Kentucky Route Zero Is An Original Because It Steals Widely And Freely

Kentucky Route Zero is celebrating its five-year anniversary today, January 28, 2025. Below, we look back at its inspirations and excitement for experimentation.

It is in the details that Kentucky Route Zero stakes its claim beyond video games. Its typewriter typography. The terse descriptions of characters between bursts of dialogue. The adventure game actions written like stage directions. Lights that illuminate the new parts of a stage or set. It is the details that matter. In practice, KRZ doesn't play differently from any other adventure game, but it feels different than many of them. This is because it takes from a wide array of influences, many beyond the usual preview of video games. Its interest in theater, film, visual art, and radio is what still makes it a vivid game five years later.

It is no secret that video games can be a little self-obsessed. While one could meaningfully label a painting, a movie, or a book as "science-fiction" or "romantic," video game genre designations like "roguelike" or "platformer" can only really describe video games (though if any one wants write an essay about what novels could be described as "strategy" or "simulation," I would be very eager to read it). Many--even most--big-budget games borrow from a ready-made list of influences, such as Star Wars, Alien, Indiana Jones, or Lord of the Rings. This narrow set of sources can make video games feel sometimes hyper-generic: unable to node themselves into a meaningful network, but instead digging deeper into an ever-drying well. When a big game attempts a big homage to genuine artistic legacy, it can feel absurd. Who could possibly take Ghost of Tsushima's "Kurosawa mode" seriously?

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Topics

If All This Sounds Delusional, That’s Because It Is

All the king’s men, back with a vengeance.
The New York Times - 11h
Australian Open champion Madison Keys on her mindset during match and playing freely

American Madison Keys clinched her first Grand Slam title over the weekend, defeating the No. 1-ranked woman and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the 2025 Australian Open final. The ...
CBS News - 1d
Portuguese politician accused of stealing suitcases at airports

Miguel Arruda charged with theft after allegedly removing baggage from carousel and taking it home, reports say. A far-right politician in Portugal has been accused of stealing suitcases at several ...
The Guardian - 5d
Predicting the Oscar Nominations in a Wild and Wide-Open Season

You can count on films like “Emilia Pérez” and big stars like Timothée Chalamet and Ariana Grande, but this year may hold some surprises, too.
The New York Times - Jan. 22
The field is now wide open to Trump

Very little stands in the way of the president’s goal of remaking America
Financial Times - Jan. 21
At Trump’s inauguration, Melania’s hat steals the show

The first lady’s look prompted many memes — and signalled a possible rapprochement with American designers
Financial Times - Jan. 21
Business Leaders Are Zeroing in on Culture in 2025

In a recent Inc. poll, leaders chimed in about their workplace priorities for the year – and company culture is taking the cake.
Inc. - Jan. 8
Horizon Zero Dawn And Helldivers Movies Are Officially In Development

At CES 2025, Sony officially announced that feature film adaptations of Horizon Zero Dawn and Helldivers are currently in development. For the Horizon film, Sony's Columbia Pictures company will ...
GameSpot - Jan. 7
Wemby steals Jokic's thunder as Spurs prevail

Victor Wembanyama stole Nikola Jokic's pass with four seconds left, and the Spurs held on to beat the Nuggets 113-110 despite a 41-point, 18-rebound, 9-assist night for the three-time MVP.
ESPN - Jan. 4