70
CRITIK
Open Roads
Long-lost family secrets. Hints of a hidden fortune. And miles to go before they sleep. Tess Devine’s relationship with her mom has never been easy, but they’re about to set out together on a journey into the past that they’ll never forget.
Critik
Scorecard
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Story and Narrative
77
Open Roads shines in exploring the mother-daughter bond and emotional depth, praised for engaging character development by some critics. However, it falls short for others in lacking depth and impactful choices, with mixed opinions on its storytelling and character dynamics.
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Gameplay
62
Critics have mixed feelings about Open Roads' gameplay. Positive points include engaging character interactions and narrative storytelling, while negatives include lack of player engagement, repetitive gameplay, and pacing issues. Overall, Open Roads offers a narrative-driven experience with strong character relationships and detailed environments, but falls short on challenging gameplay and replay value. Despite its drawbacks, it provides a compelling story for players seeking a more relaxed gaming experience.
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Graphics and Visual Design
75
Critics praise Open Roads for its unique art style and attention to detail in rendering environments, with hand-drawn animations adding humanity to the story. Some critics raise concerns about limited animation and visual variety, such as character mouth movements during conversations. Despite flaws, Open Roads is appreciated for its distinct blend of 2D and 3D art styles, capturing a visually appealing experience with a nod to the early 2000s setting.
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Music and Sound Design
77
In "Open Roads," critics praise exceptional voice acting by Kaitlyn Dever and Keri Russell, enhancing characters with depth and emotion. Engaging sound design creates a radio play-like experience, though some feel a lack of music and sound effects impacts the atmosphere. Despite mixed reviews, standout performances elevate the narrative's emotional depth while other audio aspects fall short.
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Voice Acting
84
Voice acting in Open Roads praised by majority of critics for exceptional performances by Kaitlyn Dever and Keri Russell, adding depth and authenticity to characters. Despite some dissenting voices, consensus is overwhelmingly positive with critics highlighting the emotional connection and chemistry between the lead actresses, enhancing the storytelling experience and resonating with players.
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Technical Performance
62
Critics had mixed opinions on the technical performance of Open Roads. Some praised its stability on PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch, while others highlighted issues like haptic feedback problems and visual glitches on various platforms. The game's development challenges may have affected its overall performance and experience for players.
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Replay Value
49
Critics rave about Open Roads' art style and voice acting, encouraging replay, but slam its limited replay value due to short playtime and linear narrative. The lack of branching paths and impactful choices leave players with little reason to revisit the game.
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Overall Verdict
Open Roads impresses with engaging storytelling and strong voice acting, earning praise for its heartfelt journey and captivating art styles. While some critics find the gameplay lacking depth and emotional impact, overall reception leans positive for this narrative-driven experience with memorable characters and visually appealing design.
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70
CRITIK
Reviews
57 reviews found90
Godisageek.com
Mar 27, 2024
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Open Roads delivers a beautifully acted, well-written story with gorgeous art styles, though it may be slow-paced for some players.
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90
Xboxtavern.com
Mar 27, 2024
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Open Roads is an excellently crafted experience with a compelling story, engaging gameplay, and memorable performances, making it a must-play for fans of narrative-driven games.
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85
Digitalchumps.com
Mar 28, 2024
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Open Roads is described as a personal and powerful journey with a solid story, fantastic acting, and a good balance of interactivity, making it better than a typical visual narrative experience.
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80
Gamespew.com
Mar 27, 2024
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Open Roads is a passion project with a gripping story, excellent voice acting, and a unique art style, but suffers from being too short and lacking replay value.
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80
Shacknews.com
Mar 27, 2024
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Annapurna Interactive's quintessential game with beautifully crafted dialogue, great performances, eye-popping art style, and strong themes, despite some design decisions and pacing issues
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80
The-indie-in-former.com
Mar 27, 2024
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Open Roads offers a powerful and emotionally engaging experience with a well-crafted story, relatable characters, and visually appealing design. Despite some technical issues, the narrative-driven gameplay shines through.
80
Cgmagonline.com
Mar 27, 2024
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Open Roads is a gripping, interesting, and immensely charming experience with excellent storytelling and character development, despite some visual animation shortcomings.
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80
Forbes.com
Mar 27, 2024
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
An engrossing and well-executed narrative experience with strong performances and a captivating art style. Limited interactivity may not appeal to all players, but the story and characters shine. A recommended experience for fans of family mysteries.
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75
Worthplaying.com
Mar 27, 2024
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
A great narrative indie game that feels like a natural extension of Gone Home, with good writing, visuals, and voice acting, but some aspects of the story could be better executed. Short and sweet narrative affair.
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75
Well-played.com.au
Mar 28, 2024
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Open Roads is a heartfelt journey with engaging storytelling and strong voice acting performances. Despite some shortcomings in animation and pacing, the game offers a simple yet effective road trip experience worth exploring for a few hours.
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