Available on mobile, Oxenfree is a game that has always held a special place in my heart. The way it seamlessly blends conversational dialogue with a gripping, ghostly tale drew me in completely. The game unfolds through the eyes of witty teenagers who find themselves entangled in supernatural events as they navigate eerie radio signals and ghostly encounters, all while the concept of time and space seems to warp around them. I couldn’t stop recommending it to everyone I knew.
Fast forward to 2023, and a sequel emerged. However, I hesitated to dive into it. I held back from playing, mainly out of fear that it wouldn’t live up to the original’s flawless charm—it was a moment that seemed perfect as it was. Moreover, my experience with Night School Studio’s previous release, Afterparty, left me unimpressed. But I decided to give it a shot while on a holiday getaway, with just my Android tablet in tow. That’s when I remembered, Oxenfree II was available through Netflix, and I decided it was time to try.
To my delight, the sequel turned out to be quite the experience! While it stumbles a bit more than its predecessor, especially in terms of some story elements not quite adding up—perhaps due to the choices I made in the game—I found it still a compelling journey. The interactions between the main characters left me puzzled, particularly their strained relationship with a teenager named Olivia. Yet, the exceptional voice acting and the puzzling (albeit fanciful) storyline involving radio signals kept me hooked. Now, as I near the end, I am eager to see how it concludes. — John Walker
