![]() ![]() ![]() It’s messy, sometimes scary, and almost always beautiful, which is perhaps, exactly what it needs to be. The result is stuck between the past and the future. It’s constantly haunted by the acclaim lavished upon its predecessor, and by the obligation to prove Oxenfree as a world that matters. It doesn’t quite do enough to justify the series as one that needs more stories in its universe, but if you loved the vibe and mystery of the first trip, you’ll likely find plenty to enjoy here too. Instead, Oxenfree 2 is more of the same, with the same frustrating slow traversal, and occasionally clunky dialogue. After seven years however, there was a real chance to expand things slightly, by doubling down on the things that worked, and giving a new perspective to the static-drenched cosmic horror that unfolds. Oxenfree 2 tells a decent enough story that ties in smartly with the ending to the first game. Perhaps that’s the point, towards the end a character even wonders out loud about the nature of endings in general, and whether they can ever really be satisfying.įor all of the features that aim to set Oxenfree 2 apart, it does end up being disappointingly familiar By the time the ending does come, you’re left with the sense that you’ve been through all of it before. More choices could have mitigated this, as could slightly more variety in the conversation options. You’re always one step ahead of Riley and Jacob as they uncover the same forces at play that ravaged Edwards Island. Because of its similarity to its predecessor, Oxenfree 2 does little to surprise. The core themes are the same as in Oxenfree, and the mystery feels over before it gets going. The scares are much less frequent than in the first game too, and while this definitely makes Oxenfree 2 much less of a horror game, it does make things more memorable when the ghosts do come out of hiding.įor all of the features that aim to set Oxenfree 2 apart, it does end up being disappointingly familiar. Puzzles are few and far between, meaning they all have just the right level of impact. When I opened the map for the first time, and saw just how giant the world was, I was worried that the sequel would focus on a much bigger story. You can choose to advance these at your own pace, and while the side quests you’re sent on rarely add up to more than simple fetch quests, the dialogue that surrounds them is often stellar.įor all of its sky-portals, time travel and other-wordly visuals, Oxenfree 2 does show a surprising amount of restraint. ![]() Where the narrative does succeed is in the smaller stories that are slowly parcelled out via the walkie-talkie. There are very few twists and turns, if any, and the final choice isn’t quite worth all of the build-up. Things are less effective in Oxenfree 2, with less player agency, and a story that shows its hand far too early. The main reason Oxenfree made such an impression over seven years ago was for its dialogue system, which gave a very convincing illusion of choice while you slowly unraveled the core mystery. ![]() Every scene you move through looks like a watercolor painting, and when you pair the soft foggy environments with the jagged iridescent portals that occasionally cut through the skies, you get a visual motif that’s memorable and unique. Oxenfree 2’s visuals are as striking as the first game’s. The main differences this time around are that you are joined by a single NPC companion, and that the area you’re challenged to navigate is vastly larger than before. You have your radio, which can be tuned into the spooky goings on around town. As the night progresses, you’ll bump into strange tears in time, possessed teenagers, and giant triangles made from threads of electricity that pulse and shimmer as they hang high in the sky. In many ways, Oxenfree 2 smartly ties into its predecessor, but mostly, it’s all too familiar. If you played the first game, you know exactly where this is going If you played the first game, you know exactly where this is going. She’s tasked with setting transmitter arrays up in the hills, to monitor the volatile electromagnetic readings that have been cropping up. Riley is back in the town where she grew up, where you join her on her first day of a new job. It’s much harder to write teenagers, and it’s immediately apparent that the developers have more to say with the older protagonist of this sequel. As such, the dialogue and characterizations are much more authentic from the get-go. Smartly, you now play as Riley, a 30-something trapped in the strange space between youth and maturity. Oxenfree 2’s first steps are instantly enthralling. ![]()
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