Play it on: Mobile
Current goal: Stop those pesky kids
Oxenfree has always held a special place in my heart. It’s an amazing blend of casual, witty dialogue paired with an eerie, podcast-like storyline that completely drew me in. The experience of navigating strange radio frequencies, encountering ghostly figures, and witnessing the bizarre twists of time and space through the eyes of some clever, sharp-tongued teenagers during their last hoorah before college was unforgettable. I just couldn’t recommend it enough to everyone.
Then, 2023 brought a sequel. To be honest, I hesitated to play it. There was a part of me that feared it wouldn’t capture the magic of the original, and that first experience was just too perfect to risk. Plus, I didn’t exactly love Night School’s follow-up game, 2019’s “Afterparty,” so that added to my reluctance. But during a recent holiday, with nothing more than my trusty Android tablet and a yearning for a strong narrative experience, I remembered that Oxenfree II was available with my Netflix subscription. And let me tell you, it’s fantastic! It’s genuinely fantastic! Sure, it makes a few more missteps than the first—some parts of the story didn’t quite hold together, possibly due to the choices I made, such as the unclear tension with teenager Olivia—but once again, it’s a showcase of incredible voice acting and a fascinating (if a bit far-fetched—seriously, radios don’t operate like that!) storyline. I’m almost at the finish line, and I can’t wait to see how it all concludes. — John Walker
