Night School Studio, an independent game company comprising of former Telltale and Disney developers, released Oxenfree on January 15 with a delayed release for the PS4 on May 31. Having a team of workers with a pedigree like Telltale, another story game company, means that the narrative was in good hands, and it didn’t disappoint.
Oxenfree is best described as a supernatural teen thriller set as a scenic stroll through a dream. It isn’t horror by any means, but there are some creepy nightmarish parts. You play as Alex, a high school student taking her new step-brother to the school party on a local island. While on the island, Alex unlocks supernatural forces with her radio, and the group begins searching for a way of escape.
This two-dimensional adventure is a simple construction, but every aspect of the setting is immersive and beautiful. The soundtrack is some of the most compelling video game music I’ve ever heard. It doesn’t just fill in the silence: it adds to the plot itself. Artful backdrops line every location with a sense of wonderment, but they are not overbearing. As you slowly mill about the trails on the wooded island Alex and her friends are exploring, you engage your companions in conversation. You get three options to choose from, some will annoy your friends or deepen your relationship.
This is Oxenfree’s strength. The dialogue is meaningful and deep. You cover topics like divorce, the death of a loved one, guilt and past romances. Each conversation opens up a little bit of each character and makes it an emotional journey. It’s pretty easy to get attached. I found myself upset I didn’t have more time to spend with them.
Since the emphasis rests so much on dialogue, the flaws were hard to ignore. If you are a story buff and you want to know every conversational detail, you may be a little let down. Often when you select your dialogue options you will interrupt a conversation between other characters. As someone that wants to be in the know on all the narrative pieces, it drove me crazy. I felt like I was missing out on big chunks of the story.
You don’t always have to speak in the conversations, which makes the act of engaging in the dialogue feel a little more realistic. If you simply wait long enough the speech bubbles will fade and you can press on without saying a word, however, I often made quick choices because I wanted to engage, but couldn’t decide which option to choose. This gave a little sense of urgency to many conversations, which added significance to some of the mundane parts of the story, but occasionally made other aspects feel rushed.
Some of the characters (mostly the antagonist) are really hard to understand without subtitles. In fact, I would say if you play without subtitles, you won’t be able to understand the antagonist at all. Luckily, there is an option for subtitles. I made it to the end before realizing this trick and I regret not looking sooner.
Given the beauty of the environment, the soundtrack, the character depth and the compelling narrative, I would recommend this game to nerds that like to chill and wander through an interactive story. Looking past some of the smaller flaws mentioned above is really easy as you begin your trek on Edward’s Island, and you will probably find that you will carry a little bit with you after you have finished.
