After catching the gaming community’s attention withStrayin 2022, Annapurna Interactive has had a surge in popularity over the past two years.Open Roadsis the publisher’s first release of 2024 and reinforces the company’s focus on delivering personal experiences through video games. Featuring only two voice actors,Open Roadsfinds its footing in intimate conversations instead of large spectacles. Kaitlyn Dever voices Tess Devine, a 16-year-old girl with divorced parents. Tess lives with her mother, Opal, and maternal grandmother, Helen. After Helen’s passing, Opal (voiced by Keri Russell) and Tess must figure out their relationship in order to determine their future.
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Grief and Narrative
Opal and Tess act as a reflection of Helen and Opal’s mother-daughter relationship. Opal initially continues generational cycles, such as keeping secrets and avoiding true communication, that she has learned from Helen. Tess’ insistence and spirited approach to further understanding her mother, however, encourages Opal to eventually break those same cycles. The conclusion of the game finds Opal opening up to Tess about her past and feelings, all while encouraging Tess to do the same.
The dialogue options inOpen Roadsrange from simplistic to heart-wrenching. The way the player chooses to answer some of Opal’s questions can change the mother-daughter dynamic at the heart of the game. You can choose to either placate or challenge Opal throughout the first half of the game, but eventually all options lead to the truth coming out in the end. The way you play determines how Tess grieves; will you hold on to memories and objects or will you let them go?
Immersion and Style
Open Roads’ warm, bookish style is inviting and instantly makes you feel immersed in the narrative. The Devines’ house is well-crafted and feels authentically lived in; there are photos and trinkets scattered around – most of which are interactive. Even those who don’t typically play as completionists may feel drawn to spend more time exploring their surroundings due to the variety of objects to inspect. Players can interact with things as mundane as a pen holder and as sentimental as an old family member’s pottery. The environment absolutely screams circa 2002: outfits, computers, phones, bedding and, of course, unreturned movie rentals.
Voice Acting
Vocally, Kaitlyn Dever perfectly embodies the frustration and embarrassment of a high schooler. There’s plenty of “Ugh! Mom….” moments in the game, but there are also many moments of realization, empathy and love. Tess isn’t a one-note teenager; she’s a young woman learning about the complexities of relationships and family without compromising compassion. Keri Russell similarly delivers a stellar performance as the restrained and stressed Opal. She initially seems aloof and like the stereotypical mother common in modern media, but she completely transforms by the end of the game. By the end, you can hear the vulnerability and love in even the most simple of her interactions with Tess.
Dever and Russell easily shine through their voice acting in this game, but the character expressions definitely limit how effective the story is. Both Tess and Opal have a restricted number of visual emotions and reactions. If Tess is tearfully opening up to Opal about how much she misses her grandmother, she will only make a small frown and look away. Similarly, Opal’s bursts of anger are only visually relayed through a furrowed brow and strict expression. Many of the emotional beats fell flat due to the visual execution. Visual novels are a tricky medium to get right, but emotion can effectively be displayed without compromising style (see: Ace Attorney and Danganronpa).
Closing Comments:
Open Roadsis 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 Roadsis a must-play poignant experience for fans of visual novels.
Open Roads
Version Reviewed: PC
