Oxenfree is, far and away the first standout title of 2016.
Yep, just like 2015, 2016 is set to be a fantastic year for gamers everywhere. Not only will we finally be playing all of those quality-looking titles that didn’t make their original release dates last year (and there were so many of them), we’ll also have the joy of experience a myriad of newly-revealed titles, and even a number of fresh IP’s.
If half of those games can match (or at least come close to) the atmosphere, presentation and emotion of Oxenfree, 2016 could be one of the very best years for gaming in recent memory.
It’s probably pretty clear already, but I absolutely fell in love with this game.
Oxenfree is a title that fell under my radar for way too long, but the instant that I learned that its developer, newcomer Night School Studio, was formed of a batch of ex-Telltale and Disney employees (among others), I jumped to YouTube to watch the first trailer, and was instantly enamored with the game’s beautiful art style, stunning soundscape, and the dialogue-heavy, exploration-based gameplay.
I’m not quite sure if I’m just a teenaged-girl at heart, or if titles like Oxenfree and my favourite game of 2015, Life is Strange just feature completely gripping dialogue, but the angsty-teen conversations featured in both titles have offered some of the most interesting and memorable video game writing that I’ve experienced in years. I clung to each of Oxenfree‘s countless dialogue trees like they were going out of style, and at the game’s conclusion I instantly wanted to jump back in to take conversations and relationships in directions that I didn’t my first time around (in fact, I did).
The story begins rather classically, and almost feels like an homage to classic coming-of-age/horror tropes at the game’s opening. You’re Alex, you have blue hair, you recently lost your brother, and you have a brand-new step brother. You, your best friend Ren, and new step brother Jonas are on the very last ferry to an abandoned-at-night island that holds many secrets (and had strong military ties) to drink with other teenagers and get into regular ol’ teenage trouble.
The island is said to host creepy, unexplained properties embodied by a mass of radio stations/transmissions accessible in certain areas of the island… none of which actually exist. It’s not long before Alex, Ren, and Jonas wander off on their own, seemingly awaken something using an old radio, and their relaxing, drunken night away quickly becomes a struggle to both survive, and to figure out exactly what’s occurring on this now-terrifying remote island.
Obviously, the first thing you’ll really notice about Oxenfree is its visuals, which are starkly different from just about every game that I’ve ever seen. Both characters and environments are subtle and extremely beautiful; every single shot in the title looks like an incredible painting that would be right at home canvased on just about any wall. While Oxenfree is set entirely on a small island, you’ll never confuse one area for another, as each location will vary in its coloring, flora, building design, and overall appearance. And as nice as Oxenfree‘s screenshots can look, they really don’t do these impressive visuals justice, as the title employs subtle layering techniques to really bring this gorgeous painting to life.
It’s also interesting to see these subtle visuals become harsh and broken. During some of the game’s many supernatural moments, the visuals will become distorted (think old, broken TV) to varying degrees, culminating in various ‘time loops’ that can have you re-living various disturbing events at the hand’s of the island’s supernatural forces. These distortions can truly surprise you, and as audio distortion will typically accompany these visual cues. These scenes succeeded in making me truly uncomfortable; maybe I’m just a baby, but attempting to play through these moments after dark with headphones on led to me simply switching to a happier game until daytime. I’m actually getting slight chills just thinking about these truly affecting moments, and that’s fantastic.
As great as Oxenfree looks, somehow the game’s soundscape is even more impressive. The title’s soundtrack was composed by scntfc, and while I can’t exactly pinpoint a genre (it flips from subtly calming, slow electronic music to terrifying beats during some of the game’s more supernatural moments, to many places in-between), the odd, unique composure fits here perfectly. Once I finished Oxenfree, I instantly added the game’s soundtrack to my music library, and it’s since been a part of my regular music rotation; it’s simply that good.
Of course, there’s much more to a game’s audio than music, and be it voice acting, environmental sounds, sound effects, or otherwise, Oxenfree doesn’t disappoint. The game stars a batch of Telltale’s regular voice talent, so it’s pretty clear that these guys know what they’re doing. Elements of the game’s soundscape can also be downright terrifying; turning the radio dial, you’ll often be surprised (I was, to the point of jumping in shock) by hitting a radio station that you weren’t expecting, which will sometimes sound like an old cartoon, sometimes be some sort of Morse code message (which you can actually translate, if you know that sort of thing), or sometimes feel a P.T. level disturbing transmission from some sort of supernatural being. I honestly did not expect to so regularly feel so uncomfortable with such a beautiful, subtle looking game. It’s truly a testament to the power of sound, and it’s pretty clear that even in their very first title, Night School Studio understands that power full well.
Gameplay couldn’t be simpler. You walk, you talk (and listen, I hope), and you tune your radio in order to learn about the island, discover hidden collectibles, and solve simple puzzles that are sometimes as innocent as unlocking a radio-equipped door, and sometimes as stressful as trying to save your friend from whatever evil present on Edwards Island. Occasionally, I wished that Alex and company would walk just a little faster, but I also appreciate that this gave us more time for all of the conversations that I loved so much. These conversations weren’t always happening, however, and with the ever-growing (and terrifying) threat present on Edwards Island, I figure that these teenagers would go for more of a ‘run not walk’ approach to reaching their next destination. In any case, it’s a small niggle in an overall stellar experience.
Other issues with Oxenfree were few and far between. Aside from the aforementioned (occasional) movement speed, conversations sometimes lead to a character’s face appearing in a thought bubble over another character’s head. I’ve played through Oxenfree twice now… and I still have no idea what this means. I’d assume this signifies a relationship change between characters, but I didn’t feel like this was actually reflected within the game. I’d also have loved a closer view of the characters many times throughout the title, as it seems like you’re almost permanently just a little too zoomed-out. Occasional screen-tearing issues were also present, but any technical issues were rare and Oxenfree was smooth as butter for most of its duration.
On the topic of duration, I’ve read numerous complaints about Oxenfree‘s short length. I was so enchanted with the title that I tried to explore as much as I could and waited for every conversation to close before moving on, and this led to my first playthrough lasting about six hours, which I felt more than satisfied with. The game’s thought-provoking, multiple endings increase replayability, and it’s crazy just how many subtle and not-so-subtle moments that I missed out on my first time on Edwards Island (there’s even a neat ARG that I had to read about later… because I wasn’t nearly intelligent enough to find it myself).
Overall, through presentation, plot, and heavy emotion, I fell in love with Oxenfree. It’s one of those game’s that I can’t wait to discuss with other players, and that I’m beyond excited to share with those close to me that may have missed out on it. The characters and lore that Night School Studio have created for their very first title are all beyond impressive, and I simply can’t wait to see what this team comes up with next.
The Walking Dead‘s Skybound Entertainment is looking at ways to bring Oxenfree to other media, and you bet that I’m going to eat up everything that comes out of this partnership.
I’ll never look at a radio the same way again (well, if I ever look at a radio again).
tl;dr
+Incredible visuals, audio, voice acting
+You’ll be thinking about the plot long after you complete the title
+Great replayability
-Movement speed could be slightly faster
-‘Thought bubbles’ aren’t explained
-Camera is often too zoomed out
Final Score: 4.5/5
You can pick up Oxenfree on Steam here, or the Xbox Store here. Do it.