Visual novels and branching narratives come in a variety of sizes and flavors. Some of them are heavy on dialogue and are more focused on delivering a good storytelling experience, while others lean towards a more interactive journey with a good portion of storytelling on the side. Regardless of what you run into with these types of games, you’re almost always guaranteed an experience that will still stick with you for a while.
And then there is Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition.
This is an interactive visual novel that is pure art. From dialogue and choices to character development and execution, going into the game you’re never quite sure what you’re going to leave feeling. It is a different experience depending on your mood. It’s an odd bird that has survived the test of time and created such certain opinions on its purpose that those who play it swear they have nailed down the point.
Again, it’s pure art at an abstract level.
While I haven’t gone through the game since 2020, revisiting it on the Xbox Series X in its most complete version has brought out more clarity on its storytelling prowess and what I witness as it all unfolds. What I have found with this go around are simple characters bringing personal heavy undertones that resonate further into the deep dark emotional part of my very gaming soul.
So, sip on that bourbon, or don’t, get out of that moving truck, if you want, and let’s discuss the journey that is Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition.
Story complication at an artsy level
The story of Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition starts simple enough. A truck driver named Conway is off to deliver his final truckload of antiques to a house at 5 Dogwood Drive. Accompanying him is his old reliable dog Homer, and the delivery will conclude a career filled with bad mistakes, broken relationships, and a definitive end. Along the way to an address unknown, Conway gets lost, finds directions at a gas station, makes his way to a house in the hills, and soon realizes that his journey isn’t as simple as it may have originally seemed. Traveling the Kentucky roads, Conway soon finds a cast of characters that he needs to help and needs help from, as well as a bevy of problems that come with his fellow travelers. His problems are only compounded by his need to journey onto the Zero, a highway that holds nasty secrets and traps the souls of its travelers.
Folks, this is a journey.
The story of Kentucky Route Zero is a mixture of reality and regret. The narrative has this overpowering weight of sorrow hanging over it the entire time. From a recovering alcoholic trying to do the right thing in life, yet struggling with his own demons, to a lost kid whose parents haven’t resurfaced since he ran away from there, there is a lot going on and most of it not bringing any ray of sunshine with it. There is a fair number of characters within this story to cover all aspects of how lost and out of place one might feel as one journeys through life. It’s relatable to everyone who plays it and doesn’t really hold back with the harshness of its sincerity.
The narrative is thick with overwhelming dread and lost hope. You can feel it from the moment you begin, and you get the sense that everyone who lives in Kentucky or on the Zero is trapped within its confines. As I am someone from Kentucky who lived there most of their life, I can see the parallel between this game and Kentucky life. When you are from that state and you live there, you only know what is there and typically have a tough time seeing yourself without it. Most rural Kentucky residents only know the bubble they live within. In that respect, the game rings true.
Anyway, the game’s story tends to shroud itself through these suffering and trapped characters that carry the above sentiment with them. The game literally creates a group called ‘The Strangers’ whose sole purpose is to trap Kentucky residents because the residents owe them. They collect a debt from people in the form of forced labor and add a taxing layer of sorrow and pointlessness to a character’s journey where they feel basically that this is ‘their life’ now and there is no going back or going forward. The Strangers’ presence in the story is everywhere, even when not directly seen, and they seem to represent the notion that there is no escape from the path you travel. A sentiment that is echoed by the pointlessness of the Zero.
There is so much in the story to unpack. The folks at Cardboard Computer really lay it on thick. They do a great job of juggling characters, keeping them on the same journey, even though most have plans to not continue it, and make sure you understand that nothing escapes the Zero or The Strangers. The entire game is just a heavy burden to bear for the folks involved, including the player. There’s so much emotional content to contend with that you can’t help but join the characters and connect with them on their hopeless plights.
The positive of this narrative is that everyone has a story to tell. They all come from different backgrounds and carry with them various reasons why they are who they ended up being and where they ultimately want to journey to when their story comes to an end. Knowing there are conclusions helps to stem the overwhelming dread of how some of the characters end up. And not everyone is going to have a pleasant ending.
Anyway, the narrative is why you want this game. It lives it, it breathes it, and it is it. As stated previously, it’s pure abstract art.
Gameplay and Reading
Since this game is story-driven, there isn’t a lot of interaction going on between the player and the gamer. For most of your trip through Kentucky Route Zero, you’ll be reading, selecting dialogue, and progressing. When you’re not doing those three things, you’re moving a character to a reading activation spot. The most you get to do in the game is move Conway’s truck wheel back and forth along a Kentucky map, and oddly enough around the Zero itself (a loop that will occasionally, if moving in the right direction, show you places/things).
When you’re not exploring on a map or on the Zero, then you’re moving a character through a particular location. The choices and story still drive the entire gameplay process, but you will run into some strange characters, and some unique situations, and find yourself captivated by what is going on in front of you or around you. Every bit of what you contribute regarding interaction in the game is directly feeding back into the story that is unfolding. As most story-driven games go, you’re dancing with the narrative the entire time you’re interacting with the game.
The biggest part of all the interaction in the gameplay is the branching narrative. There are so many different branches to the story and so many snippets that add more context to the characters, that you’ll be hard-pressed to explore all of them in one go-around. The directions this story branches out to are insanely complicated, which makes the replayability factor so high that you’ll be able to see a Russian rocket hit the moon. That’s pretty freaking high, folks.
Anyway, how you respond to a question through one set of character dialogue in a scenario can be taken in a completely different direction if you choose a different branch. And there is so much story here that you’re going to go back and find so many ways to travel through KRZ every time you play it. Honestly, there is no way you’re going to remember what you chose from the first go-around when you go through it again. This is my second run-through with this game and, while I remember some aspects of the narrative and what direction I had previously gone, especially when it comes to Conway’s story, I saw more content that I don’t remember seeing. The stuff from 2020 was the TV Edition as well, so I know it’s not because they added something to the Series X. All this means is that the branching narrative created by Cardboard Computer is above and beyond the branching that any BioWare game could have imagined. It’s all beautifully complicated. And you’ll love every minute.
Presentation
The game is visual art. I would hang any frame that this game could produce on my wall at home. It’s simple art with plenty of meaning behind it. It’s also ray traced graphics that bring you the world of KRZ to its fullest. You won’t be disappointed with the visuals, the sounds, or the odd-ball personalities that are packaged into the presentation. It’s brilliant as it is well-designed.
On that note, let’s wrap this up, and get back on the review road.
Conclusion
Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition from developer Cardboard Computer is still a work of art after all these years. The game is thick in story, choices, and interesting characters that you never want to ignore.
