Oxenfree II: Lost Signals

Genre: Graphic Adventure

Players: 1

.

Review:

Oxenfree II is a Graphic Adventure released in 2023 on PC, mobile devices, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Oxenfree II is a direct sequel to the original Oxenfree, taking place some time afterward and following new characters Riley and Jacob, who have been hired to install electronic monitoring equipment on the coastline not far from the Edwards Island location the prior game took place in.

As with the prior game, it’s not long before this game’s protagonists discover their location is beset by bizarre events, possibly related to Edwards Island’s mysterious history, and seemingly tied to the pair’s own actions in the present, though there also seems to be a group of local cultists who may have a hand in things. Not fully understanding what is going on, Riley and Jacob nevertheless set out to try to find a way to stop these disruptive phenomena.

The original Oxenfree was both mysterious in its overarching plot but eased players into things by exploring the relationships between a group of average teenagers trying to comprehend the strange events they found themselves in. By its very nature, Oxenfree II loses many of these advantages – Riley and Jacob barely knew each other prior to the game’s start, and their unusual job makes them harder to relate to. What’s more, by placing the focus more squarely on only two characters, this game loses the interesting group dynamic of the first game. And players who enjoyed the first game will already know the cause of this game’s odd events, something Oxenfree II seems well aware of and makes it a point to explain fairly early into the game for the benefit of those who never played the original game.

However, in other ways this game has some benefits over the original. Riley and Jacob are far more consistent traveling companions than the first game’s Alex ever had in her friend group, and as a result there’s a bit more room to develop a dynamic between the two… though personally I find Riley to be far too irritable and guarded, and Jacob seems far too whimsical for my tastes. But getting back to the positives, having the strange situation’s mysteries somewhat unveiled leads to a bit more playing around with them – not only does this game’s odd phenomena include the prior game’s frequent time loops, creepy possession, and menacing dark figures, but now you’ll find occasional moments where full-on time travel is a factor. Unfortunately, this mechanic doesn’t get explored with quite as much player control as one would want if you’re looking to really expand the possibilities of this franchise, but it’s a nice addition nonetheless.

However, in terms of player control, players now not only have a radio they can use at key moments, but also walkie talkies with which they can communicate (or not) with various other parties. Again, in practice this seems like it would open up all sorts of opportunities for exploring character dynamics and making decisions based on who you speak with and what you say, but in practice this mechanic seems somewhat limited. At the very least the first game’s “walk and talk” system of responding with multiple-choice answers in conversation (or not at all) is still present here, giving players some degree of freedom to choose how they want conversations to go. Presumably this has an effect on a branching plot, though I can’t quite say how strongly and how often your responses impact the story.

The presentation is one area that has definitely seen a clear improvement. This game retains the same style of the first game, but updates the visuals to have a mix of detailed 2D environments with simple 3D elements and 3D character models. The result is by no means impressive, but it’s a good evolution of what we saw in the first game.

These visuals are backed by a moody synthesized soundtrack that reminded me a lot of the sort of music in the Stranger Things TV series (all the more ironic as both this game and that series are published by Netflix). This is joined by full voice acting for all the characters, which is generally pretty solid, even if I don’t find the characters themselves quite as likable as those in the first game.

Yeah, by this point I’m sure you can tell by my tone, I’m not quite as delighted by Oxenfree II as I was with the original game. Make no mistake, this is a solid Graphic Adventure and a good sequel, but it’s nowhere near as compelling as the first game. Some of this is unavoidable – there’s less inherent mystery in a sequel. Some of this is due to story choices the game makes, like having only two primary characters, neither of them especially likable. And some of this is due to missed opportunity, with this game’s expanded mechanics seeing only very limited use. Fans of the original Oxenfree will likely still find this well worth playing, but those who never played the first game and sitting on the fence in regards to this one are better off playing the original Oxenfree.

tl;dr – Oxenfree II is a Graphic Adventure directly following the events of the first game but following different characters in a different (but nearby) location. This game expands on the original game in various areas, but for numerous reasons it doesn’t have quite the same compelling story as the first game, and it misses multiple opportunities to expand on the original’s gameplay in a meaningful way. Still, those who enjoyed the first Oxenfree are likely to find this well worth playing. If you haven’t played the original game, I suggest you start there before deciding whether to get this one.

Grade: B

.

This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2023 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Best Graphic Adventure / Visual Novel, Most Disappointing

.

^{You can support eShopperReviews on Patreon! Please click HERE to become a Sponsor!}

^{This month’s sponsors are Ben, Andy Miller, Exlene, Homer Simpin, Johannes, Francis Obst, Gabriel Coronado-Medina, Ilya Zverev, Jared Wark, Kristoffer Wulff, and Seth Christenfeld. Thank you for helping to keep the reviews coming!}