Disappearing Act
Kentucky Route Zero is a game of many mysteries, perhaps none greater than what the hell is taking its creators so long
Videogames are difficult to make. This is true of any creative act, but games, with their alchemical blend of math and art and sound and joy, seem uniquely predisposed to evaporating mid-process. The secretive, three-man team behind Kentucky Route Zero have never stopped working on their five-part tragedy, but the long gaps in their releases ring differently, less like a team struggling to meet deadlines and more like one constantly reaching new creative heights. Over two years after the release of their universally acclaimed third act, they open up about Act IV’s long, secretive creation.
The only time I see Tamas Kemenczy show emotion is when he sees a brick wall. I was needling him and Jake Elliott, his longtime friend and collaborator, as to the whereabouts of Kentucky Route Zero’s long-awaited fourth act via Skype. Elliott was answering politely, Kemenczy grunting noncommittally. Then he saw a brick wall behind Elliott and lit up. “What is that brick wall behind you?” he asked.
