Open Roads Reviews
Open Roads is a lovely way to spend 90 minutes or so. All of the elements by and large come together harmoniously in service of a story that had me hooked just enough, and the two strong central performances elevate the entire piece. I can’t ask for much more than that. Like all good road trips, though, it’s more about the journey than the destination.
Open Roads offer a window into being a parent and growing up. It's emotional, insightful, and beautifully designed with an engaging story.
It’s easy to say that Open Roads is cozy and simple. Truthfully, though, its simplicity is its strength… Everything you do feels personal, especially as a daughter who still has endless questions for her mother.
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.
Open Roads is an extremely classic narrative adventure that nevertheless offers a mature and passionate story. The game design focuses on the key engines of the many productions of this type and succeeds in the complex attempt to prove pleasant and surprising. A production that, without a doubt, has its own personality. Exactly like that of Annapurna Interactive, one might say.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Open Roads is the quintessential Annapurna Interactive video game. There are prominent actors giving authentic performances in a story that’s beautifully written, there’s a unique approach to art direction, and the music is top-of-the-line. I didn’t vibe with all of the design decisions, but it’s impossible to walk away from Open Roads without feeling at least a little contemplative about your own life journey and relationships.
The game is a snapshot of the lives of three women, uncovered over the course of a few days, the discoveries they make about each other, and how the whole experience brings them closer together. And like most people’s lives, it’s not all action, dungeon crawling, and loot collecting. It’s mainly emotions, arguments, secrets, heartache, and love; in other words, what the game has to offer simply won’t seem very interesting to everybody. But for anybody looking to spend a relaxing afternoon with a heartwarming tale, taking a brief road trip with Tess and Opal in Open Roads may be just the answer.
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.
Open Roads is a rare title in that it captures humanity with respect and beauty without feeling saccharine.
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.
Open Roads is a heartfelt and captivating journey made more interesting by its mother-daughter leads.
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 takes you on a delightful road trip as you seek out the truth behind granny's secrets, even if it's over quite quickly. Exploring abandoned summer homes and enjoying late night motel chats was pleasant, even if rather simple in premise. It's a nice diversion if you're looking for a relaxing narrative-focused game, but it's one that doesn't do much to make you deeply invested in the story.
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 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.
An engaging cast drives this short but ultimately sweet journey down a well-worn emotional road, though the chance to spend more time with Tess and Opal Devine on some detours would have been welcome.
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 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' mother-daughter travelog about discovering long-buried family secrets is heartfelt, but this lightweight driving adventure doesn't reach the momentum of the mystery it so carefully maps out.