Oxenfree Reviews
Oxenfree is a mature look at growing up through the lens of a supernatural mystery, but awkward pacing and simplistic interactivity hold it back from excelling.
Intriguing game held back by a faltering script
In Oxenfree, Night School Studios has used simple mechanics to great effect establishing and building on its small cast of characters, and keeping players engaged with its creepy tale of paranormal dread. It's a shame then that it doesn't quite stick the landing, seeming to rush to its conclusion without offering a sufficient pay-off. A small number of minor (dialogue for the wrong character playing) and major (two complete crashes) glitches also hold it back. It's undoubtedly a stylish and unique game however, that we hope does its part to usher in a wave of games that take a similar approach to storytelling.
Oxenfree is a really interesting, albeit short experience. It sets itself up for an interesting teen-mystery-horror tale with an emotional pull added into the mix later. It just all comes to an end too quickly and without the time to let any kind of characters grow on you, I failed to care about anyone's fate at the end game, even if I really wanted too.
Oxenfree is truly unlike any other experience that you can pick up for the Xbox One right now. While it isn't heavy on gameplay, the narrative and aesthetics really build a superb atmosphere and give a great sense of weight to proceedings. It doesn't necessarily score a direct hit with every story beat and we could definitely live without the crashes. There's also an argument to be made that around four or five hours, the game is a tad short in the grand scheme of things. It feels shorter still when you pick up the controller to make a quick bit of progress late in the evening, then find yourself staring at the rolling credits at 3am with all the lights on because something just doesn't feel right.As we said, Oxenfree is an unsettling game.
Oxenfree is a curious and fairly short game. The wonderful voice acting and characters, the interesting themes and the beautiful backdrops are sometimes let down by poor design choices. Ultimately, for fans of story, of which I am one, it is worth playing. But if you have to get your kicks from involved gameplay, perhaps this is not the one for you.
Although light on challenge and gameplay, Oxenfree offers rich dialogue options and an intriguing story that unfolds over multiple playthroughs while following characters that are easy to become attached to.
In traditional adventure games, even if the experience amounts primarily to dialogue choices and walking through the story, the action is also punctuated with cutscenes. Oxenfree lacks this element, so a second playthrough to experiment with different choices will require a lot of slogging through the same wide-angle shots and simple interactions with the environment that I doubt would change the second time around.
Players will remain invested in a story that, if not entirely original, remains exciting and poignant in equal measure.
It may be brief, but Oxenfree has elements of greatness and stands out as an excellent example of video game storytelling. It's also a beautiful and intriguing game that draws you in from the very start and makes you want to see just how deep the rabbit hole goes. Unfortunately, the situational narrative is let down slightly in the final third where it confuses even itself and fails to merge with the far stronger and more prominent social narrative.
Oxenfree doesn't live up to its potential, but has a story worth telling
Oxenfree's easy to like, with its inspired dialogue system feeling like a step forward for this genre. It's the lack of challenge and compelling gameplay that leaves it a few steps behind.
Like a good roller coaster, Oxenfree starts with nervous laughter, escalating to an event that leaves the character white-knuckled and wishing they had stayed home.
Oxenfree spins a supernatural mystery with some truly brilliant touches, but without especially interesting characters or mechanics, it's little more than a spectre of its true potential.
In the end, Oxenfree is absolutely a game about teenage bullshit (forgive me for being a little disingenuous earlier). But it manages to revitalize that narrative by focusing on feeling more than substance; it glances at each character's inner struggle rather than serving it up for a full meal.
Oxenfree has charm and experiments with choice in a fun way, but it has a few missteps that prevent it from reaching its full potential
While Oxenfree has a few flaws, its beautiful backdrop and stirring musical score set the stage for a tense story that has you flinching at every turn. It may be a bit too creepy, but the emotion and connection you feel with the characters will spur you to the finish.
Peel back the layers of mystery and intrigue, and what underpins Oxenfree is remarkably simple in approach. With nuanced storytelling at its ghostly heart, the pacing to this coming-of-age tale suffers in places but it will still enthral like no other. For Edwards Island holds many secrets, it just depends whether you want to stick around long enough to learn the truth about them all.
Oxenfree is a game where player choice matters a lot, and that fact mixed with an incredible atmosphere and an even better narrative create great memories for the player. Alas, it has a few flaws, such as the camera positioning and the walking speed, but the whole experience can make you forget them.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Despite its slightly vague story and note-collecting-based narrative, I was completely smitten by Oxenfree, so it's an easy title to recommend, especially if you know a lot about World War 2.