![]() ![]() ![]() Picking apart each knot of narrative threads dragged me back for third and fourth playthroughs in an effort to unearth all of Oxenfree's chilling lore. The information I found was unexpected, and as I found more answers I began assembling a picture of deepest tragedy. In a third, I stumbled upon additional collectibles that painted a haunting picture of what the entities were, spurring me to double back on my trek across the island and dig for more intel. In another, someone in your friends' group doesn't make it with you. In one ending, you barely escape with your skin. There are a handful of different endings and directions the narrative can take, and the experience of exploring Oxenfree's odds captivated me. In order to save themselves from these entities, they must figure out who or what they are and how to exorcise them. They stumble upon something odd in the depths of a cave, and after communicating with it via radio signals, accidentally unleash a paranormal force. It begins with five teenagers visiting an island near their hometown for a raucous high school party. That is the plot of Oxenfree: someone bored and restless teases the unknown, and after poking it too much, enters a downward spiral where everything goes to hell. The exhilaration of going against something, anything different from mundane life, is why we become thrill-seekers. And while the most dangerous thing I ever encountered was asbestos, it illustrated for me why we seek the unknown, even when aware of the danger. I was a dumb teenager, driven by curiosity and a confidence in my immortality. Oxenfree reminds me of those nights in dark, weird places. I trekked through dark rooms in middle-end hotels and strangers' houses, guided by the small green light of an electromagnetic field detector. We'll have to wait until later this year to find out when Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals launches on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.During my college years, I went on a few ghost hunts. My hands-on time with the game shores up its position, and offers a few answers, but throws even more questions into the mix. Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals was near the top of my most anticipated games list after the initial preview, but with a few unanswered questions. Still, the extra filigree around the puzzle hints that there is more than meets the eye to everything I've seen so far. ![]() In the demo, it was merely a tool to a puzzle to climb to the next level in the cave, which is a little uninspired. It doesn't seem as if it will go all Tenet with its 'not where, when' bullshit, but I'm curious to see how the game uses it long-term. Possibly earlier in the game, possibly earlier in their lives. We encounter a time rift, a portal which takes you back in time only in the exact location of the rift itself, and both characters have clearly seen and used these before. Time travel is a significant part of the game, tying it into the first Oxenfree. ![]() We also hear a gruff, unknown voice on the radio who hints - Riley and Jacob miss this, so I may be wrong - that he is from another timeline, and that he knows Riley, and has even met her in her future, his past. Even with me controlling her, Riley's reaction to this was far too understated, but the mystery of it all is still compelling. A strange flashback (forward? Sideways? Unclear) shows Jacob dead in the water. As for my slight distaste for Jacob, I might just be in luck. PS have a bonus point for being extremely correct. And if Max is your favourite character, all the better. The point I sort of wandered away from there is if you like the brooding tones of Stranger Things, you will feel right at home in the caves of Oxenfree. But who am I kidding, if I was Nancy Billy's mullet would have had me acting up. If I was Nancy, I would have chosen Steve, believe me. I just can't imagine enjoying spending a whole game with him. I completely understand why the writers would sit down and create a character like Jacob - he's talkative enough to sustain the game for quieter players, hesitant enough to let Riley be the leader, he's kind and sweet and gentle. Max and Jonathan make for an odd team-up, and even without me hearing darker '80s music and pointing at the screen like the Leo meme, Riley and Jacob occasionally jar. That makes the red-haired, smart, often sarcastic (at least in my hands), occasionally playful Riley our Max, with our weird, nerdy, awkward friend Jacob the Jonathan. With Oxenfree's dark yet occasionally neon colour palette, magic realism, and foreboding synth-heavy tones, it conjures up a connection to Stranger Things. ![]()
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