![]() ![]() ![]() In the last stages alone, you find a handful of meaningful choices that affect the outcome of the entire tale, but these choices are informed constantly by other choices you make throughout the game. When replayability is a selling point, a shorter playtime that lets you experiment with choices is ideal. At no point did I feel like I was going through the motions, marching between places with nothing interesting going on. ![]() Sometimes a short playtime can be a red flag, but that brevity works for several reasons in this case. OXENFREE II keeps the pace brisk, with my first playthrough taking around six hours. The dialogue system is quick and intuitive, with choices that are easy to understand but hold deep implications. It’s a thoughtful implementation that’s necessary for a game that lives and dies by its dialogue. Assigning responses to otherwise unused face buttons is a fantastic move that allows you to keep moving while the dialogue unfolds, and it’s rare for you to be cut off on a conversation by entering a new area. Responses are short and longer when Riley says them, but the game mostly avoids the pitfalls of a response taking on a different tone when the full read comes out. Up to three choices pop above your character in speech bubbles when it’s time to reply, with each assigned to one of three face buttons. The dialogue choices are also snappy, thanks to the returning dialogue choice system. There’s a surprising amount of depth to how these choices affect things, and the game is only too happy to show you exactly how your choices pan out after you’ve completed the game. All of these feature a good number of dialogue choices that help determine how the story resolves. The traversal rarely gets dull, however, as every screen is packed with conversations with Jacob, new people to meet on your walkie-talkie, or interesting radio signals to tune into. ![]() You spend your time walking, climbing, and otherwise traveling from place to place, following some loose goals. While you technically could play OXENFREE II without playing the original, you’d miss out on a metric ton of backstory and winking nods.Īnd this feeds directly into the main gameplay loop. This isn’t the last reference to the original game, whose connections to this game run deep. The job is at the coastal town of Camena, Oregon, a familiar place for fans of the first game, as it’s the launching point to get to the original entry’s setting of Edwards Island. OXENFREE II: Lost Signals follows Riley, a young woman at a crossroads in her life who takes on an environmental study job. It won’t be for everyone, but for those who jive with what the OXENFREE series brings, there’s a more mature, complete story with plenty to sink your teeth into. So when I say OXENFREE II: Lost Signals improves on almost every aspect of the original, I’m holding the game to an incredibly high standard. It told a supernatural horror story layered on a coming-of-age story packed with amazing music and fascinating twists. I believe it’s top-shelf interactive fiction, despite a mixed reception. So let me be abundantly clear: the original OXENFREE is one of my favorite indie games of all time. When reading a review of a sequel, it’s essential to know where your reviewer is coming from. ![]()
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