The scariest moments come at the expense of the player - I won't spoil them here, but there are instances that recognize your own involvement with the game in some surprising, bizarre ways.Įmploying the game's strongest quality, its look, to create these effects is perhaps Oxenfree's most important asset. These glitches, which also send things topsy-turvy or completely blur out the field of vision, intensify during creepier situations, like possessions. When Alex and her friends are knocked back in time a few moments, the screen fuzzes out like an old VHS tape to exaggerate the time skip. Oxenfree features subtly cartoon-like characters atop backdrops which only grow more stylized when manipulated by the disembodied villains inhabiting the island. The best part of the puzzles is honestly just seeing how the graphics adapt and distort under duress. The dial is severely limited for the first half of the game, and while it eventually expands, the game always nudges you in the right direction so that you'll never be stuck.The radio mechanic might be a bit of a dud, as is the manner in which repetitive time loops are manually rewound and reset. This sound-driven method is an interesting conceit, but one that boasts style over substance. To solve puzzles, Alex uses her pocket radio to access certain signals that eke out information, unlock doors and help her investigate the mystical powers at play. The way Oxenfree subjects the characters and player to these mysterious happenings is inventive. The most common conversation topic: what, exactly, is going on.
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For a game as chatty as this one, it's a definite plus that Alex, Jonas and the group tend to have interesting, revealing discussions instead of groan-inducing ones, even if the voice acting isn't exceptional. The characters are more earnest than the typical video game teenager, and the bulk of their conversations aren't boring or painful to sit through.
Though it stars a group of teens, Oxenfree doesn't fall back on lazy, cliched "young person" speech. Regardless of whether those conversations lead somewhere, Oxenfree subjects you to a lot of talking. For every decision you make that has an impact on the narrative, there's a choice between how, precisely, you want to say "no" to someone. Yet many of Alex's dialogue choices seem to have an incremental influence on the overarching story. It feels great to be given the sheer level of control over the protagonist that Oxenfree offers.