[PlayStation 5] Road 96: Mile 0 Review

Narrative adventure prequel Road 96: Mile 0 from Ravenscourt and DigixArt is ready to go on PlayStation. Learn more about it in our Road 96: Mile 0 review!

Narrative adventure prequel Road 96: Mile 0 from Ravenscourt and DigixArt is ready to go on PlayStation. I got a chance to review Road 96 on Nintendo Switch back in 2021, so I was definitely more than ready to check out Road 96: Mile 0. You’ll be alternating between playing as teenagers Zoe and Kaito, who will explore White Sands, a luxurious condominium where Petria’s elite reside, and its surrounding areas.

Zoe, who was one of the characters in Road 96, comes from the rich side of the city, thanks to her father working for the government. Zoe’s dad is the Minister of Oil. Kaito lives in a less privileged area, and his parents work at White Sands. Even though they’re from different backgrounds, they’re good friends. Will that change as the story unravels? Kaito comes from Lost in Harmony, the first game from DigixArt, which was released back in 2016. That one was a rhythm game, and some of its elements have made the jump to Road 96: Mile 0.

The game will get you started right away with one of the ride rhythm mini-games. During these, you’ll have to move your character left and right with the left analog stick as you collect all of the gems on your path. By doing this, you will get a combo going, which will help to boost your overall score for that ride so that you can get the best rank possible. And yes, there are trophies tied to getting a great high score – more on those in a bit. You can also jump by pressing the X button and can crouch with the R2 button. Both are used to avoid obstacles on your path. There will also be some quick time events where you’ll have to press the X button at the right time to complete a segment and get a score boost.

If you’re familiar with Road 96, then you’ll be right at home during the first-person story segments in Road 96: Mile 0. You’ll control your character with the left analog stick as you look around with the right one. You’ll be able to interact with objects and other characters by pressing the X button. During the adventure game segments, you will run by pressing and holding down the R2 button. If you need to get a closer view of something, you can press the L1 button.

It’s when exploring each area that you’ll be able to find the three types of collectibles on offer: cassette tapes, stickers, and spray cans. There are 14 tapes, 7 spray cans, and 17 stickers to collect during your time with Road 96: Mile 0. Along with the ride rhythm sections, there are also some other mini-games to work your way through. You could play the old-school 1970s-style arcade that is in the kids’ hideout. You might be asked to use Zoe’s muscles and a hammer to hit some nails on a group of 2×4 boards to help Kaito build a skate ramp.

Unfortunately for trophy hunters, Road 96: Mile 0 does not have a Platinum trophy. This is weird since Road 96 did have a full trophy list. For this prequel, you’ll be working on a short trophy list with 13 Bronze trophies, along with one Silver trophy and one Gold trophy. The objectives to complete include getting an A or better rating on all of the mini-games that Road 96: Mile 0 has to offer, getting an S+ rank on all rides, starting Zoe’s journey, discovering all of Kaito’s secrets, and stealing Tyrak’s file. At least the game is Cross-Buy, so you can download the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game and try to 100% the game twice.

Road 96: Mile 0 acts as a prequel to Road 96. It’s set out to give you some background on Zoe and the world of Road 96 while adding some rhythm mini-game sections that help to flesh things out. It does feel a bit more liner than Road 96 due to this not having a randomly generated nature that promotes replaying the game to learn more about the world, its characters, and the potential outcomes.

For me, along with the rhythm mini-game segments, the game’s soundtrack is certainly a highlight. Along with the original songs made just for the game, like Land Locked Heart from The Midnight, we’re also getting licensed tracks, like classic No Brakes from The Offspring. Road 96: Mile 0 is available as a Cross-Buy title, so your $12.99 purchase will give you access to both the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5 versions of the game, and each one has its own separate trophy list for you to work on – even if, unfortunately, this one does not have a Platinum trophy.

Disclaimer
This Road 96: Mile 0 review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by Ravenscourt.