It is spooky, odd, unsettling, disturbing, and unfinsihed. It's a ghost story, and then it's surreal and absurd, and deeply disturbing from time to time. Too real and too painful in places. A ghost story that's just a shade away from reality. It's not realistic graphics, and it's not jump scares. But it haunts me. And I don't think I have a second playthrough in me. I don't think I want to walk through that graveyard again. But how is it? It's phenomenal. It's an experience. It's clicking and reading. No real action. Not ever too puzzling. But so odd of an experience. Characters I care about, and other characters I despise for one reason or another. I will gladly play Act IV when it releases, but sometimes while playing, I would have to save and quit and walk around the real world to make sure I was in the right reality.

No 3D AAA quality graphics.
No jaw-dropping action sequences.
No challenging puzzles.
No revolutionary gameplay mechanics.
No multiplayer mode you'll enjoy for hours here.

But lost highways.
Endless caves.
Pre-historic gigantic birds carrying houses to the forest.
Ferries carrying mammoths.
Whiskey factories running by skeletons.
Lost rivers.
Forgotten bars.

But it's basically the story of some ordinary people with familiar pains, weaknesses, goals, pasts, loves and disappointments among all these oddness, looking for an adress that doesn't exist in today's familiarly unfamiliar US. Also an unusually mature meditation about life, death, love, ambition, reality, poverty, capitalism, meaning and existence.

And oh god, it's wonderful.
10/10

Don't give a **** about the delays because this game is incredible. The only other two games I've played as atmospheric as this are Limbo and Hyper Light Drifter. I remember a long time ago I think it was One Life Left that stated Sunless Sea had some of the best written content in all of videogames, and for a while they were correct, until I played this game. I've never enjoyed reading any videogame narration anywhere near as much as this game.

The entire game is surreal and abstract - including the writing - so be a fan of that. But if you can handle it, and game atmosphere interests you, this is an absolute must-play.

10/10 would cry at the song in the woods again

When I first started playing this game I was kind of thiking, wtf is going on. You have a truck driver and his dog looking for a mysterious highway that seems to be a portal for all things strange. Along the way he meets some odd characters with even odder stories.

I'm a huge fan of strange and random stories, and this plays out similar to a Douglas Adams novel. A lot of it isn't going to make sense, but who cares? Its fun and does at times make you think about abstract ideas. The graphics aren't reviting, but its really an art form in itself with shadows and some intense music. That scene with Junebug at the bar singing was amazing. I really hope that is implemented again (I haven't played Act 4 because I want to do a full playthrough again).

I don't often like replaying games, but I will make an exception for this game. I love the idea behind it and will definetly support any games in the future by Cardboard Computer (what an appropriate name for the makers of this game). The only thing that upsets me is having to wait another couple years for the last act. So sad. I will have to replay YouTube videos of Junebug singing in the meanwhile.

Kentucky Route Zero is truly the epitome of the quote "Every Frame a Painting". Beautiful, sad and thought-provoking, it's the kind of game you end up sitting in silence and thinking about long after you've finished playing. If you're anything like me you'll probably be screenshotting your way through your playthrough every chance you get; the cinematography and use of colour is just gorgeous and every move the camera makes works to frame the game's subjects in the most gorgeous and cinematic fashion possible (much like Shadow of the Colossus does)*. The attention to detail in the storytelling is simply breathtaking and the humour and references to media/information theory are v clever in their implementation (see: the Shannon-Weaver model).

If you enjoy stageplays, quietly weird fiction, and slow, thoughtful and intelligent storytelling then I definitely recommend this game. A wonderful example of Southern Gothic literature and excellent playwriting, it touches on themes such as debt, poverty, loss and being lost, and overcoming obstacles. The characters are diverse, sometimes quirky, often sympathetic, and always fascinating and engaging in their own rights. Having just finished Act IV last night in one sitting I'm left fairly heartbroken at its turn of events, but also hopeful that things will turn out okay in the end, even if the main players may not have much in the means of influence within the world of the game. Ben Babbitt's soundtrack is beautiful and adds perfectly to the ambience of the game, and the aliased style of the graphics are simple and minimalist (especially whilst traveling the Zero) and yet perfectly unique and fitting to the feel and tone of the game.

It's a multitude of things that make Kentucky Route Zero as enchanting as it is – it's a poem, it's a ghost story, it's a piece of art cinema; it's a collection of vignettes on what it means to be lonely vs alone and the many different ways people may find it hard to fit into society. In my experience, it's best played late at night, when it's quiet both within and without – being in the right frame of mind is key to fully appreciating the game, but KR0 does a fine job of bringing you into that mood as soon as you start up the game anyway.

I'll finish here with a quote from a Tweet my friend (who gifted me the game) posted last night:
"He just wants to finish a delivery. She just wants answers about a family mystery. Things complicate, as they do. I hope they un-complicate."

So do I... so do I.

(*In case you haven't guessed by this point, I am, in fact, a Film Hons. grad and a filmmaker. haha)

A dream-like text-heavy adventure with art unlike anything I've seen in a game, audio that takes you to another place and poetic choose-your-own-adventure-esque writing.

I, for one, am thrilled at the gap between episodes. Great work, games especially, take time and nothing good comes from rushing it.
Plus, if it were out and over two years ago I wouldn't have the pleasure of coming back to the world of KRZ every year or so.

This review covers Acts I-IV.
KRZ is a strange game that seems to break normal convention for games, that is, making a choice to then experience consquences later down the line. In this way it doesn't feel very game-y. In fact it makes me feel rather helpless compared to, let's say, when I'm playing Deus Ex. I'm not sure if my choices matter all that much but playing this game has taught me to be more okay with just letting things be.

The game has a great score and songs thanks to its composer and performer Ben Babbitt and his friends, It's really one of the nicest scores i've ever heard. I even enjoy listening to ambient pieces seperately from the game. And there are some nice covers of classic bluegrass songs - I've rarely heard this type of music before, but it's pleasing to hear it and understand it via the context of Kenucky Route Zero themes. I think, at this point Kentucky Route Zero is worth its price just for its music alone.

I don't see much point in mentioning such things like narrative and quality of writing, lore, art style and locations, random things and details and the way gameplay works. I think, it was praised enough by other reviewers. Overall, it's a great package, I keep returning to Kentucky Route Zero, exploring it from the beginning once each new act is released, and I always find new details about its story and lore and new awesome scenes, locations, etc. I enjoy exploring this world, even if the fifth act won't be ever released, I still feel like I've got more from it than I paid for.

Act IV of Kentucky Route Zero is a more linear and seemingly more grounded experience compared to Acts II and III (I personally find Act I to be a not-so-abstract-or-confusing introduction to the game, similar to Act IV). It actually now feels like a game with a -- relatively -- clear storyline that you can wrap your head around, rather than the almost nonsensical or random (and even downright boring) string of events that you had to follow before.

I would definitely recommend playing Act IV at least twice, since there will be parts that you'll have missed out on during your first playthrough (decrepit Civil War battleship filled with cats, anyone?).

Act IV has almost made me forgive the devs for the long delays between the acts. Almost.

P.S. One of the main characters of the story will act in a surprisingly uncharacteristic way throughout KR0, due to being constantly drunk, and he will basically slip out of the player's control. Interesting to see that happening.

This might be my favorite game of all time. This game is impossible to describe--when I tell people they should play it, I can only say things like "this game is baffling--but sometimes in a way that makes you smile, and sometimes in a way that makes you sad, and sometimes in a way that makes you nervous." The world of KRZ is magical and ethereal; playing this game feels the same way as having a philosophical conversation at three in the morning. It's an almost mystical experience. It feels very important while you are playing it. I really cannot stop thinking about it.