Skybound Entertainment is crowdfunding a new AAA game based on its franchise. The company has already raised $8 million before starting the program but hopes to raise an additional $50,000 to $5 million.
27.03.2024 - 17:05 / digitaltrends.com / Keri Russell / Giovanni Colantonio
Sometimes, it takes a tragedy to connect with your family.
That idea kicks off Open Roads, the latest indie published by Annapurna Interactive. The short narrative adventure begins with Tess, a young adult growing up in the wake of September 11, 2001, sorting through her grandmother’s belongings after she passes away. That somber process gives way to a domestic mystery that sends Tess and her mother, Opal, on a road trip to discover the family’s secret past.
But it’s not just about unearthing some juicy gossip; the road trip provides a key bonding moment between mother and daughter. That heartfelt story powers a modest narrative adventure game about how confronting the past together can strengthen our connections with one another.
RelatedOpen Roads, which experienced some upheaval whenFullBright co-founder Steve Gaynor left the project after being accused of fostering a toxic work environment in 2021, doesn’t waste a second of its tight, movie-length runtime. As soon as I start it, I’m introduced to its narrative gameplay hook, which plays like an evolution ofGone Home. The first scene has me walking around Tess’ room and packing up objects. Each one I pick up reveals a bit more of the backdrop. A news clipping about September 11 tells me where I am. An invoice for Tess’ design work gives me a sense of what she does. Every object and stray note has a story to tell.
That idea escalates when I head up to my grandmother’s attic and discover a suitcase carefully hidden in a wall. When I open it, I discover what appears to be a note from a secret lover. Tess convinces her mother, Opal (voiced by Keri Russell) to try and figure out the truth. An impromptu road trip commences, one that begins to unravel the strained relationship between the two. Key to that tension is Opal’s ex-husband, who Tess quietly texts with from the passenger seat. It quickly becomes clear that Tess and Opal need to talk.
That’s exactly what happens over the course of the story, which takes the duo from an old family house to a dilapidated houseboat in search of answers. Every time I find a potential clue, like a lost letter, I can call my mother over so we can break it down in a motion comic-like segment with a few dialogue choices. That isn’t just a storytelling mechanism to dole out more plot development; it’s a chance for Tess to ask her mother about what life was like for her growing up. Through that, she gets to hear endearing anecdotes, like the time the family van broke down
Skybound Entertainment is crowdfunding a new AAA game based on its franchise. The company has already raised $8 million before starting the program but hopes to raise an additional $50,000 to $5 million.
A job listing from EA hinted that Motive Studio's upcoming Iron Man video game will feature an open world. News regarding the ongoing development of the title has been sparse since it was first announced in 2022, with concerns over the project's status rising after EA announced another wave of layoffs last February. Thankfully, a new ad was posted to EA's official online job board, which gave fans hope that the studio hasn't given up on the Iron Man adaptation.
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The first time I played Amnesia: The Dark Descent, I had to put it down and walk away. I’m a big fan of horror games, and I don’t usually put them down unless they’re unplayable or just bad. The Dark Descent was different, though, a game that freaked me out so badly that I had to turn the lights on and just sit in that glow until I could catch my breath. My vision had become too dark; I was out of oil for my lantern; and there were cracking noises coming from somewhere off screen. I hadn’t been taken aback by a jump scare or a disturbing creature. I was just unnerved, tense, and extremely uncomfortable. So, you know, the best way to be scared.
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There are some secrets that feel too big or too painful to share. It’s easier to take on the burden yourself, you say, to withhold knowledge in the desperate desire to prevent someone else’s pain. Open Roads, the Gone Home-style road trip game published by Annapurna Interactive, is about those secrets, and what happens when those secrets slip — no, explode — out into the world.
Remember when Redbox or Blockbuster would let you rent some of the newest titles for just a few bucks a day? A new trend has emerged to fill the void left behind by the loss of rental services. Many public libraries have started to collect video games, and it doesn't cost a cent to borrow them.
Annapurna Interactive is a publisher that has always had an eye for the interesting. Whether it's the mind-bending time loop of , the abstract exploration of the American Dream in, or the future feline capers of, there is often something enticing under the surface. Enter , from developer Open Roads Team, the latest game from Annapurna Interactive's stable.
Open Roads is an easy game to get lost in. It tells a twisting tale about generational trauma — the tension, lies and love between mother and daughter — with all the comfort and warmth of an early 2000s network drama like Gilmore Girls or Charmed. As a former suburban teen myself, this game left me feeling equally exposed and understood.