Somehow I had never heard of Kentucky Route Zero before PSX 2017. I guess having a strict focus on console games?specifically PlayStation?will do that to you. So when I sat down in Annapurna’s booth to play the game I had no idea what to expect. Honestly, the name made me think it had something to do with some kind of horse derby, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Kentucky Route Zero is a dark mystery, an intriguing narrative that unfolds through the thoughts and actions of the characters.
My demo started, and stayed, in a cramped TV studio situated in a tiny town, presumably in Kentucky. The lead character can’t move much, staying rooted to one spot and twisting around to see the various other characters, interacting with them and having her own thoughts. Kentucky Route Zero is effectively a point and click style adventure, with a great UI system that adds to the mystery on consoles. To be honest, not much happened in the demo that I played, but it didn’t stop the whole thing from being exceptionally intriguing. These two guys sit in a TV station and mess with a broken radio.
The roof of the TV station leaked as the rain poured outside. Two men sat on the couch tinkering with an old radio. A strange woman came in to interview on air, and I was asked to find an old tape that supposedly gets played again and again. Each moment was filled with snippets of stories that only increased the intrigue and the drive to learn more. More about this ...