Preview: Open Roads Is An Emotional, Nostalgic Journey Through 2003

Image: Annapurna InteractiveWe honestly can’t believe 2003 was 21 years ago — the GameCube was proudly at the front of our shelves, and Super Smash Bros. Melee was the ultimate party game. But Open Roads, the next game to be published by Annapurna Interactive, looks back at the mid-2000s with a warm, nostalgic, sepia-tinged glow. So, after attending a recent hands-off preview event, it’s no surprise we’re left deeply longing to go back to the year 2003.

Open Roads follows Tess — played by Kaitlyn Dever, who recently has been cast as Abby in Season 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us — and her mother Opal (played by The Americans’ Keri Russel). Following the death of her grandmother, Tess is helping her mother clear out the house they lived in together. The pair discover letters and notes stashed away in the attic that lead to the road trip of a lifetime and uncover a past that Tess never thought possible in her family.

These are the emotive and sentimental ripples of a much bigger splash that we’d expect from the team that developed Gone Home. Known as The Open Roads Team — after notably splitting from Fullbright founder Steve Gaynor following reports of a toxic work culture (via Polygon) — Open Roads is now on track to deliver a poignant story about loss, family, and secrets.

The game uses beautiful hand-drawn 2D character models set against 3D backdrops which aims to convey this mix of nostalgia and realism. Stylistically, Tess and Opal’s designs are beautiful, like sketches out of an art student’s book. They’re not lip-synced and they don’t always visibly move, either — sometimes, Opal will fold her arms or Tess will cock her head and her hair will flop. Setting these “drawings” against a more realistic backdrop creates a world — or in the preview’s case, a house — that really does feel lived in.

Within seconds of the preview, it became clear just how much care and attention the Open Roads Team has given to the world and its character. Tess and her mother Opal have something to say about every single thing you can interact with, and the level of detail on every single object is honestly astounding. Every single item, from newspaper clippings to a stick of chapstick, was specially curated by the Open Roads Team to evoke that feeling of 2003. Amusing headlines like ‘I Married Big Foot’ and a 2003 high-school graduation book were just the tip of the iceberg. This is a game for “nosy people”, the developers told us, and our curiosity and nostalgia piqued with every new item.

Old photos with annotations spark up conversations about people. A piece of pottery stirs feelings of loss, grief, and admiration. Old drawings and art that give Tess second-hand embarrassment — and all of these items have been hand-picked, and even hand-drawn and written, by members of the development team. Oh, and that Nokia ringtone certainly sent us back.

Image: Annapurna Interactive
This is a game that puts family and feelings first. When Tess leaves the fridge door open, Opal scolds her — just as our own parents did when our 16-year-old selves were so careless! And sometimes, when Tess asks for more information on something, Opal is reluctant to share. The dialogue and the information you get are all down to the choices you make during the game — even in these opening minutes.

The thing is, Open Roads is still a mystery to us after this introduction. In 20 minutes, we heard banter, laughter, frustration, disappointment, and longing. But things were cut off just as the pair discovered a briefcase full of items, which we assume is the impetus for their road trip. The dialogue felt natural and organic, and both lead voice performances were convincing, but we don’t know just what the “open roads” will hold for us.

The mystery is being kept close to the Open Roads Team’s chest, and that makes sense, but this 20-minute presentation showed us nothing that we didn’t already know or expect about the game. How will Tess and Opal’s relationship develop as they take to the roads together? How will the walk-and-talk gameplay play out in other locations?

What did do it for us during those opening minutes was the sheer love Tess and Opal had (and still have) for their grandmother/mother. We’ve all lost family members, and we all grieve differently, but the pain-staking process, stress, frustration, and sometimes boredom of clearing out a house is just one of the many ways people can express and experience the loss of a family member.

Open Roads does a great job of conveying this because of its dedication to the time period. This is also, from what we can tell, not just the home of the grandmother, but the place where Tess and Opal lived, too. They have memories in the house and space, all of which are attached to every single object. This, as the Open Roads Team told us, is because of the “personal” and “personable” touch. The curated items and the items the members of the developer team themselves created don’t just have significance to the characters in-game — they sometimes have significance to the people who made the game.

One team member spoke of an object she put into the game because it was a memento of her own grandmother who passed away, while another mentioned the dog portrait was an actual portrait of their actual dog. These are things we can all relate to in some way or another.

What remains to be seen is just how well that personable touch blends with the overriding mystery of Tess’ family, and the road trip ahead. It was a strange slice of a game to show us, but if the goal was to leave us with more questions on the road ahead, then the Open Roads Team and Annapurna have certainly done that.

Open Roads is still filling up the tank but be prepared to hit the road when the game arrives on the Switch eShop on 22nd February 2024.

Let us know in the comments if you’ll be fastening your seatbelt when the game launches next month.