Hey, I played the first title 5 years ago, that one was trippy. Like, it was Twin Peaks crossovered with Close Encounters Of The Third Kind or X-Files. Like the sequel with some of Netflix's influence sprinkled on, arriving with the notion of that the creepy goolies are back in Edwards Islands.
Oxenfree II is somewhat the same game, the cosmic horror, colorful visuals and art style straight out of an avant-garde animated TV show, constant engagement with the characters, making choices by picking responses that changes the narrative flow, unique puzzle solving, and triangles. Basically playing it spaced out, no overarching sense of comprehension as to what exactly is going on.
I did wish Netflix didn't make it easier for the developers to work on this, they missed out on a couple of things, and drags it down. But it hits different notes too, a bit more visceral, and provide this great experience that creates depth, and reaches for things the earlier game haven't touched on.
So I did a bit of research, and Oxenfree originally took place in a fictional island based on Oregon, IRL has history of haunted places. This sequel though, takes place in another area that is pretty close to the original Island. With the protagonist Riley, seemingly waking up without understanding how she exactly got there.
Yeah, so immediately without setting me up, the game's surreal atmosphere even plays around with continuity. But it's been awhile so I still needed time to process what I was doing, and in the first hour I met a guy named Jake. Socially awkward, bad at fixing cars, and not a fond travelling companion.
They're both contracted by a mutual party named Evelyn through the radio, to plant transmitters on a few spots, just 3,000 feet above the small town of Camena. This makes sense when Riley reveals herself to be an environment researcher, and her job in extent is working in her hometown, figuring out where the strange anomalies are coming from.
The boring part here starts where I look at the map, try to walk in snail pace with both Riley and Jake exchanging dialogues, over I guess some trivial stuff. I understood the kind of people they are from just a few minutes, and despite Jake making me drowsy or the trip, a lot was shared been us.
Which is the allure of the whole game, the writing opens up each of these people to divulge various unique experiences they have. Growing up in a rural town, close to the ocean, with cliffs to climb, waterfalls, like the geographical existence of Oregon is here. So is the mood.
If Jacob isn't talking my ear off, he takes the moment to open up about things, as the game will progress with the two dealing with situations that are out of their control entirely, they warm up to each other. Not like infatuation, but as people learning from one another.
The first game was kind of like that, except both protagonists are surrogate siblings who, based on the dialogues chosen and decisions made, either connect as actual family and just stay more distant than they were when they first met up. As I've said before, it's the dialogue that evokes these authentic feelings when it comes to them. In various strokes, broad or thin.
And speaking of things going out of control, a lot changes soon as they plant that transmitter, cracks a hole into another dimension and more unfolds as a bunch of teenagers who started a cult got stuck there, are now tangled between that world and this one. Both intertwined, they go through bizarre experiences, some taking them back to the past or others facing each other.
At this point, the laws of physics begin to get twisted, time gets warped while people you know becomes this hollowed, glitched versions of themselves. The first game didn't veer too much into this, but looking at stuff this early in the game signifies that there's more supernatural horror element to find here. I mean, nobody is panicking here outside a bunch of stereotypical rich teenagers with childhood trauma, the grown ups here want to fix things back to normal.
To sum up gameplay, I have access to a walkie-talkie, with 8 different channels. The radio frequency from the old games is back. The puzzles are as obscured as the original, and there's hidden rational for doing it aside being geometric blocks posing as some higher meaning in the grand scheme of things.
Jacob either becomes possessed at times or Riley gets taken to the other dimension, around this time, there's a point just following the steps don't always work out as the game just rewinds and teleports back with the character, just hinting that I need to do something. Which involves mini-game puzzle solving sequences. I never could get my head around as to the function of these things.
Putting the bizarre stuff aside, this is a character driven supernatural adventure. There are points where conversing with Jacob I would either lie or tell the truth, help give him advise or chastise him always, even when he plays a game like 20 questions, I could play along or troll him. Heck, I even played as a ghost by turning the flashlights off in a cave.
Jacob is a secondary protagonist, and non-playable. But he's with me all the time, so he tells me how he's dealing with the reality warping moments. There are times Riley has to help him get to normal, but also help some of the teenagers who seem to be really lost here. The paranormal stuff can be pretty visceral at times, and really cryptic.
But at times, it takes Riley back to her past, revealing that she was mostly raised by her dad, and progressing through the area, he stays with her, interacting with her as if she was still the same kid. Riley confesses if I choose, to Jacob that her mother wasn't in the picture till she showed up one day.
It even time jumps, to a point where Riley is wearing clothes that would make her seem like a middle-aged woman and is talking to a kid who is dealing with issues in school. As if she either became a mom, adopted one, or is a consultant towards him.
After battling schizophrenia in caves, and achieving clairvoyancy, I manage to finally implant the second transmitter and having 2 other spots left, it was time for me to hurry it up. The supernatural stuff is getting way too intense as well.
This sequel is leaps and bounds better when it comes to character development and the supernatural elements. Unfortunately am not a fan of the teenage antagonist or my companion Jacob. The game is also downright too familiar with the first game too when it comes to the visuals, mechanics, and mini-games.
It is a trippy game, but also juxtaposed as this somber adventure of people figuring who they want to be, and where they'll go after this. Each Oxenfree is great on their own terms, sadly Netflix shouldn't made it too easy for them to make that obvious.
