The critically-acclaimed adventure game Road 96 will receive a musical prequel that branches the story of Zoe and Kaito. Developer DigixArt has announced that Road 96: Mile 0 will release on April 4 for Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Road 96: Mile 0 is a prequel to 2021’s Road 96, the narrative-based adventure game which had an overwhelmingly positive reception upon its launch. It was praised for its atmospheric theme, narrative-driven gameplay, and story that can sometimes be both political and fun. DigixArt has now revealed a musical prequel to Road 96 is on the way, with the cinematic trailer featuring a few scenes of the dual protagonists, Zoe and Kaito. The short trailer also gives a brief idea of the game’s parkour and environmental gimmicks.
The story mainly focuses on the two teens, Zoe and Kaito, the latter of which is a character from DigixArt’s first game Lost in Harmony. Kaito finds himself in White Sands after moving with his family to escape from Colton City’s pollution and build a new life with a new job. Zoe, on the other hand, is one of the main characters in Road 96, who comes from the rich side of White Sands. The two teens develop a friendship as Zoe gets closer to Kaito. Afterwards, this friendship exposes Zoe to revealing the truth about White Sand and his father.
Players will explore the personal development of Zoe and Kaito through musical rides, in which they will skate through rhythm-based segments and make narrative decisions that shape the story of the two protagonists. Road 96: Mile 0 also features a plentiful soundtrack to reinforce the emotional experience for riders, such as “Land Locked Heart” from The Midnight.
CEO of DigixArt also provided a few words about the story, saying that they wanted to show why Zoe left her comfortable life. They went the crazy route and used metaphorical music sequences rather than relying on a conventional way. Most excitingly, it will be totally up to players to choose how they want the two protagonists to evolve.
It appears that the Road 96 universe will expand with a prequel to the events in the first game. Road 96: Mile 0 tells how it all started, featuring a story that challenges player beliefs. The narrative-based adventure game will be made available on April 4th.