Developer: Night School Studio
Publisher: Netfix Games
Platform: Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
Tested on: PS5
Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals – Review
When Oxenfree was released back in 2016 it became an instant cult classic. The perfect mix of teen drama and paranormal mystery hooked players and delivered a great experience with a lot of replay value. Now, six years later, fans were surprised by the announcement of a sequel, hoping it will recapture the feeling of wonder and unease the original game was known for.
Story
The story of Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals follows Riley, who returns to her hometown of Camena Coast to start her new job. Her task is to place some radio transmitters on the coast to gather some data connected to environmental readings. When she arrives, she meets her partner for this job, Jacob, who she vaguely remembers from high school. When they place the first transmitter, a mysterious portal opens over the distant island and they quickly discover this job won’t be as easy as it seems. This starts a race across the coastal countryside to disrupt the paranormal occurrences, facing ghosts, cults, and a whole slew of mysterious anomalies along the way.
This is where the first Oxenfree game shined and Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals manages to recapture this great feeling of mystery and unease. All hell breaks loose pretty early on in the story and it never stops throwing paranormal mysteries at you, from time rifts to visions of the future. The game gives you a lot of questions that it slowly starts to answer throughout its handful of hours, always delivering plot development with a good dose of ghostly radio static or time loops. This keeps players constantly on the edge of their seats, wondering what the game will throw at them next.
But a story is only as good as the characters that experience it, and Night School Studios yet again delivers. The main duo, Riley and Jacob, are a loveable bunch that you will enjoy spending time with. Aside from these two are a handful of other characters that are just as interesting and help deliver the story. Lastly, you have a walkie-talkie that connects you to a bunch of other people, some crucial to the story while others only have a few interactions that deliver a handful of side quests. During these conversations, you’ll have the option to choose your answers, changing the flow of the story and ending. It’s important to note that players don’t need to have played the first game to appreciate Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals’s story. While having prior knowledge can enhance the experience, the game works just as fine as a standalone title.
Graphics
Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals has a really great hand-drawn art style that makes it stand out. All of the locations look nice and have an uncanny design that helps emphasize the mysterious feeling of the narrative. The characters however are 3D models that have a contrast against the backgrounds, but these never feel out of place.
The great art design isn’t only featured in the graphics and backgrounds, but all elements are designed with a lot of care to it that adds to the atmosphere. By this, we mean things like the choices during conversations being presented through text bubbles and the map looking like a real paper map that gets new things added to it like it was written on it.
Sound
Since Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals is so focused on its story and engrosses you in what’s happening, it’s important to have a fitting and immersive atmosphere. And this is yet again where the game delivers. The soundtrack consists mostly of synthesizer tracks that fit the game perfectly and deliver the feeling of uneasiness that engulfs the entire game. Together with this soundtrack is a perfect sound design for all the paranormal events and happenings that will have you that much further on the edge of your seat.
Since the game is very character driven and there’s a lot of dialogue, it’s a blessing that all characters are fully voice-acted. All of these performances are great, especially those for Riley and Jacob, which is great since you spend almost all of your time listening to them. It’s also especially immersive during big paranormal moments when voices get distorted and it adds another touch of uncanniness to the ghostly characters and such.
Gameplay
Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals is a graphic adventure game that has a big focus on its paranormal mystery story that also has a pinch of horror sprinkled in. Since this is where the game puts its focus, the gameplay mostly consists of walking around, making conversational choices, and solving a few puzzles every now and then.
The city of Camena Coast is a pretty big one, especially its outer regions with a bunch of caves and rocks, so a lot of your time will be spent walking around. Luckily Riley and Jacob are continuously bantering during your travels. This means you’ll never be bored and this time is used to get to know the characters and the world better while also making choices, which makes it easy for the game to draw you in further. Most of the time you will also have to climb a few rocks or jump over a gap. None of these actions are challenging and happen with the press of a button, but it is nice to keep your hands busy while following the story and wondering what will happen next.
But Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals isn’t purely a walking simulator. During certain sections of the game, players will use the radio and walkie-talkie to solve paranormal puzzles or look for some collectibles. None of these puzzles are really challenging, but it’s a nice change of pace from all the walking and talking.
Conclusion
Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals is a great sequel in every way. It delivers an interesting and engaging story that can be enjoyed on itself, but also has a lot of references for fans of the previous game. This narrative is delivered with amazing visuals and sound design, especially when it comes to the quality of the voice acting. While the game is light on its gameplay side, mostly consisting of walking, talking, and an occasional puzzle, it’s just the perfect amount to deliver its story. This is a paranormal mystery you don’t want to miss out on.
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