Play it on: Cellular
Present objective: Cease these rattling children
Oxenfree is considered one of my favourite video games ever. Its compelling mixture of naturalistic, banter-y dialogue and spooky podcast-like storyline clicked strongly for me, fully drawing me into its mysterious narrative. Peculiar radio alerts, ghostly apparitions, and time and area not behaving correctly, all skilled via the angle of some smart-mouthed teenagers taking one final jaunt earlier than beginning school. I couldn’t suggest it to sufficient individuals.
Then in 2023, a sequel got here out, and I didn’t play it. I didn’t need to play it. I believe as a result of I used to be simply afraid it couldn’t recapture that second, and that second had been excellent. Additionally, as a result of developer Evening College’s intervening sport, 2019’s Afterparty, didn’t work for me in any respect. However I’ve stopped being such a giant foolish, and pushed by the will to play one thing narratively robust whereas on a brief trip this vacation, however solely outfitted with my Android pill, I remembered Oxenfree II comes as a part of an energetic Netflix sub. And it’s nice! It’s actually nice! It makes extra errors than the unique, bits of the story not fairly including up correctly (maybe due to selections I made, it actually fails to elucidate why the 2 principal characters are so antagonized by teenager Olivia), nevertheless it’s as soon as once more a triumph of gorgeous vocal performances and an intriguing (if frustratingly unbelievable—radios don’t work like that!) storyline. I’m very near the top, and stay up for lastly discovering out the way it all wraps up. — John Walker
