You can play this on mobile, and right now, the goal is straightforward: stop those pesky kids. Oxenfree holds a special place in my heart as one of my all-time favorite games. Its blend of witty, natural dialogue and eerie, podcast-like storytelling just drew me in, wrapping me up in its mysterious plot. You’ve got strange radio signals, ghostly encounters, and a world where time and space don’t play by the usual rules, all through the lens of sharp-tongued teens on a last hooray before college. I couldn’t recommend it enough back in the day.
Fast forward to 2023, and a sequel was released, but I hesitated to dive in. Honestly, I was worried it wouldn’t recapture the magic, the perfect moment I remembered so well. Plus, Night School’s other game in 2019, Afterparty, didn’t quite hit the mark for me. But then I decided to shake off my reluctance. On a short holiday break, yearning for a game with a strong narrative and armed only with my Android tablet, I remembered Oxenfree II was available through my Netflix subscription. To my delight, it’s fantastic! While it stumbles in places more than the original, with some story elements not quite aligning—possibly due to choices I made—it struggles to justify why the two leads have such friction with Olivia, a teenager they encounter. Yet, it excels again with exceptional voice acting and a gripping story, even if the radio mechanics are a bit of a stretch for reality. I’m nearly at the end, eagerly anticipating how it will all conclude. — John Walker
