Open Roads Reviews
Engrossing and enjoyable for its brief run time, Open Roads tells a quiet, witty story of discovery that spans three generations of women. Though it never veers into melodrama, I found the narrative to be engaging and intriguing. Great performances lend a realism to the well-written characters. If you think Open Roads seems like something you might enjoy, you are likely right.
If you're interested in a three-hour narrative adventure in the vein of Gone Home and Tacoma, and you can justify the current price, then there's a memorable-enough time to be had with Open Roads. There's not a wasted detail in the game's storytelling and there's a lot to appreciate in the subtle and skilful way it leads you through its tale. We enjoyed the little moments of character growth that came from Opal and Tess throughout. By the end, we felt as if we knew them. The game's ending also, genuinely, surprised us, which is an impressive feat. There's a heartfelt originality to Open Roads. But, yes, the gameplay is also limited. The 'pick up an object, have a conversation' repetition only has a temporary appeal. Whether the game is for you or not depends entirely on how you feel about the genre as a whole.
Beyond playful visuals, Fullbright's game doesn't do anything that Gone Home did as well or better over a decade ago. I hoped Open Roads might feature a more expansive story or more varied gameplay because, as it is, it's a short and serviceable adventure game rather than a particularly memorable experience.
Open Roads from developer Open Roads Team is a personal and powerful journey that is driven by a solid story and fantastic acting, and supported by small amounts of interactive moments.
Although Open Roads gives no reason to make this game's North American road trip an annual fixture on the calendar, the adventure itself is one worth experiencing. It's a family affair that welcomes you into its inner sanctum and leaves you in a state of adoration over its leading ladies' sincere performances.
Open Roads is a rare title in that it captures humanity with respect and beauty without feeling saccharine.
It's a great thing that Open Roads is an incredibly short experience, because when it comes to actually playing it, there just isn't much there. Thankfully, its story and characters do more than enough to make experiencing Open Roads worthwhile, at least once.
Open Roads lacks interactivity and its art style takes some getting used to, but this is a story you'll want to see through to the end.
Open Roads is a heartfelt and captivating journey made more interesting by its mother-daughter leads.
Open Roads is a touching love letter to grief, the breaking of generational cycles and the complexities of family relationships. Dever and Russell’s performances are at once invigorating and heart-wrenching, demonstrating a genuine passion for acting throughout the game. The interactive environment feels lived-in and authentic to the early 2000s, adding another layer of immersion to the player's experience. While the voice acting is impressive, the characters’ appearance and facial movements become repetitive around the thirty-minute mark, diminishing some of the emotional beats in the story. Overall, Open Roads is a must-play poignant experience for fans of visual novels.
While some walking sims have evolved, Open Roads is stuck in the past. Its two good characters cannot offset the bland interactivity and mystery that is as flat as the game's 2D conversations.
Open Roads is a nice little narrative adventure that scores through its visuals, good writing, and excellent voice cast. It's pretty short and linear, and not all aspects of the story were quite as well executed as others. Overall, it's a great narrative indie game that feels like a natural extension of Gone Home.
Open Roads, in theory, should be another Gone Home-style success story. However, what we've actually got here feels strangely by the numbers, surprisingly short and very light on actual drama, mystery or thrills that genuinely compel. At around two hours long you won't need a lot of compelling to see it through, mind you, but overall this just feels like retreading the same sort of ground with much less of an effect. There's superb acting and it all looks great, but the narrative just isn't doing it for us this time, sadly.
It’s clear that Open Roads is a passion project, one filled with personal touches, love and its team’s personality. But it’s also a triumph: Tess and Opal’s story is gripping, and you’ll eat up every minute of their road trip mystery, hanging onto every word of their conversation. Add to that a unique and beautiful art style, some incredible voice performances and so many nostalgia-inducing objects to nosy at, and you’re left with a truly memorable experience. It’s just a shame that it’s all over so very, very quickly.
Open Roads offers a moving journey of a mother and her daughter, with a simple but very interesting story. Though it has some annoying details, it's an experience that's definitely worth living for those who love narrative adventures.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Open Roads presents a captivating story despite its issues. The relationship between Tess and Opal is well developed and there are many moments that makes us reflect, especially for players who have already been in similar family problems. The way the ending is told is less than ideal, as are the multiple dialogue options, that do not have significant impact in the story, but it's definitely an excellent option for those looking for a compelling and creative narrative.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Open Roads is a game that relies heavily on a lo-fi aesthetic, but all that ambiance is surface level and doesn’t offer actual substance.
Open Roads has a strong emotional core and great performances from its leads, but simplistic gameplay and some clumsy writing hold it back.
A delicate and sensitive story of mothers, daughters and families that lacks the edge it'd need to be truly memorable.
Review in Spanish | Read full review