins of these places that hold buried memories, things Opal has tried for years to forget. And in this search, they'll discover not just the truth they've been seeking, but each other.

Pros