QCF: Kentucky Route Zero: Act 3

or almost eleven months, I had assumed that the fine people at Cardboard Computer must have been lost on the Zero. It’s understandable, of course seeing as how eerie and mysterious that route can be. However that also meant that the status of the third Act was also unknown. That is, until recently when the game was updated, and the adventures of Conway and his group of mismatched travelers continued.

It required some research and replaying of the first two Acts to catch back up, but now we have come to the halfway point in this tale. I can say confidentially that the story has taken sharp turns along the drive, where a fallen tree and a run-down tavern opens up to some of the most beautiful and serene moments in any video game and the tale remains to be as bizarre and surreal as it is familiar and warm.

We begin with what looks to be a peaceful morning, Conway and Lysette discussing the past while the radio crackles in the background. It seems to be the moments before the beginning of the game, where Conway is preparing the old truck for one more delivery of antiques. Sadness is replaced with the sunset, and the moment fades away as a dream once Conway wakes up in a doctor’s office surrounded by Shannon, Ezra and of course Blue. Something has definitely changed with Conway, and the mystery surrounding this new addition has something to do with the Consolidated Power Company. I assume that this puzzle will be difficult to put together, however the journey towards these answers is what makes Kentucky Route Zero such a unique experience. The sensation of the unknown and bizarre populates the environment and the characters, and with no voiced dialogue the game is still able to tell an amazing story. One scene in particular occurs as the group stand in the parking lot outside of the Museum of Dwellings.

The reflection of the stars above collecting in pools of water, ripples encompassing the feet of Conway as he explores the area is nothing short of breathtaking. It is hard to focus on anything else but the scenery of this game, each new area becoming a tale of its own comparable to a chapter in a fairytale.

Recounting the story of the game can seem cryptic, as to avoid spoiling many of the games themes as well as the various twists and turns. However with the arrival of traveling musicians Johnny and Junebug, the story begins to parallel other works of literature. A quote from Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot, stating “We are not saints, but we have kept our appointment” encapsulates the mood of Kentucky Route Zero at this junction. Are these travelers simply standing still, waiting for nothing? What are they attempting to get away from or where are they trying to get to? These questions, similar to those asked in Beckett’s tragicomedy can be misinterpreted and over-analyzed in Kentucky Route Zero. As Johnny and Junebug perform the song “Too Late to Love You”, Conway describes the song as something he has heard before, and as the song is performed recounts the lyrics. The choices given within the game allows the user to define their experience and craft their own version of the story, which is unlike any other adventure game.

The playability of Kentucky Route Zero is limited to just a mouse click, however at times navigating the roads can become a little confusing. A new addition to the driving in this Act was the use of the radio, where Conway would need to tune to a specific radio station in order to find the next location. Finding the station while also traversing the spider web of roads became a little frustrating at times, where it just seemed like an overload of different cues to where the truck should travel. Another issue during this play through was when the group finds the Hall of the Mountain King and are asked to fix XANADU. Without ruining the importance of this aspect of the story, let’s just say that navigating through XANADU was about as difficult as you would suspect a dated adventure game would be. Perhaps that was their goal all along, but it was still a pain to go through.

This along with some small clipping and audio issues did little to spoil the game play, however it was more noticeable in Act III than in the previous entries. I suppose that the developer was also trying to get back in the flow of things after such a long time away.

After such a long wait, it was almost intoxicating to return to Kentucky Route Zero to continue along the path set out by our weary passengers. A story of loss and regret, the unknown and the all too familiar, this adventure continues to blaze a trail unlike anything seen in video games. And as the end of this third Act concludes, the quote that eludes to the fate of Conway still lingers, “vinum memoriae mors”. Memories can be many things; hopefully we will soon find out what they are to our main character and we will continue to cover this title through the remaining Acts. Perhaps this time it will not be a wait similar to the characters from Waiting for Godot.