![]() Despite that requirement, it does a terrible job at recapping those important events by glossing over major beats from the last game and neglecting to properly reintroduce characters. While it is a sequel, it’s more of a second chapter that demands an intimate familiarity of its forebearer. These themes are also integral to the plot, which banks too heavily on knowledge from the original game. ![]() That island is one of the few easy things to remember about the first game. While some of those antagonists are faceless ghouls, having a more human opposition with understandable goals offers more subtleties that spooky ghosts aren’t equipped to supply. The ideas are woven together well since they manifest differently in each character and grant alternate viewpoints that all uniquely poke at the game’s themes. ![]() Oxenfree 2 uses Riley, Jacob, and the antagonists to comment on acceptance and fate. ![]() It’s bizarre that the game lets players be mean to Jacob since he’s agreeable to a fault - his flaws are internal struggles that aren’t negatively expressed outward - but the two make for a solid team. His past is not nearly as complicated or compelling, and it seems like his main purpose is to add the levity that Riley is emotionally incapable of providing. Jacob is less complicated and more of an upbeat nerd that hides his staggering amount of insecurity behind humor. Learning her history and why she’s returned to her hometown are both intriguing hooks that also make her a more nuanced person. Riley is laid-back and has a nonchalant attitude that could have become grating, but never does because of its mostly competent (if sometimes overwritten) script. Riley, the protagonist, and her new colleague Jacob are given the space to grow and become more than two-dimensional caricatures simply trying to bust some ghosts. Sprinting to the end with a stranger wouldn’t have as much weight as crawling to the climax with a friend. The pacing seems deliberately dialed down to give players more time to adhere to the cast. Riley and Jacob have some great heart-to-heart moments. Lengthy and persistent loading times also frequently hinder its forward momentum and are only made somewhat tolerable by its incredible horror-tinged ambient soundtrack. When so many scenes play out the same way or only have negligible differences, the glacial walking speed and unskippable dialogue just make additional runs even more unappealing. Oxenfree 2 has some hidden conversations and many dialogue choices, but it doesn’t appear to give players many opportunities to truly craft their own playthrough. Moving at a snail’s pace curtails the urge to explore and, more broadly, limits replay value. Taking a wrong turn is also particularly excruciating since it’s impossible to quickly course correct. Hunting for collectibles or potential secrets only to be met with a dead end is demoralizing and often not worth the effort. Players can’t even control their walking speed, but it’s almost always too sluggish anyway. The walkie talkie that can ping a number of different characters is the most noticeable difference, but those exchanges regularly get interrupted or overlap with other dialogue.Ĭarrying over the movement system is more detrimental since it drags down the pace and stretches out simple trips. Oxenfree should have been the starting point, not the endpoint. After seven years, it would have been more enticing if the team pushed forward with some new tweaks or innovations since standards are different now. Night School Studio seemingly didn’t improve or expand these systems to further build on the foundation it laid all those years ago. Here’s an example of the dialogue overlapping.Īll of these small decisions play their part in making Oxenfree 2’s dialogue presentation so impressive, but it’s still the same formula. The naturalistic performances further ground these characters since they speak with hesitation markers and stammer much like real people without it being a hokey crutch. The way characters speak is also one of its strong suits since they will talk all the way until the player picks a response, meaning conversations don’t have the dead air that is so distracting in many of its contemporaries. It’s still an effective way to build character and gives Oxenfree 2 ample opportunity to flesh out its new faces.
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