![]() ![]() Oxenfree‘s mystique is thick, but players curious enough to stray off the obligatory path and connect the dots will discover captivating clues that ultimately lead to a tragic, heartbreaking truth. Oxenfree gets a little spooky, especially in its P.T.-esque “time loops” that send players back to places and conversations they just left, and as Alex and her friends delve deeper into the mystery of the forces behind the strange distortions, they’ll be subjected to some cruel and harrowing experiences. Oxenfree utilizes this juxtaposition to great effect, bringing the world to life to with minimal animation and instilling the atmosphere with a sense of beautiful, unnerving solitude. The static, zoomed-out presentation lets you take in each tiny detail as you come across it, but it also means that whenever something does move, you notice. ![]() The environments are mostly still, painterly backdrops, filling the screen with stretching trees and flecks of luminous color. While you’re conversing, you’ll also be trekking through the beautiful and mysterious wilderness of the pacific northwestern island setting, home to an abandoned mining community and some strange, malevolent forces. I appreciated being able to inject levity into otherwise dreary circumstances, or pry deeper into the emotional baggage a friend was carrying. The significance of this system might not be truly apparent until your second play-through, but once you start making small tweaks to your demeanor towards each individual, you’ll begin to see how powerful your words can be bravely opening up about a difficult moment in your past can help others do the same, but guiding the conversation away from dark memories may keep morale high. It revels in the small, seemingly insignificant remarks and decisions we make in the heat of the moment, exploring how they affect our relationships with others. These consequences aren’t always immediately apparent, but building or burning rapport in some way is nearly guaranteed in each and every interaction, and the opportunities to impose your own personality on Alex are frequent.īecause of this, Oxenfree is a brilliant representation of human relationships. The game allows players to craft conversations however they like do you want to be confrontational? Feign interest? Infect the group with your enthusiasm? Whatever you choose, the other characters will remember your actions and likely treat you differently as a result. You’re talking with your friends almost constantly, and your relationships will change depending on which dialogue options you choose. Don’t expect exciting chase sequences, zombie shooting ranges, or head-scratching puzzles in the end, the adventure amounts to little more than walking and talking. In order to get home - hopefully alongside all of your friends - you’ll have to explore the island, playing by its supernatural rules and sleuthing for the truth behind the area’s suddenly strange happenings. Indulging her curiosity sets some grave events in motion, however, and transforms a casual high school beach bash into an eerie, mysterious adventure. ![]() While exploring a nearby cave, Alex and Jonas spot a strange, floating object, and, not expecting any results, Alex attempts to tune into it with her pocket radio. Their dynamic is strained from the start, tested by all sorts of awkward teenage drama and emotional uncertainty, but they’ve all traveled to the local island for a casual keggar and try to put their differences aside in the name of getting drunk on the beach. They’re accompanied by Ren, Alex’s long-standing best friend, Nona, Ren’s crush, and Clarissa, Nona’s best friend and a mighty snark-slinger. Oxenfree casts players as Alex, a blue-haired high school girl who just met her new step-brother, Jonas. It’s a beautiful, if imperfect adventure told through the relatable eyes of a teenager, and one of the year’s first remarkable releases. Oxenfree is about choices, and living with their inherent and often unpleasant consequences. ![]() Night School Studio’s debut effort is built entirely around the nuance and impact of our verbal interactions with others, and the agency afforded to the player to shape and shift their relationship with the game’s characters is staggering. Branching dialogue has become a popular feature in many recent video games, but none have managed to capture the essence of conversation quite like Oxenfree. ![]()
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