Support NeoGAF

[I collect VHS tapes]

randomly decided to give this one a go after reading tons of positive things about it and noticing its as on gamepass. it looks like it generally reviewed very well.

this game is fucking awful. it feels like it was written by community college freshmen. you play as a teen runaway who runs into other teens, all of which are smarter than all the adults. apparently all teens are trying to get across the border because only teens know the USA is about to become some fascist dictatorship. good presidential candidate is a Latina bad presidential candidate is a white male

I just turned off the game after having to listen to some 12 year kid at the back of the bus explain to me how they're hacking the police as part of some communist rebellion. I'm not making this up. I had to play through some mini game to help her get her "hacker scanner" up and running. which involved me having to put batteries in the correct way. this was just about as fun as it sounds.

I guess the game is sorta a rogue like. I've played as 3 teens so far and I really can't figure this out. am I missing something?

 

[Magic Carpet]

Now I got to check it out. I almost missed out on the awful.
I hear this has been on Gamepass before and I missed it then.
Gamepass has been like Bilbo Baggins recently, like butter scrapped over too much bread. Thin.

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

Now I got to check it out. I almost missed out on the awful.
I hear this has been on Gamepass before and I missed it then.
Gamepass has been like Bilbo Baggins recently, like butter scrapped over too much bread. Thin.

let me know your thoughts if you do try it out. legit curious

 

[Topher]

randomly decided to give this one a go after reading tons of positive things about it and noticing its as on gamepass. it looks like it generally reviewed very well.

this game is fucking awful. it feels like it was written by community college freshmen. you play as a teen runaway who runs into other teens, all of which are smarter than all the adults. apparently all teens are trying to get across the border because only teens know the USA is about to become some fascist dictatorship. good presidential candidate is a Latina bad presidential candidate is a white male

I just turned off the game after having to listen to some 12 year kid at the back of the bus explain to me how they're hacking the police as part of some communist rebellion. I'm not making this up. I had to play through some mini game to help her get her "hacker scanner" up and running. which involved me having to put batteries in the correct way. this was just about as fun as it sounds.

I guess the game is sorta a rogue like. I've played as 3 teens so far and I really can't figure this out. am I missing something?

I could tell what kind of political messaging I was going to get not five minutes into the game. Easy skip.

 

[Aenima]

I guess the game is sorta a rogue like. I've played as 3 teens so far and I really can't figure this out. am I missing something?

Is not roguelike, you just play as a diferent teen for each episode, and i guess whatever happens to that teen during the episode will just count to the final ending as you can influence the election or not depending of your choices. You can show support for one candidate or the other, or remain non political There are secondary key characters in the game that interact with the teens, and your interaction will also shape what happens to those characters.

I enjoyed it, but it was way too political for my tastes, and for branching narrative games thers much better stories out there, but the multi protagonist (the teens) concept was interesting as each teen starts with a set of skills better fit for certain playstiles, like if a teen you pick for one episode has a good amount of money, you can probably catch a bus, while a broke boi might have to steal a car or try to hitch-hike.

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

I could tell what kind of political messaging I was going to get not five minutes into the game. Easy skip.

even messaging aside, I don't understand what is supposed to be fun about this.

fuck dude I don't even know where the gameplay is. it feels like I haven't gotten to it yet, which can't be right because I've already encountered 3 game overs. .

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

Is not roguelike, you just play as a diferent teen for each episode, and i guess whatever happens to that teen during the episode will just count to the final ending as you can influence the election or not depending of your choices. There are secondary key characters in the game that interact with the teens, and your interaction will also shape what happens to those characters.

I enjoyed it, but it was way too political for my tastes, and for branching narrative games thers much better stories out there, but the multi protagonist (the teens) concept was interesting as each teen starts with a set of skills better fit for certain playstiles, like if a teen you pick for one episode has a good amount of money, you can probably catch a bus, while a broke boi might have to steal a car or try to hitch-hike.

I assumed each playthrough was a fresh game where you just keep the abilities you unlock. I got one of the side characters arrested early on because I thought it would be funny. does that mean's she's just gone forever?

if that's possible, I might have some fun with this game just being a total asshole fucking shit up, sending as many teens as possible to prison and trying to make sure the fascist wins

 

[SScorpio]

I assumed each playthrough was a fresh game where you just keep the abilities you unlock. I got one of the side characters arrested early on because I thought it would be funny. does that mean's she's just gone forever?

if that's possible, I might have some fun with this game just being a total asshole fucking shit up, sending as many teens as possible to prison and trying to make sure the fascist wins

I did the same in my Life is Strange 2 playthrough. That at least gives you a sweet Akira style ending, and you end up in Mexico where you took out all the cartel members in your area and now you're just chilling.

 

[Aenima]

I assumed each playthrough was a fresh game where you just keep the abilities you unlock. I got one of the side characters arrested early on because I thought it would be funny. does that mean's she's just gone forever?

if that's possible, I might have some fun with this game just being a total asshole fucking shit up, sending as many teens as possible to prison and trying to make sure the fascist wins

Yes whatever happen to the teens and side characters happens, and the story moves on. And yes your actions can increase the votes the political candidades get, so you can pretty much decide who will win the election by showing support for that candidate and sabotaging the other one.
In my full run I managed to cross the border with all teens except one that died trying to save one of the key secundary characters. The main election was secundary to me, the most interesting part of the game was get to know the stories of the side key characters.

Overall it was an ok game. Just wished the main story was not about politics.

 

[bender]

It's easily my favorite game that I've never heard of nor played.

 

[R3TRO]

I thought it was great but the second one was one of the worst turds I’ve had the displeasure of playing.

 

[Humdinger]

I enjoyed it all right. I found the choices interesting, and there were plenty of them. The way the characters recurred in different stories was kind of cool, too.

The writing stunk, though. I'll bet it was penned by a recent college grad. The teenagers are wise beyond their years, heroically saving the world, while the adults are corrupt and stupid. The politics are simplistic - Big Bad Authoritarian Man vs. Compassionate Hispanic Woman. You get the drift. I wouldn't call it woke exactly, but certainly naive.

Still, I had fun with it. 7/10 level fun, nothing groundbreaking, but an interesting diversion for a few hours.

 

[justiceiro]

So many road games these days that I was unaware of which one was this. Thought that was Pacific drive or that one where some groups of travelers get trapped Ina dinner on the middle of nowhere( I forgot the name, just remember the logo has floating heads of the Main characters above it).

 

[drganon]

I read the title too fast and thought it said road rash 96.

 

[Darko]

I read the title too fast and thought it said road rash 96.

Same..

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Thanks for the warning

This is an instant skip for me now

 

[Kilau]

It’s got some great music at least for my taste. The political message is very juvenile and makes for eye rolling moments. The thing that really bothered me is that the one truly, undeniably awful character in the game gets away scot-free.

 

[Roberts]

I liked the game. It's no masterpiece of anything but I'm also not afraid of political games even if they are made by young, naive but well-meaning people expressing their frustration about the modern political climate.

 

[IAmRei]

Too bad then, the graphic is kind of my taste, i was about to give it a try

 

[Hydroxy]

I quite enjoyed it. I loved the atmosphere and beautiful locations and meeting different people along my journey. I've heard its sequel sucks however.

 

[El Muerto]

I like games and movies that feature a good road trip so i kind of liked it. But the writing was awful at times. Felt like some paranoid reddit introverts written it. Characters were ok. Did 2 runs and that was it for me.

 

[DoubleClutch]

randomly decided to give this one a go after reading tons of positive things about it and noticing its as on gamepass. it looks like it generally reviewed very well.

this game is fucking awful. it feels like it was written by community college freshmen. you play as a teen runaway who runs into other teens, all of which are smarter than all the adults. apparently all teens are trying to get across the border because only teens know the USA is about to become some fascist dictatorship. good presidential candidate is a Latina bad presidential candidate is a white male

I just turned off the game after having to listen to some 12 year kid at the back of the bus explain to me how they're hacking the police as part of some communist rebellion. I'm not making this up. I had to play through some mini game to help her get her "hacker scanner" up and running. which involved me having to put batteries in the correct way. this was just about as fun as it sounds.

I guess the game is sorta a rogue like. I've played as 3 teens so far and I really can't figure this out. am I missing something?

You had me at the edge of my seat. How does it end?? Do they form their own subreddit and show their solidarity by creating matching online avatars?

 

[SJRB]

Sounds dreadful and a complete waste of time.

Is the Latina president at least hot?

 

[DoubleClutch]

Sounds dreadful and a complete waste of time.

Is the Latina president at least hot?

 

[Alan Wake]

It's both. It's a weird experience. Way too political and obvious. At times lousy gameplay. But also at times quite fun! And the soundtrack is amazing all the way through. I thought it was worth a playthrough, but I will not return and I think the sequel looks worse.

 

[xrnzaaas]

Not the first and not the last time when Game Pass is offering a game heavy on politics and social issues. Pretty much the only solid way to cover development costs, as normally it probably wouldn't sell all that well.

 

[Rockondevil]

I enjoyed it when it was last on Game Pass. The music is good and I enjoyed the characters stories overlapping sometimes.

I didn’t really focus on the politics stuff but I know Americans are huge on that so I can see that being a problem for some.

 

[mdkirby]

I assumed each playthrough was a fresh game where you just keep the abilities you unlock. I got one of the side characters arrested early on because I thought it would be funny. does that mean's she's just gone forever?

if that's possible, I might have some fun with this game just being a total asshole fucking shit up, sending as many teens as possible to prison and trying to make sure the fascist wins

The player character changes throughout a play through, and are largely throw away characters. The important characters are those you meet on your journey. The decisions you make that affect those characters are permanent for that full play through. Each “loop” isn’t really a loop, the world is still moving forward in time, the characters you met are still progressing in their goals. You just respawn as the next kid on their journey to try and reach the border. Only when the story fully concludes (determined by the decisions you made) does it fully reset.

I liked the game. It was clearly and obviously left leaning from before going in, and is clearly a walking sim type game, if people can’t handle that, then I don’t know why they are playing it in the first place. And yes it’s left wing, but the country is not America per se, but an alternate world where it is very much run by an actual fascist, and life there for many sucks, hence just as in the real world people tend to try to leave for a better life with in a country with freedom.

 

[M1chl]

This track tho

 

[TheStam]

I agree OP. I tend to like walking simulators and narrative focussed games and bought this on Steam a while back. Could only do 5 minutes, I really couldn't handle the tone of this game.

 

[Rawbutt Jellybean]

The plot sounds like it was written on a Bluesky thread by some terminally online moron. Glad I didn't give it a download.

 

[Markio128]

This game wiped its arse on PS+ as well.

 

[samuelgregory]

randomly decided to give this one a go after reading tons of positive things about it and noticing its as on gamepass. it looks like it generally reviewed very well.

this game is fucking awful. it feels like it was written by community college freshmen. you play as a teen runaway who runs into other teens, all of which are smarter than all the adults. apparently all teens are trying to get across the border because only teens know the USA is about to become some fascist dictatorship. good presidential candidate is a Latina bad presidential candidate is a white male

I just turned off the game after having to listen to some 12 year kid at the back of the bus explain to me how they're hacking the police as part of some communist rebellion. I'm not making this up. I had to play through some mini game to help her get her "hacker scanner" up and running. which involved me having to put batteries in the correct way. this was just about as fun as it sounds.

I guess the game is sorta a rogue like Smoothie Catering. I've played as 3 teens so far and I really can't figure this out. am I missing something?

Hello. Is everyone you meet on the opposing political view of you going to be a slackjawed redneck in a wifebeater with receding hairline? How come the "good guys" don't have the local accent?

 

[calistan]

I saw this pop up on Game Pass recently, and was briefly curious until I remembered I'd bought it on Steam a while back and got a refund because it is unbearably shit.

 

[Singular7]

Thanks for saving me from downloading it.

Commies... gross.

 

[PontiusFeeb]

I clicked on a link for a story about this game at some Xbox news site. The article talked about how we really need this game now to defend ourselves against Trump’s America, so I made a mental note to definitely not download this game. I don’t know how these game journalists can be so out of touch with the public.