Oxenfree

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 366 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 247 out of 366
  2. Mixed: 91 out of 366
  3. Negative: 28 out of 366

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  1. Hack
    May 28, 2017
    7
    I'm a fan of the genre but sometimes these games fall into the walking simulator trap and Oxenfree definitely does at times, you will spend a lot of time walking around (quite slowly) with little to occupy you as you do. It's not the worst offender in the genre but at times I did get a little bored.

    I liked the visuals, especially the world which was very detailed and almost lifelike,    I'm a fan of the genre but sometimes these games fall into the walking simulator trap and Oxenfree definitely does at times, you will spend a lot of time walking around (quite slowly) with little to occupy you as you do. It's not the worst offender in the genre but at times I did get a little bored.

    I liked the visuals, especially the world which was very detailed and almost lifelike, which made the character models look out of place as a result, though. The audio was OK as a package, I liked the voice acting but I really disliked the music and it never looped well, you could always hear where it was stopping and starting again, there was no flow to it. Gameplay wise it's as basic as it gets, directional movement, use, radio, map, that's it.

    The story is always the most important part and it was good and more importantly your choices matter! And it's not just the last few choices ala Telltale games, all your choices matter and will shape your ending of which there are many which gives this game good replay value. Overall a charming little game that got a little slow and boring at times but ultimately was enjoyable enough to recommend to fans of the genre.    … Expand
  2. Derf3L
    Dec 27, 2016
    8
    Game is good. Art style is really nice and the story is intriguing. Scary at times, the game gives you some creepy feelings especially in the first part of the story.
    The characters are a chore though.. they are a bunch of dumb teenagers.. just wanted to slap all of them most times. Maybe just cuz I'm not 16 anymore, but I would have liked something a bit more mature.
    Worth playing
  3. TitaniumDragon
    Oct 9, 2017
    6
    Oxenfree is a supernatural thriller game which is heavily centered around its conversational system. You play as Alex, one of five young people who are going out to Edwards Island to drink towards the end of their senior school year. You are hanging out with your friend Ren, and you have drug along your new step-brother, Jonas, because you didn’t want him feeling left out. The other twoOxenfree is a supernatural thriller game which is heavily centered around its conversational system. You play as Alex, one of five young people who are going out to Edwards Island to drink towards the end of their senior school year. You are hanging out with your friend Ren, and you have drug along your new step-brother, Jonas, because you didn’t want him feeling left out. The other two characters are Clarissa – a character who strongly dislikes Alex for reasons we discover through the story – and Nona, Clarissa’s best friend, who Ren has a crush on.

    The game is in some ways not very removed from a walking simulator – there is precious little actual gameplay here in terms of action. You wander around, pushing a few buttons, and on occasion use a radio to tune into a broadcast signal, but all of this can be accomplished via trial and error. The game is pretty linear, without much variation beyond choosing which of two characters you want to try to save first.

    But the game is not really about what you do in terms of physical actions, but conversation. Throughout the game, there is fully voice-acted dialogue which happens more or less continuously as you walk around through the environment, with one or more of your companions on the island chatting with you, as well as the spirits haunting the island. You can choose from up to three (and it is almost always three) dialogue options, or you can choose to remain silent and allow the conversation to continue on without you. Time to interrupt or chime in is limited, and the conversations feel pretty natural in terms of the actual dialogue, with all of the characters being believably written. The only real flaw is that sometimes, when you chime in, your character will wait for an appropriate moment, and at others, they will simply cut things off mid-sentence.

    Still, this conversation system is interesting, and it works well in practice. It is a good way of establishing character, as well as, in effect, roleplaying – how does Alex want to interact with others? Is she willing to sell one of her friends up the creek to save her own skin, or is she determined to help everyone, no matter how angry she is at the moment? Does she like her new step-brother, or is she pushing him away? Does she help her friend Ren with his crush, or tease him about it?

    Moreover, the fact that there’s so much dialogue helps to keep the game feeling full – you are usually interacting with your companions, which keeps things from getting dull, as fundamentally all you are actually doing is wandering around a spooky island at night with stylized but not very detailed graphics. The game lasts about five hours, which is just about as long as it wants to be – it has just enough time to cover all that it wants to cover, but if it was any longer, it would probably be boring.

    This is more of an interactive story than a game, but I got reasonably into it – while the spookiness wanes a bit as you get further into the game, there’s some sequences which pull off the creepiness pretty well, and the game actually gets you to want to save your friends, which is always a good sign – caring about the characters in the game means that the game has generated a sense of emotional investment, which is definitely a plus.

    However, in the end, this is not something which is going to completely blow your mind. Rather, this is a mid-tier thing – the story is actually really well executed, but there isn’t much gameplay backing it up, and the ending is only okay, not amazing. If you are someone who enjoys story and well-written (and well-acted) dialogue, this might be up your alley. If, however, you want actual gameplay in your game, you’re going to be left wanting.    … Expand
  4. dandalis
    Oct 27, 2016
    7
    Pretty neat indie game. Love the hand drawn srt style, its really gorgeuous. Narrative is also pretty well done and feels conventional like its actual people going through these mysterious bonkers events. For some reason game runs really bad on my system which makes no sense considering its 2.5D. Also would like a second or two more for dialogue choices cuz it feels too fast and i cantPretty neat indie game. Love the hand drawn srt style, its really gorgeuous. Narrative is also pretty well done and feels conventional like its actual people going through these mysterious bonkers events. For some reason game runs really bad on my system which makes no sense considering its 2.5D. Also would like a second or two more for dialogue choices cuz it feels too fast and i cant make a proper choice many times.… Expand
  5. mbrigham1223
    Jan 11, 2017
    8
    An emotional, thought provoking 2D walking simulator spinning an excellent story over light but competent gameplay.

    Pros: - Deep, well realized characters (mostly, one is just passable) - Excellent voice acting, really bringing the story and characters to life. I was constantly reluctant to interrupt other's dialogue with my own - Intriguing and thought provoking story, perfectly    An emotional, thought provoking 2D walking simulator spinning an excellent story over light but competent gameplay.

    Pros:
    - Deep, well realized characters (mostly, one is just passable)
    - Excellent voice acting, really bringing the story and characters to life. I was constantly reluctant to interrupt other's dialogue with my own
    - Intriguing and thought provoking story, perfectly paced and woven masterfully
    - Choices and their resulting impacts feel organic and honest
    - Eye catching 2d art style and backgrounds
    - Interesting collectables that add to the story; I was perfectly happy to spend an extra hour trekking about the world, looking for the ones I'd missed.
    - The John Carpenter inspired melodies perfectly compliment the tone and feel of the game, great music
    - The ending leaves you wanting more, with the definite draw of multiple playthroughs

    Cons:
    - Choosing an option often cuts off NPCs dialogue (which I wanted to hear), but waiting too long leaves the protagonist silent (also unwanted). By the end I had timing down where I could catch my option at the last moment, so I could have the best of both worlds. Just wish it didn't have to be that hard
    - Characters move so slowly that exploration can be a slog

    This is a well paced, masterful story bound to the player's hand that flows organically and with impact. Any player looking for a gameplay-light, story-heavy experience will find more than their money's worth here.    … Expand
  6. hypernewbie
    Mar 16, 2017
    5
    Sort of okay-ish walking simulator. Story is okay, don't dig the horror nor the characters. None of the characters are that likable. Worst part is the house bit near the end.
  7. aditya1101
    Oct 5, 2017
    7
    Well written game with a good story and a really cool aesthetic that is well followed through on by the art direction. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  8. Archound
    Oct 26, 2017
    9
    Unique looks, interesting plot with unexpected twists, moody music, perfect sound design, coherent gameplay. Overall one ot the best experiences in recent years. More games like this one devs!
  9. Rem
    Dec 15, 2016
    7
    Oxenfree is among all things, an experiment into the familiar that works out mostly in the end. For one, it's not particularly original since the essence of time loops and teenagers are as familiar as vanilla. However, it is the way this short title achieves is its achievement. The use of dialogue and visual/audio appeal lend to at times unsettling atmosphere, that is until you figure outOxenfree is among all things, an experiment into the familiar that works out mostly in the end. For one, it's not particularly original since the essence of time loops and teenagers are as familiar as vanilla. However, it is the way this short title achieves is its achievement. The use of dialogue and visual/audio appeal lend to at times unsettling atmosphere, that is until you figure out where the story is headed towards the end.

    The characters in Oxenfree won't be stuck in my mind for years to come, but they are fleshed out and serve the story very well and the fact that you can alter their outcome in the end is more than welcome. For a small title, there is a shocking amount of detail put into the game from the amount of dialogue to the literal detail in the environment you explore. Edwards Island has very discernible locations and the music that accompanies you is of superb quality.

    Despite this, Oxenfree does shockingly little out of the ordinary in terms of storytelling. As I mentioned before, the time loop caveat is quite predictable but the well rounded cast makes you want to see it through to the end. It's replayable but more so in the sense of what different choices you make rather than actual game mechanics, which is fine. It is important to note that Oxenfree is a pure story based adventure game; it isn't fun but it is engrossing at times. When Oxenfree isn't hitting it's high notes, it's run of the mill and almost yawn inducing, but when it hits its high notes its oddly poignant and touching and the music alone makes me want to purchase the soundtrack, so that's a definitely plus for a story that relies on Groundhog Day (the film) mechanics.    … Expand
  10. RagingPoet
    Nov 27, 2017
    9
    Oxenfree has the most influential choices out of all mainstream 'choice based' videogames. I started my second playthrough instantly after end credits and it was even better the first one
  11. Drag_n
    Mar 28, 2019
    0
    Ok so I was lucky to have been able to download the PC version of Oxenfree for free on an offer from Epic Games this year.
    I finished the game in two days, and I enjoyed this a whole lot. The storyline was good and emotional. I like how they put everything in place and I honestly loved how the characters got flashbacks from happy moments in the past. The background music was good and it    Ok so I was lucky to have been able to download the PC version of Oxenfree for free on an offer from Epic Games this year.
    I finished the game in two days, and I enjoyed this a whole lot. The storyline was good and emotional. I like how they put everything in place and I honestly loved how the characters got flashbacks from happy moments in the past. The background music was good and it created the typical atmosphere which fitted in the game. I really liked the genre of the game, it was spooky but at the same time pretty emotional, and the best part was that everything was unexpected. Not once could I guess what would happen next, and that's what made this game more exciting. The characters were greatly designed as well and the graphics of the game was just amazing. Here and there there were a few glitches or the game froze, but that's usually normal.

    For people who are suffering from loss like I have, I would definitely recommend this to you. It actually helps you deal with the pain.

    I would rate this game 98/100. There were some things which were hard to figure out and there could've been some guides through the game to make it easier. The map could've also tracked the characters at the exact spot in the location so that you know where you are going and if you are taking the right paths. Other than that, I am satisfied with the gameplay experience! :)    … Expand
  12. Brousitch
    Jan 22, 2016
    7
    Yeah, the dialog system is the main offender here, constantly frustrating in the sense it makes you you feel you are missing out on the intriguing story and not getting the full experience. The less you are willing to forgive, the more will be the ending and inevitably the whole playthrough painfully unsatisfying in spite of amazing art and atmosphere.
  13. everin
    Jan 15, 2016
    8
    Tier 2
    + The background art is gorgeous, the special effects are awesome, never a dull visual moment in the whole game
    + The soundtrack is pretty spectacular for setting the atmosphere, I only wish there were more of it + The characters are very well-acted and have some very good dialog, and the options given lead to notably different conversational paths ? The dialog system was unique    Tier 2
    + The background art is gorgeous, the special effects are awesome, never a dull visual moment in the whole game
    + The soundtrack is pretty spectacular for setting the atmosphere, I only wish there were more of it
    + The characters are very well-acted and have some very good dialog, and the options given lead to notably different conversational paths
    ? The dialog system was unique and interesting, but has some issues with the "interruption" mechanic, which feels a little stilted and often makes it feel like I'm blocking myself from hearing the other characters if I want my own character to be involved in the conversation or to interact with the environment
    ? Generally good collectibles/exploration system, but finding the hidden signal stones frustrated me as they blend into the background art sometimes; finding the letters with the radio is a lot easier, though they're scattered pretty far and wide when there's not any other reason to explore left, which is annoying
    - I really like the mythology and ideas behind the story, but I really wish they had done more with it; it felt like it had a lot more potential than what was explored
    - It wasn't entirely clear what ultimate consequences some major choices could have throughout the game or by the end; I liked the choices overall, but compared to other adventure games, the results of my actions were sometimes fairly surprising (both a pro and a con)    … Expand
  14. Ardwinna
    Oct 13, 2016
    10
    Oxenfree is the second game I've purchased from Steam, and despite my Mac being a little too slow for it, I loved this game!! Yes, it's short, but it has a really great story, great dialogue, the characters are great and the soundtrack is amazing. I even love the painterly background.

    If you get to play this game, don't play it once and then stop. Play it again right away. The    Oxenfree is the second game I've purchased from Steam, and despite my Mac being a little too slow for it, I loved this game!! Yes, it's short, but it has a really great story, great dialogue, the characters are great and the soundtrack is amazing. I even love the painterly background.

    If you get to play this game, don't play it once and then stop. Play it again right away. The supernatural stuff you saw during your first playthrough "bleed through" to your second "timeline" and the story goes deeper still. Not to mention that you can get multiple endings based on your play style. ;) Those hidden trophies are there for a reason.

    I just love this game so much despite the massive bugs I got, but I'm a full time video game tester, and I attribute most of these bugs to my mac just being too slow. I don't generally game on my mac so it's forgiven. Give this game a try, it's a diamond in the rough.    … Expand
  15. Dough15
    Jan 17, 2016
    8
    Oxenfree will take you and five well-written teenagers to a beautifully and artistically-realized island, filled with synthwaves beats while giving a great spin to the ghost-story genre, in a short and to the point interactive narrative. If you can get past some of the technical hiccups, this game is a must.
  16. pnutboy
    Jan 16, 2016
    9
    I really love Oxenfree. I had no idea what to expect going in, after just buying it without really thinking. What a pleasant surprise. If you are remotely interested in adventure games or mystery stories I'd recommend you give Oxenfree a try. The 1980's teen Goonies-esque vibe works really well and sets up a legitimately creepy atmosphere. The conversations flow incredibly well and theI really love Oxenfree. I had no idea what to expect going in, after just buying it without really thinking. What a pleasant surprise. If you are remotely interested in adventure games or mystery stories I'd recommend you give Oxenfree a try. The 1980's teen Goonies-esque vibe works really well and sets up a legitimately creepy atmosphere. The conversations flow incredibly well and the dialog is clever and well-written. I found myself genuinely interested in these five teenagers and their stories. It reminded me of Life is Strange in some parts, and I think that's a very good thing. The visual style is absolutely gorgeous and the soundtrack is phenomenal, and both help establish the excellent atmosphere that hooked me into this game. The story intrigued me from start to finish and even if it doesn't all completely make sense in the end, I thought it did a great job of keeping me guessing throughout. It takes some really interesting turns, and there's a insanely cool mechanic integrated into the game that's revealed towards the end that I obviously won't spoil, but enhanced my experience that much more. However, I can recognize that the game does have flaws. The pacing is inconsistent, especially towards the end. Some parts dragged and other important moments felt a little glossed over. I did notice an unusual framerate issue a few times and the game crashed on me once, during an important moment. Still, these flaws didn't hurt my experience with the game. Oxenfree is one of the most surprising and intriguing games I've played in quite some time, and I really hope it gets the attention it deserves.… Expand
  17. Nataraja
    Jul 4, 2016
    7
    This is a short but interesting interactive fiction piece. No where as finely developed as Life is Strange, but is unique. It does encourage you to do multiple play throughs to achieve a full understanding of the story, but I felt little interest in playing it a second time.

    GRAPHICS: Simple cartoon-esque graphics that are serviceable. SOUND: Sound is well developed to serviceable.    This is a short but interesting interactive fiction piece. No where as finely developed as Life is Strange, but is unique. It does encourage you to do multiple play throughs to achieve a full understanding of the story, but I felt little interest in playing it a second time.

    GRAPHICS: Simple cartoon-esque graphics that are serviceable.

    SOUND: Sound is well developed to serviceable.

    SOUNDTRACK: It is workable but not memorable.

    VOICE: Excellent voice acting.

    STORY: A good story but hard to follow at times, mostly because you will most likely need to play through multiple times to get all of the story to unfold. Its interesting but frankly was not engaging enough to get me to play it more than once.

    GAME PLAY: Aside from dialogue choices you "tune in" to various objects to unveil events and stories. This game is not a powerhouse of game play but it works well enough to progress the story.

    OVERALL: If you like adventure games and/or narrative driven pieces this would be a decent purchase on a substantial sale. Otherwise I would pass on this game. If you are really into narrative pieces and think you can stand back tracking and having multiple play throughs then I would consider buying it since it is decent and has a low price point.    … Expand
  18. rodericrinehart
    Jan 21, 2017
    9
    I was very pleasantly surprised playing this game. It was just fun to play from start to finish, at about 7 hours. A perfect length with almost no padding or busy-work or anything that distracted from the game.

    The artists had a vision, and delivered it graphically, musically, and through the dialogue. The soundtrack was great - right there with Bastion, Fez, FTL, and many other    I was very pleasantly surprised playing this game. It was just fun to play from start to finish, at about 7 hours. A perfect length with almost no padding or busy-work or anything that distracted from the game.

    The artists had a vision, and delivered it graphically, musically, and through the dialogue. The soundtrack was great - right there with Bastion, Fez, FTL, and many other memorable ones.

    A really great sci-fi, supernatural, suspenseful, psychological thriller, Basically an episode of The Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, or Black Mirror.    … Expand
  19. Young_Nacho
    Feb 23, 2017
    9
    Oxenfree is a fantastic game that I would definitely recommend picking up if you are interested. The plot and themes are solid, but the meaningful character interactions and fantastic dialogue system help push the game to a new level… Minor flaws aside. After my 5 hour journey was complete, It felt like everything had been a real adventure, and one that I’m happy I was able to have.
  20. agurczuk
    Jun 15, 2017
    9
    A narrative experience with great eerie story and not much gameplay.

    I absolutely loved it. The game has a great story about young teenagers going to an island for a party. They bring a radio with them that's able to pick up strange transmissions throughout the island. And just by mistake with the radio they're opening a rift to the ghost realm. And now they have until dawn to figure    A narrative experience with great eerie story and not much gameplay.

    I absolutely loved it. The game has a great story about young teenagers going to an island for a party. They bring a radio with them that's able to pick up strange transmissions throughout the island. And just by mistake with the radio they're opening a rift to the ghost realm. And now they have until dawn to figure out what's going on.

    First thing to note about this game is amazing soundtrack and superb voice acting. The visuals are pretty decent but it's the audio layer that makes this game.

    The main mechanic of Oxenfree is the dialogs. As the game revolves around the characters interacting with each other you get limited time to select a dialog option - if you don't decide the characters continue talking as if you decided not to talk. The writing is pretty clever and feel natural and your choices do matter in the end. Depending on them a game can end up one way or another - and that does not mean necessarily difference between good and bad - just different.

    Apart from that although you control directly the main character you have little choice. You know basically where you need to go - and though you can take different paths - it does not really matter. So your only job is to get from one place to another and trigger another dialog sequence. It's cool that you can still move while in dialog but it doesn't do anything. The other in game puzzles are so simple it's hard to call them puzzles. It's just a matter of tuning the radio in the right spot. Everything other is pretty obvious.

    I feel there are some hidden stuff in the game - things I didn't really bother to look for but the whole story is quite interesting and details placed here and there make it feel even better.

    Overall it's just an interactive story with dialogs choices that make a difference but do not matter in the grand scheme of the story. With a great atmosphere - that reminded me for some reason of the "Stranger Things". Loved the experience and the story.    … Expand
  21. Roke_
    Mar 23, 2017
    9
    The story is fantastic and I've never thought a 2D plat former could have me on the edge of my seat and scared at the same time. It was fantastic as most characters had purpose the only thing is Nona felt like she didn't need to be there as the story wouldn't of changed much. The music throughout the whole game is amazing and really makes the game a completely different experience as oneThe story is fantastic and I've never thought a 2D plat former could have me on the edge of my seat and scared at the same time. It was fantastic as most characters had purpose the only thing is Nona felt like she didn't need to be there as the story wouldn't of changed much. The music throughout the whole game is amazing and really makes the game a completely different experience as one time you could feel happy and not worried and then complete tone switch also the ending is very good as it does rap up with things also with a kinda telltale ending showing the choices you made. The only thing is the *continue timeline* at the end could have more reason to play as it is very repetitive as not enough changes are made to keep the player playing. But overall fantastic game and is worth buying even the price is a little high for the time span it offers.… Expand
  22. miecz
    May 11, 2017
    9
    A super natural adventure game with an innovative dialogue system. Great atmosphere, multiple endings and interesting characters. Nice adaptation of a "teenage horror movie" but with deep story and dense atmosphere replacing gore and blood. If you like indie games - go grab it.
  23. Kunray
    Mar 21, 2019
    10
    I liked listening to these bits of radio here and there, very atmospheric. this game will sure leave you with an experience you will not forget for a long time.
  24. bancandrei
    May 14, 2020
    4
    I do not get what the praise is about. The gimmick that people talk and you can walk way? that gets old after 2 mins. Characters are rather shallow and story is just passable. Art style is not that special. I would say it is mediocre, but ultimately I did not like it.
  25. gnashedpotatoes
    Mar 21, 2016
    6
    The dialog system (which is basically the entire game) feels empty and pointless. Very little that you say makes a difference, the game is essentially non-interactive. The auto-save system is also very flawed, progress is only saved when you transition across scenes so several time I had to re-watch the same conversations over again, or tediously re-walk the same 5 minute sludge to getThe dialog system (which is basically the entire game) feels empty and pointless. Very little that you say makes a difference, the game is essentially non-interactive. The auto-save system is also very flawed, progress is only saved when you transition across scenes so several time I had to re-watch the same conversations over again, or tediously re-walk the same 5 minute sludge to get back to where I left off. The game has a nice feel to it, but overall it's missing way to much to recommend.… Expand
  26. Underpants158
    Feb 2, 2016
    7
    A creepy mystery adventure game with teenagers. So, in Life is Strange I found the teenager dialogue to be very cringe-worthy. I am apparently the only one who feels that way but in Oxenfree I adore the dialogue. It's all about the timing, forgetting words, and saying "like" a lot. Not too much but a lot. It is very much in the same vein as a telltale game or Life is Strange in that theA creepy mystery adventure game with teenagers. So, in Life is Strange I found the teenager dialogue to be very cringe-worthy. I am apparently the only one who feels that way but in Oxenfree I adore the dialogue. It's all about the timing, forgetting words, and saying "like" a lot. Not too much but a lot. It is very much in the same vein as a telltale game or Life is Strange in that the gameplay is dialogue options and walking (no quicktime events though). There are multiple outcomes for situations and there are hidden secrets in the game for those who feel compelled to go back or if you are like me read about them on the steam discussion page.… Expand
  27. Kosta
    Jul 29, 2016
    10
    Прекрасная игра: механика повествования через радио, сценарная драма и механика диалога - идеальные компоненты для уникальной в своём жанре игре.
  28. FGM
    Jan 16, 2017
    4
    Interactive, story not a video game. Not bad in what's it's doing, yet overall it feels empty, pointess and boring. Graphics, and audio aren't outstanding neither. Not recommended.
  29. theponcho
    Apr 5, 2016
    10
    Best dialog system and conversations feels very real, art and music are awesome. It's the kind of game some people, like me, will find awesome, while if you are more into Fifa and COD kind of games, you probably will hate. Oh, and if you liked this, i think you might like Life is Strange too.
  30. FadingHope
    Jan 16, 2017
    10
    This is basically a perfect game as long as your focus is on the narrative rather than gun fights and mindless slaughter.
    I loved all the characters, they did feel like real people and voice-acting is just spectacular, especially from the lead. The same goes for sound quality in general, especially when "solving the triangles" (you will know what I mean when you get there).
    Graphically,    This is basically a perfect game as long as your focus is on the narrative rather than gun fights and mindless slaughter.
    I loved all the characters, they did feel like real people and voice-acting is just spectacular, especially from the lead. The same goes for sound quality in general, especially when "solving the triangles" (you will know what I mean when you get there).
    Graphically, it's a simple enough game, but there really is charm to those washed out 2D backgrounds, as well as to the characters.
    All in all, it should be an instant buy for anyone interested in a profound story with multiple endings, loads of dialogue and wonderfully portrayed characters.    … Expand
  31. Zer0TheHer0
    May 20, 2016
    0
    no keyboard configuration?are you kidding=keybinding not redefinable are totally unacceptable in this time and age.........learn to properly program an user interface......................
  32. MavenUMP
    Jan 14, 2019
    1
    Essentially Telltale. As a movie okay, as a game nobody needs this. 1 point for the nice electronic music here and there.
    Beside that the dialogues are too fast for non-native speakers, the puzzles are always the same (put out your radio), the gameplay is non-existent and you can't even change key bindings, which is unacceptable for a PC game.
    Why didn't they just wrote a book or made a    Essentially Telltale. As a movie okay, as a game nobody needs this. 1 point for the nice electronic music here and there.
    Beside that the dialogues are too fast for non-native speakers, the puzzles are always the same (put out your radio), the gameplay is non-existent and you can't even change key bindings, which is unacceptable for a PC game.
    Why didn't they just wrote a book or made a short movie, this is just awful as a game, since it as "interactive" as telltale.    … Expand
  33. aristotle61
    Dec 20, 2017
    0
    If you like this game, and games like this, I strongly suggest you get a Commodore 64 because the games are on approximately the same level technically, but the overall quality of Commodore 64 games is better. Seriously, when is this barrage of amateur games that are often not even games going to stop? Are we going backwards now?

    You have to use w,a,s,d keys to move around in this    If you like this game, and games like this, I strongly suggest you get a Commodore 64 because the games are on approximately the same level technically, but the overall quality of Commodore 64 games is better. Seriously, when is this barrage of amateur games that are often not even games going to stop? Are we going backwards now?

    You have to use w,a,s,d keys to move around in this walking tour. You can't even use the mouse accept to click on the endless conversation bubbles. Hey, here's a cool idea, let's go back to an MS-DOS interface, wouldn't that be trendy and cool?

    Everything about this game makes it clear that the developer's entire focus was on how they could make a "game" with as little effort as possible, and as quickly as possible. The game is very short and yet still spends a lot of time dragging things out to try and convince you that it really is a game, and not a comic strip. It seems like one person could have made this game in a short period of time. If this trend keeps up no one is going to want to make real games anymore. Why bother when you can quickly crank out amateur garbage by the truckload and make just as much money by releasing "indie" games in much bigger quantities.

    If you like this game, check out Zork. It's just walking around and text, similar to this this game without the childish graphics, but definitely better entertainment with better writing.    … Expand
  34. Xzenor
    Mar 4, 2020
    9
    I love this game. The storytelling is amazing and the story itself too. the graphical style is fine. not really amazing but not annoying either (thank god, NO pixel-art). It works for the game. Audio is fine. The voice acting is spot on and felt really convincing. The music was fine for the game but I don't need a soundtrack for it.

    There's one annoying bug with the controller vibration    I love this game. The storytelling is amazing and the story itself too. the graphical style is fine. not really amazing but not annoying either (thank god, NO pixel-art). It works for the game. Audio is fine. The voice acting is spot on and felt really convincing. The music was fine for the game but I don't need a soundtrack for it.

    There's one annoying bug with the controller vibration though. My Xbox One controller would just vibrate 80% of the time. Very tiresome for the hands. I found out I could fix that temporarily by just disconnecting and reconnecting the controller (yes, pull out the usb cable. I play wired), or pressing the Xbox button to open the steam menu, and again to close it.    … Expand
  35. vgi99
    May 28, 2020
    0
    The visual component is 5 out of 10. This decently looks, unfortunately, only in the screenshots, in general, this visual style palls in the first half hour of the game and causes only yawning.
    The plot - 3 out of 10. Boring, stupid.
    The gameplay is 0 out of 10. Unfortunately it is not there, most of the dialogs and interactions can simply be ignored, there is little to change. Music -    The visual component is 5 out of 10. This decently looks, unfortunately, only in the screenshots, in general, this visual style palls in the first half hour of the game and causes only yawning.
    The plot - 3 out of 10. Boring, stupid.
    The gameplay is 0 out of 10. Unfortunately it is not there, most of the dialogs and interactions can simply be ignored, there is little to change.
    Music - 0 out of 10. A rare example of such a mediocre composer, I really have not heard such terrible musical accompaniment for a long time. I hope this person quits music lessons and will not injure others.    … Expand
  36. Piruz
    Jun 12, 2020
    4
    SupaPoorEXPerience, this is what happens when you stupid average human and you try to make mindblowing serious game
  37. kezzyhko
    Aug 5, 2020
    10
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  38. tiailds
    Jan 6, 2019
    6
    Most of the dialog choices didn't seem to have much impact on the story. Just a way of giving the player something to do besides listen to the characters. The characters were a tad annoying at the beginning but grew on me over time. I liked the mechanics of the game, though the long walking can get tedious.
  39. XTRMNTR2K
    Dec 23, 2017
    10
    An engrossing, unforgettable experience

    Even though I really enjoy a good adventure and love a well-told story, this game for some reason remained almost completely under my gaming radar until a few days ago. Sure, I've heard the title, but that was it. When I started playing this game I practically knew nothing about the gameplay or story, and my expectations weren't all that big. To    An engrossing, unforgettable experience

    Even though I really enjoy a good adventure and love a well-told story, this game for some reason remained almost completely under my gaming radar until a few days ago. Sure, I've heard the title, but that was it. When I started playing this game I practically knew nothing about the gameplay or story, and my expectations weren't all that big. To say I was in for a massive surprise would still be an understatement.

    Oxenfree tells its story in just the right way; there is a lot of dialogue - all of it superbly voiced - and even the letters you can find scattered around the island are (while not narrated) commented on by the main character. The overall tone of the game is one of mystery and discovery, which is perfectly strengthened by its amazing soundtrack. Retaining such a relatively positive atmosphere is quite a feat given some of the darker themes in this game.

    As for the characters you could argue that they are a bit on the clichéd side, but for me that didn't get in the way of enjoying their bits of banter. In fact, I grew to like and care about them, something that very few games managed in recent history.

    So far I've played through this game two full times over the course of 11 hours, with maybe one or two more playthroughs at a later time (to get the remaining three achievements). During my first run of the game I played exclusively using keyboard and mouse, and didn't find much of a fault with the controls. That being said, for the second playthrough I switched to gamepad and found the overall flow of the game a little better (especially since you can usually run instead of walk easily using the analog stick, whereas you need to keep your movement key pressed for several seconds using a keyboard).

    Conclusion: If you are fine with relatively basic gameplay, but like having meaningful choices and an interesting, well-told story, this is for you. Besides, the gameplay is still more complex than that of Telltale games, so there's that. Oxenfree is definitely one of the most enjoyable and captivating games I've played all year.    … Expand
  40. Crescendo
    Mar 28, 2019
    6
    I am quite torn. Oxenfree has what I was looking for when I bought it: a nice story and atmosphere. However, it also has the exact same problems most games in it's genre have;
    - First, it's mostly a walking simulator. the radio is a nice touch, but quickly stops being a radio and becomes just a tedious mechanic. Oh, and your walking speed is pretty slow. Must be that way, otherwise the    I am quite torn. Oxenfree has what I was looking for when I bought it: a nice story and atmosphere. However, it also has the exact same problems most games in it's genre have;
    - First, it's mostly a walking simulator. the radio is a nice touch, but quickly stops being a radio and becomes just a tedious mechanic. Oh, and your walking speed is pretty slow. Must be that way, otherwise the game wouldn't even be 4 hours long.
    - The characters vary from being convincingly written - when interacting with each other - to horribly written idiots when confronted with anything halfway logical. We just saw Ghosts had visions of the past and found ourselves in a time loop? Yeah, let's not talk about that and just be teenagers like nothing happened. Should we be scared and hatch a plan? Naaaah just sit around and be angry at nothing (MC didn't take me along/was more interested in getting us out than listening to me etc.). This is really, really, really annoying at times and made me want to ditch the otherwise likeable sidecharacters with no regret.
    - The choices, of which you get A LOT, don't really matter. Well, 95% of them don't, anyway. That's alright, it's just the game building up atmosphere - and actually succeeding.
    - The laziest way to do collectibles/storyrelevant information that is possible: from point X on, there are clues just lying around for you to pick up. You know, if you can bear the slow walking speed and backtracking.

    All in all, I wanted to like this game more than I did. The story and progression was better than in most compareable games, but it ultimately has the exact same problems.    … Expand
  41. Aeryx
    Apr 23, 2018
    7
    I got this game for free from GOG. I initially took it for a walking simulator, but later on, thankfully, it gets quite interesting. The dialogue and conversation system shines really well and the voice acting is impressive. The story is there, and some parts are quite creepy. That said, the walking and moving around the small island did feel monotonous and boring quite quickly. Alex movesI got this game for free from GOG. I initially took it for a walking simulator, but later on, thankfully, it gets quite interesting. The dialogue and conversation system shines really well and the voice acting is impressive. The story is there, and some parts are quite creepy. That said, the walking and moving around the small island did feel monotonous and boring quite quickly. Alex moves slowly and you do a lot of backtracking. The ghosts in the game also feel quite harmless, so a key improvement to this game would be to have more negative and horrible consequences for your actions. The conversations DO matter so pay attention to what you say as it affects the endgame. If you like good stories, you'll feel at home in this game, but the walking can be quite exhausting at times. For the price, it's worth the risk and you probably will enjoy it.… Expand
  42. traskular
    Mar 27, 2018
    10
    Thought it was going to be another "Firewatch" waste of time. Slow start, but wow, what a finish. Do yourself a favor and play this. I've been playing games for 30 years, and this holds the intellectual merits of a great game.
  43. TwoEars
    Sep 25, 2018
    9
    The real main character of this game is the dialogue system which is quite interesting; there's a time limit to most responses, staying silent is nearly always a viable (often good) option and your responses can also interrupt people. It makes it practically impossible to always say the right thing at the right time, and if you do say something you don't know what you might have missed outThe real main character of this game is the dialogue system which is quite interesting; there's a time limit to most responses, staying silent is nearly always a viable (often good) option and your responses can also interrupt people. It makes it practically impossible to always say the right thing at the right time, and if you do say something you don't know what you might have missed out on in a different dialogue tree.

    This dialogue system is bound to leave a lot of perfectionists and completionists extremely frustrated, but on the other hand it makes it one of the most realistic dialogue system I've encountered in a game. In the real world you can't always come up with the right answer on the spot, not everything requires an answer and some things are better left unsaid.

    If you go in with the mindset that you're going to beat the game and "100% it" you may have a not so enjoyable time of it. For the best experience it's probably best to go with the flow and pretend that you're a semi-confused teenager who stepped into an episode of the x-files. I think the game works better if you don't try to make too much sense of it all, don't try to solve every last riddle, don't try to be friends with everyone and definitely don't act like you're the main protagonist or the focal point of the story.

    Other than that the graphics, audio and animations are nice but while the story is decent enough to keep us interested I think perhaps more could have been done with the overall mystery towards the end of the game. I felt like more connections could have been formed between different locations which would have tied the mystery plot somewhat tighter. As it is everything is left on a sort of vague note, this thing is here and that thing is there but it doesn't really fit together too well as a whole. Random things happen at random locations because the story needs a "magic time event" to occur.

    I tend to favor stories that present a solid mystery but also present solid explanations towards the end and if you're looking for definitive answers this might not be the game for you. I feel like many game designers these days wrap everything in 3 layers of mystery and when it's time to untie the knot they don't really know how so they give a deus ex machina pseudo science explanation mixed with a bit of emotion and exit left like they've got it all figured out.

    And, sure.. vagueness is great for mystery but it doesn't tend to give the player much in the way of low or high notes and sometimes it can be good to get a feeling of closure and progress too. Like, is this thing happening now real, should I care about this, is this actually sad or are you just pulling my leg again? Is someone actually dying this time or is this another mock execution? Vagueness is interesting but I'd like to offer the counterargument that sometimes brilliant stories are brilliantly explained and then the plot twists are razor sharp.

    For a universe to be believable it's important for that universe to establish clear boundaries, too much vagueness and metaphysics and everything ends up in a big quantum tangle of being a story both told and not told. In a universe where everything is vague nothing really matters and there is no point in caring about anything or anyone. Maybe it was all just a reflection of a dream of a past life in a parallel universe lost between space and none of us are really here and yada yada.

    Overall it's probably an 8 score adventure game but I'm going to give it a 9 just for the originality and execution of the dialogue system which is innovative and works well.    … Expand
  44. RMDsilva
    Jan 30, 2018
    6
    Pleasant experience as a visual novel - but as a game quite lacking.
    The story is fairly simple, even if it is presented in confusing terms. It's a good pleasant story and characters are fairly well explored.
    However, if you think of it as a game, your choices barely matter and you spend more time trying to pick between three options of dialogue that you're not sure what they mean (and    Pleasant experience as a visual novel - but as a game quite lacking.
    The story is fairly simple, even if it is presented in confusing terms. It's a good pleasant story and characters are fairly well explored.
    However, if you think of it as a game, your choices barely matter and you spend more time trying to pick between three options of dialogue that you're not sure what they mean (and you only have a few seconds to pick them).
    Also, gameplay is just a bit boring as you wander around the albeit gorgeous world doing meaningless things.
    In the end, I could not care about replaying to get different endings, and I'm usually quite into that.    … Expand
  45. whave
    Dec 17, 2017
    10
    a most pleasant surprise. i don't really play walking simulators, but this one got my attention - did not regret! i just had to play through the whole game in one sitting, they really succeeded in capturing the oldie coming of age movies' moods, however cliche this might sound. and the 2nd NewGame+ playthrough had enough new stuff in the story IF you just wanted more of the same thing,a most pleasant surprise. i don't really play walking simulators, but this one got my attention - did not regret! i just had to play through the whole game in one sitting, they really succeeded in capturing the oldie coming of age movies' moods, however cliche this might sound. and the 2nd NewGame+ playthrough had enough new stuff in the story IF you just wanted more of the same thing, which I did. great music, organic dialogues (with maybe a few exceptions), OK mistery and if you're a sucker for old radios and number stations... this got it all.… Expand
  46. Voyou
    Aug 17, 2021
    1
    Worse than a walking simulator, it's a WS that makes you listen to 2 wimps speaking through their noses, one of them incapable of shutting his annoying trap for 2 seconds.
    But that's not all. We also get the worst flaws of odern "adventure" games all at once:
    - Timed dialogs. Options gone after 1 second. Game decides for player. Game doesn't know it's damn role. - Said dialog options    Worse than a walking simulator, it's a WS that makes you listen to 2 wimps speaking through their noses, one of them incapable of shutting his annoying trap for 2 seconds.
    But that's not all. We also get the worst flaws of odern "adventure" games all at once:
    - Timed dialogs. Options gone after 1 second. Game decides for player. Game doesn't know it's damn role.
    - Said dialog options written outside screen limits. For real.
    - No save menu. No way to fix the dialog debacle.
    - No text speed slider in the Options.
    - No sound options.
    Rotten gameplay with rotten interface.    … Expand
  47. richbags12
    Feb 4, 2018
    8
    Visually stunning with beautiful, in-depth characters. The soundtrack is haunting and the story telling is fantastic. Oxenfree tells a story that you will not find anywhere else. The writer's must be incredibly creative, I'll give them that. I can guarantee you'll be thinking about this game long after it's finished.
  48. sarahlee123
    May 20, 2019
    7
    Oxenfree's suspenseful storyline had me powering through it over a single weekend. While brief, multiple endings to unlock encourage players to come back for more.

    One of Oxenfree's strengths is its branching dialogue, which uses a combination of speech bubbles and voice acting. There is an astounding number of dialogue choices. However, many of the options are similar to one another    Oxenfree's suspenseful storyline had me powering through it over a single weekend. While brief, multiple endings to unlock encourage players to come back for more.

    One of Oxenfree's strengths is its branching dialogue, which uses a combination of speech bubbles and voice acting. There is an astounding number of dialogue choices. However, many of the options are similar to one another and have little influence on the story, which can make the choices feel somewhat empty.

    I enjoyed getting to know the characters—who are all interesting and well written, with great voice acting to boot—but Oxenfree's brevity left me wishing I'd had more time with them, even after a second playthrough.

    Sound and visual effects really emphasize the creepiness of the supernatural entities, and Oxenfree succeeds in creating an eerie atmosphere with its moody soundtrack and environment. The art is beautiful, with the photographs you take throughout the game making a nice added touch. My only complaint about the visuals is that the camera stays zoomed out quite far. This makes the character sprites look pretty tiny, although it does allow the player to better take in their surroundings.

    One of my problems with Oxenfree is the sheer amount of walking in the game. While Edwards Island is a beautiful environment to explore, some areas are awkward to navigate and Alex's walking speed is quite slow, particularly when walking up or down steps or scaling walls or ladders. If I accidentally took a wrong turn, it took me a while to get back on course, leading to some frustrating interruptions to the flow of the game.

    Additionally, while Oxenfree is designed for multiple playthroughs, there isn't really enough variation to make the repeat feel satisfying. Maybe I would feel differently if I came back to it after a break (I started my second playthrough immediately after finishing my first), but I felt that much of what happens in Oxenfree remains essentially the same, even if you make slightly different choices.

    Despite these criticisms, I still loved this game. With a riveting story, charming art style, likable characters, and wonderfully creepy atmosphere, it has enough to offer to more than make up for its flaws, and is well worth investing the few hours it takes to complete.    … Expand
  49. miccael
    May 27, 2019
    8
    I am big fan of such games. Love the artstyle, music is ok, dialogue is good but sometimes too much.
    Ending is a bit confusing and abrupt, i.e. the climax does not pay off. But, has some replay value, which is tight! It's not "horror", it's psychological horror. Dont be afraid to play at night

    Very enjoyable and I would recommend at full price.
  50. Winko
    Dec 24, 2017
    7
    Good:
    - The script is well written and the performances throughout are pretty solid
    - The game does a good job of letting the player create their own narrative - Handful of interesting sequences - The game does a good job of setting up an ominous tone - Interesting art style - Seamless transitions back into story-centric dialogue after the player character interrupts by examining    Good:
    - The script is well written and the performances throughout are pretty solid
    - The game does a good job of letting the player create their own narrative
    - Handful of interesting sequences
    - The game does a good job of setting up an ominous tone
    - Interesting art style
    - Seamless transitions back into story-centric dialogue after the player character interrupts by examining items; seamless transactions when you load up a save
    - The ending was satisfying enough

    Mixed:
    - The game is very short but it’s obviously meant to be played through multiple times to get multiple endings
    - Tuning the radio seemed like a feature that would be utilized in interesting ways, but that didn’t turn out to be the case
    - Revisiting locations to find optional letters using clues is a neat concept, but the clues are borderline useless because they are so easy to find; the radio resets channels every time you enter a new area, adding some unnecessary tedium to the “challenge”
    - Some dialogue options disappear way to quickly, but it does make players go with their gut reactions for a lot of important choices

    Bad:
    - Gameplay is very basic, boring, and repetitive; walking around the island is tedious; the game would have worked better as a point-and-click adventure
    - Soundtrack is unremarkable
    - A rewind feature or flow chart would have been a great feature and it’s a shame that no such system is implemented    … Expand
  51. nitorita
    Aug 19, 2019
    6
    I really wanted to give this game a higher rating. I really did. The story is great and there's a lot of mystery and suspense.

    Unfortunately, the game was just so slow and it took forever getting from place to place that it was a total chore doing so. There was no fast travel or scene jumps, which meant that you'd have to walk halfway across the map just to do one thing to progress the    I really wanted to give this game a higher rating. I really did. The story is great and there's a lot of mystery and suspense.

    Unfortunately, the game was just so slow and it took forever getting from place to place that it was a total chore doing so. There was no fast travel or scene jumps, which meant that you'd have to walk halfway across the map just to do one thing to progress the story. This was a really poor means of lengthening the game time. Moreover, the loading took surprisingly long even on an SSD, which baffled my mind.

    Honestly speaking, if the game wasn't so slow, I'd have given it a 8. It has very unique gameplay and a well thought out story. But the amount of time I wasted just holding left or right really ticked me off. I would've given it a 7, but I really can't recommend anyone to play this game. It's just too slow.    … Expand
  52. IMBADA
    Oct 14, 2017
    7
    스토리는 흥미롭지만 시스템이 불편하다. 대사를 선택하면 대화를 끊는다거나, 의미없이 오랫동안 이동한다거나(비록 대화로 때우려하지만 여전히 지루하다)
    2회차에 바뀌는 요소가 많다곤 하지만 스토리의 흥미도보다 시스템의 불편함이 더 커서 다시 도전하기 불편한 작품.
  53. brwnie
    May 3, 2019
    9
    Oxenfree is one of the best adventure games I've played in a while. Art style is likable and in tone with the overall teen atmosphere, characters are well written, dialogue is really interesting, the soundtrack is a masterpiece, and the story is so great you can't wait to see what will happen next but at the same time you want it to drag for a couple more hours just so you can get immersedOxenfree is one of the best adventure games I've played in a while. Art style is likable and in tone with the overall teen atmosphere, characters are well written, dialogue is really interesting, the soundtrack is a masterpiece, and the story is so great you can't wait to see what will happen next but at the same time you want it to drag for a couple more hours just so you can get immersed in its well crafted world.… Expand
  54. FrostyFeet97
    Sep 13, 2018
    9
    Oxenfree is the kind of that will not let you exit your game. Story and characters are awesome and the graphics are charming. Definitely worth the price and your time.
  55. beeanadou
    Sep 21, 2020
    5
    Awkward conversations and the some of them are rather annoying in many ways. Story is not suspenseful enough, was expecting something big to surprise me in the end but that obviously didn't happen.
  56. Bengatore
    May 22, 2018
    10
    I have played hundreds of games over my lifetime. Some of them made me emotional, some of them stayed with me long after I finished playing them, and some of them I deeply enjoyed. However, Oxenfree is one of only four games I have played that I not only enjoyed, but loved.
  57. toxyk
    Jun 27, 2018
    8
    Un juego con 0 jugabilidad centrado por completo en la historia con varios finales. Tiene una historia muy original y atipica, me ha gustado mucho, pero se me ha hecho muy corto, y con un final un poco brusco
  58. muibty
    Aug 12, 2018
    9
    Great design, great music and an amazing story.
    The biggest con is all the walking
    But there's so much to this game that you can discover. There's multiple ending so the game also has a replayability aspect to it as well.
  59. Justmygaming
    Aug 15, 2018
    6
    It was a little disappointing and forgettable, I don't regret getting it or anything and the soundtrack was good but the story could have been better and I feel like a lot of the characters weren't all that likable
  60. kikopaff
    Nov 30, 2018
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. You play as Alex, a 17-year-old, blue-haired rebel and are joined by her best friend, Ren and her new stepbrother, Jonas. You’re on your way to Edwards Island for the overnight senior high school beach party, a tradition that appears to have dwindled in popularity. Upon arrival at the island, you are joined by Clarissa, ex-girlfriend of Alex’s deceased older brother, Michael and who Alex seeks to reconcile hard feelings with, and Nona, Ren’s total Woman Crush Wednesday and Clarissa’s best friend. What innocently starts as a hang at the beach with some beer cans and a game of Truth or Slap, slowly becomes a teen thriller as Alex and her friends accidentally unleash ghostly spirits and are soon forced to solve the haunting secrets of the island, with time ticking and their lives on the line.

    Oxenfree will serve you well if you have a natural knack for curiosity; exploration is a key mechanic as you navigate through Oxenfree‘s woods, old forts, barracks, and towers. Despite the undertones of horror and mystery, I appreciate that as you wander through Oxenfree‘s world, you’re given time to do exactly that – wander. The deeper I searched into the various landmarks, read over the worn down signs and peeped inside antique shops, the richer and more authentic my experience as Alex felt. I truly felt immersed in the island and my usual, ‘let’s-leave-before-my-mom-turns-this-into-a-lecture’ mentality was put aside, even for a few hours. I thought the game offered enough balance between exploration, story and responding to the adrenaline rush. Don’t get me wrong, Oxenfree isn’t just a nice walk in the park – there were spooky events I encountered that made me flinch or jump out of my seat. Even after playing it for the second time, Oxenfree knows how to keep you on your toes.

    As you explore the game, it offers various endings for Alex and her friends, depending on the choices you make. Your navigation and responses as Alex can greatly affect the conclusion you’re given at the end of the game. In my first playthrough, I was confused, a little jarred and unsure about whether I agreed with the decisions I made. In my second attempt, I was more content with the outcome. The urgency lies not only in escaping or solving Edwards Island’s riddles, but to also unravel Alex, her friends, and ultimately, yourself. I felt compelled to do the second replay of Oxenfree not only because of how immersive the world is, but because I realized that I am responsible for my choices and how that affects others. As a coming-of-age story, you get to decide what kind of person you want Alex to become. Her life is in the palm of your hand.

    As you converse with characters, dialogue bubbles appear and you can choose how you’d like to respond. Each response led to unique banter, emotions, and outcomes, and each choice felt distinct. Responses flowed with the conversation, but there were times when I interrupted someone mid-sentence and it felt awkward and rude. It was a little frustrating and I wish the developers added some consistency to this mechanic, as I often chose to wait until the end of my companion’s story before I chose a response. But dialogue bubbles eventually fade out, meaning that if you’re not quick enough to choose, you end up saying nothing. Sure, silence can often evoke emotion far louder than words – but in one instance, I had caused a lot of unwanted tension, thanks to not being able to click a response.

    Oxenfree is a poetic, coming-of-age teen thriller that both magically captures the fantasies of ghostly spirits, mysteries on an island and time-warped loops, and the significance of history, relationships, and our choices. These underlying messages and features are eloquently presented through unique visual palettes, a soundtrack that teleports you through time and a radio that somehow summons both answers and the monsters we all want to hide from. Despite minor hiccups in dialogue pacing and glitches, these small road bumps will be the least of your worries.    … Expand
  61. AbaddonMason
    Apr 24, 2023
    8
    Прошёл дважды, отличный OST, игруля ненапряжная прям каеф. И за сюжетом следить интересно, и за персонажами. И крипате очень удивился, визульный стиль игры ни капли не намекает. Жду вторую часть
  62. philzlz
    Jun 22, 2021
    6
    While the game started out interesting i did not find the story that intriguing. Characters are not that likeable and the multiple choice answers sometimes cut off ongoing conversations which made me miss out on some dialogue. I also encountered a bug that made it unable to move my character and had to restart at a checkpoint. The whole game felt like it was targeted at a younger audience.While the game started out interesting i did not find the story that intriguing. Characters are not that likeable and the multiple choice answers sometimes cut off ongoing conversations which made me miss out on some dialogue. I also encountered a bug that made it unable to move my character and had to restart at a checkpoint. The whole game felt like it was targeted at a younger audience.

    The game is a walking simulator with easy puzzles and collectibles that piece together the backstory something that i generaly dislike in games and that for me artificially drags out the playtime. I prefer games that explain their story through normal gameplay and doesnt hide it behind collectibles.

    On a positive note: I liked the art style and music and the beginning of the game had me interested.    … Expand
  63. mertdost
    Jan 26, 2019
    8
    If you like Life is Strange, you are definitely going to like this. Beautiful indie game with well written story. Must Play.
  64. Soullex
    Nov 30, 2022
    6
    Tamam, bağımsız yapım. Tamam, güzel hikaye anlatıyor. Bir oyun olarak iyi bir oyun mu pek sanmam. Diyalogların üst üste binince sesin kesilmesi de çok ilginç.
  65. xshepistolwhips
    Jun 26, 2019
    10
    Interesting, laid-back game with relatable dialogue. Not for anyone looking for an abundancy of jump scares or bullet action. This is for someone who enjoys the idea of the paranormal, quirky dynamics like the continuous radio use to further the gameplay, and for those okay with a game that is more of a slow-burn. I enjoyed it thoroughly and am playing it again with different family members.
  66. unknowen827
    Jun 30, 2019
    10
    A wonderful game the soundtrack, the animation and the story in general are breathtaking. The game includes lovely designed characters and the game has a perfect length.

    Only sometimes the level sequences were too short or too long.
  67. tuna_no_crusts
    Aug 12, 2019
    6
    Overall, it was an interesting premise, yet dull game. After 50% through, i couldn't help but wish the walking was sped up 50% (or at least let the character run everywhere!) Art style and voice-over is very good for an indie.
  68. edxtan
    Aug 9, 2023
    7
    Oxenfree's choices constantly diverge and intertwine, making everything you do feel important. The interruptable dialogue creates a naturalistic atmosphere, but the inconsistent timing can force you to interrupt, even when you don't want to.
  69. Crimert
    Mar 20, 2020
    6
    This is an emotional adventure game. Choices matter and there are many different endings in this game. I liked the soundtracks. The gameplay is interesting at the beginning but gets boring in time. Approx. 4hrs on record.
  70. Shadran
    Jun 17, 2020
    6
    Very disappointing game. Starts really slow and makes you bored really fast with bland characters. The horror aspects of the game are most entertaining but they are spaced out by painfully long walks. The whole game i had a feeling there is no space for failure no matter what you choose to do or say. Graphics and sounds are average which is fine. Over all really boring game.
  71. ourendlesseason
    Dec 30, 2019
    9
    Oxenfree è un indie thriller game: grafica semplice e stilizzata, dialoghi divertenti e personaggi ben caratterizzati. Cosa potrebbe succedere ad un gruppo di amici durante una semplice festa sulla spiaggia?
    L'aspetto fantasy/thriller c'è tutto: Alex e la sua radio che riesce a percepire delle presenze soprannaturali in quell'isola, scritte sulle rocce che ci guidano nel viaggio e    Oxenfree è un indie thriller game: grafica semplice e stilizzata, dialoghi divertenti e personaggi ben caratterizzati. Cosa potrebbe succedere ad un gruppo di amici durante una semplice festa sulla spiaggia?
    L'aspetto fantasy/thriller c'è tutto: Alex e la sua radio che riesce a percepire delle presenze soprannaturali in quell'isola, scritte sulle rocce che ci guidano nel viaggio e sparizioni non legate al caso. Tutto è contornato da effetti speciali e la costante oscurità che aiutano a creare una buona atmosfera.    … Expand
  72. AliPMcG
    Aug 19, 2020
    7
    Oxenfree could be described as a story-driven walking simulator, one that revolves around snappy dialogue, of which there is a lot. It's a very nice-looking game, with gorgeous background art and excellent animation of the 3D character models, and the voice acting is good, but there is no real gameplay to speak of, apart from making dialogue choices and tuning your radio to the rightOxenfree could be described as a story-driven walking simulator, one that revolves around snappy dialogue, of which there is a lot. It's a very nice-looking game, with gorgeous background art and excellent animation of the 3D character models, and the voice acting is good, but there is no real gameplay to speak of, apart from making dialogue choices and tuning your radio to the right frequency in the right place. It's still engaging though, and does a good job of using jumpscares to illustrate to you (the player) what Alex (the protagonist) is experiencing.

    The game feels more like an interactive movie than a game, in that there is a story that unfolds linearly, and your contribution to this story amounts to walking to the next place and clicking on something. There's nothing wrong with that per se, and the game uses the time it takes you to walk to the next plot point to initiate conversations with the other characters. The problem comes when you want to go off-story to explore the island or look for the hidden radio signals that flesh out the plot, when it becomes painfully apparent just how slowly you navigate the circuitous environment. Some sort of fast-travel system would have been very welcome.

    It reminded me of a Joss Whedon teen movie with supernatural horror elements, right down to teenage characters being played by actors in their twenties or thirties. The characters all talk like sarcastic smartasses basically all the time, which makes sense at the start but which starts to grate, and which I thought undermined the disturbing life-and-death story.

    Your dialogue choices change how the other characters talk to you, but not the plot, except for the ending. I know this because I am on my third playthrough; without wanting to spoil it, the plot cleverly allows for replays to continue the story in a way that gives the player insights that the characters don't have. I found it quite frustrating how some dialogue choices you make seem to have much more significance than others - at the end there are summaries of the decisions you made, and some of these were choices I was not aware I'd made.

    Despite these complaints it's still a fun, short experience (3-4 hours if you just follow the plot), and I still enjoyed it enough to play all the way through it twice.    … Expand
  73. Renaigse
    Jan 8, 2020
    7
    В целом неплохая игра, графика на уровне для инди, персонажи интересные, сюжет неплох, однако недокручен,что самое удивительное, присутствует реиграбельность, однако игра очень короткая, твой выбор мало на что влияет.
  74. Simoss13
    Jul 4, 2021
    8
    Oxenfree delivers a thrilling experience which delves into the supernatural. You start as a teenager (Alex about 17) and she is accompanied by some friends to have a good time on a remote island. Things suddenly go pear shape as you awaken an ancient spirit that can possess and disorientates you and your friends.
    The theme and interaction of characters is top notch, I am always wanting to    Oxenfree delivers a thrilling experience which delves into the supernatural. You start as a teenager (Alex about 17) and she is accompanied by some friends to have a good time on a remote island. Things suddenly go pear shape as you awaken an ancient spirit that can possess and disorientates you and your friends.
    The theme and interaction of characters is top notch, I am always wanting to know more about these characters lives and situations to lead them to being who and why they are. These spirits leech onto Alex's insecurities through the game and provoking unresolved issues.
    At this point I should add the voice acting and character interaction is what really executed the plot and brought the game together as a whole. If it wasn't for voice acting and characters, I cannot see how this game would of panned out.
    I really like thrillers that also develop characters and showing a 'coming of age' undertone. Movies such as 'IT' is a prime example of this. Although a different plot, it has that common theme. I scare easily so having an emotional personal plot really brings depth making it tolerable.
    The art style and visual effects in the game are also breathtaking as it really immerse you in the games theme making me disorientated.
    The major complaint I have on this game is the actual gameplay itself. It felt like a visual novel and walking sim, therefore the game play and skill is minimal. You have dialect choices constantly in the game which is great. I just wished they allowed me to select an option after a character has spoken, as the game seems to force me to choose and interrupt another characters dialogue. This can distract on the brilliant voice acting and plot which bothered me.
    The game is priced well for a 4 hour adventure and if you want to see alternative endings (like me) you will give a second try to see how you choice matter in the end credits    … Expand
  75. Wrathzo
    Mar 22, 2022
    7
    Oxenfree is a supernatural mystery/horror graphic adventure game developed and published by Night School Studio. In Oxenfree, players assume the role of the teenage girl Alex on a weekend trip to a local island. After seemingly supernatural events occur, Alex and her friends must unravel the secrets of the island.
  76. Alexb1096
    Jul 24, 2020
    7
    ITALIAN:
    Questa recensione è del tutto personale perchè reali difetti nel gioco non li ho trovati.
    Cercherò di analizzare con ordine ogni ambito del gioco per spiegare il motivo per cui mi è piaciuto ma non l'ho amato. Innanzitutto parto dal comparto grafica e audio. Lo stile grafico, che sembra disegnato a mano, l'ho trovato molto interessante ed originale ma anche pesante, piatto e    ITALIAN:
    Questa recensione è del tutto personale perchè reali difetti nel gioco non li ho trovati.
    Cercherò di analizzare con ordine ogni ambito del gioco per spiegare il motivo per cui mi è piaciuto ma non l'ho amato.

    Innanzitutto parto dal comparto grafica e audio.
    Lo stile grafico, che sembra disegnato a mano, l'ho trovato molto interessante ed originale ma anche pesante, piatto e di non semplice lettura a prima vista. Mi è capitato qualche volta di non capire perchè non potessi fare qualche movimento e altre volte non riuscivo a spostarmi bene a causa della mancanza di profondità.
    La colonna sonora invece è abbastanza piacevole, tranne all'inizio del gioco perchè c'è una melodia (presente nel trailer) alienante, ripetitiva e completamente fuori contesto.

    Il gameplay invece tutto sommato è carino ma, come ho già detto, presenta alcuni problemi nel movimento della protagonista a causa della poca prospettiva dell'ambiente. Inoltre, soprattutto all'inizio del gioco, il movimento è estremamente lento e risulta fastidioso quando si sbaglia strada o si scopre che la strada che si sta percorrendo è chiusa.

    È interessante ma non gestito molto bene il sistema di dialogo tra i personaggi, che li fa dialogare costantemente e chiede spesso di dover scegliere la risposta da dare, portando il giocatore a seguire i discorsi e ad immedesimarsi nella vicenda. Il problema secondo me è che i personaggi parlano davvero tanto e velocemente e quindi, soprattutto se si gioca in una lingua diversa dall'inglese (l'unica con il doppiaggio), bisogna leggere i sottotitoli, leggere le risposte, ragionare un secondo e rispondere. Mentre si fa questo però ci si sta muovendo per la mappa, magari si sta un po' guardando l'ambiente e il tempo per rispondere è veramente poco. Alcune volte mi sono visto costretto a rispondere a caso o addirittura a non rispondere. Carino che alla fine del gioco (no spoiler) ti dica come le tue risposte hanno influenzato le vite dei personaggi.

    Infine penso di dover parlare della trama (no spoiler).
    Il gioco ci mette forse troppo ad entrare nel vivo della storia, motivo per cui stavo pensando di abbandonarlo (ho deciso di proseguirlo guardando alcuni screenshot del gioco in cui ho visto cose interessanti). Questa fase serve a conoscere i personaggi ma concretamente non è interessante e, unita al movimento lento di cui ho già parlato, risulta noiosa.
    Poi tutto cambia di colpo e diventa più interessante, anche se non mi ha mai preso davvero, ma in parte è anche colpa di tutte le cose alla base che non mi sono piaciute.
    Il gioco ha una durata piuttosto breve, l'ho finito in 2/3 giorni giocando a ritmi abbastanza tranquilli (dura circa 5 ore).
    Il finale (no spoiler) l'ho trovato un po' troppo veloce e non mi ha lasciato quasi niente.

    Voto: 7/10    … Expand
  77. Chubac
    May 31, 2020
    8
    This game very much reminds me of Life is Strange but in a good way and I would says this is way better than that. The atmosphere is more scary, the visuals are more unique and the story feels more original.
  78. hoanns
    Jun 6, 2020
    6
    meh walking sim, shallow characters, weird story. i just played it thru for completion, wouldnt play again
  79. oliwill1
    Jul 23, 2020
    8
    I had a really good time with this game. I think that the choices you had to make were really interesting and it is one of the few video games where the choices feel genuinely conflicting. The art isn't my favourite and the movement could be a little slow and glitchy sometimes but honestly, it is worth it for the characters and story. The ending was probably the best part of this game andI had a really good time with this game. I think that the choices you had to make were really interesting and it is one of the few video games where the choices feel genuinely conflicting. The art isn't my favourite and the movement could be a little slow and glitchy sometimes but honestly, it is worth it for the characters and story. The ending was probably the best part of this game and was really well executed.… Expand
  80. mapuskundali
    Jun 29, 2020
    9
    One of the best dialogue system I've ever played in video games. Maybe, the best.
  81. Koleck0LP
    Nov 5, 2022
    10
    Really cool story, I like the artstyle characters and all, the story was confusing for me but most stories are
    only two things that I didn't like are:
    that the game is locked at 60 FPS on pc, I would prefer to have the option to run the game at my monitors refreshrate and the other thing is sometimes the character the character you control does not go in the direction that you want like    Really cool story, I like the artstyle characters and all, the story was confusing for me but most stories are
    only two things that I didn't like are:
    that the game is locked at 60 FPS on pc, I would prefer to have the option to run the game at my monitors refreshrate
    and the other thing is sometimes the character the character you control does not go in the direction that you want like for example you hold left and the character climbs up.
    But overall I love the game and will replay it again in the future.    … Expand
  82. bar0yka
    Feb 2, 2023
    6
    bitmedi daha editlerim .
  83. IgorSneg
    Dec 28, 2020
    7
    Hello from Russia with love. I'm too old for any fancy indie games but have played in Oxenfree right after watching Bandersnatch on Netfilx and had some fun in process.
    Minuses: Annoying talking all the way, there are tons of dialogs in game. Too much walking. Too much. An these teens with theirs teen problems. It's not my theme.
    Pluses: Atmosphere. Music. Variability. Witty ending.
  84. Cacti-spikes
    Apr 15, 2021
    10
    Loved it! Amazing characters, lovely graphic and thrillng story. Such an inspiring game : )
  85. player_101
    Apr 4, 2021
    10
    I loved it, it is now one of my favourite games. The story is great, very interesting in my opinion. The characters have a lot of personality and the art is great.
  86. kantlax
    Jul 13, 2021
    7
    The story is ok, its not really clear how the desicion you made will affect the content.
    Has good graphics and the end changes based on the decisions you made.
  87. 3ls0ul
    Mar 7, 2023
    9
    Este juego aún no lo eh jugado o completado, así que pondré una reseña y nota diferentes cuando lo haga.
  88. TheQweast
    Mar 3, 2023
    8
    Gripping story with nice twists and turns throughout. Art style is awesome and the environments plus the ambience will keep you on your toes. Looking forward to the sequel.

Awards & Rankings

74
#74 Best PC Game of 2016
49
#49 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
91
#91 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 49 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 49
  3. Negative: 0 out of 49
  1. DarkZero
    Nov 15, 2016
    70
    Oxenfree is a curious and fairly short game. The wonderful voice acting and characters, the interesting themes and the beautiful backdrops are sometimes let down by poor design choices. Ultimately, for fans of story, of which I am one, it is worth playing. But if you have to get your kicks from involved gameplay, perhaps this is not the one for you.
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  2. Quarter to Three
    May 29, 2016
    100
    Oxenfree is well written, immaculately acted, and superbly paced. And the most important thing is a conversation system that brings to life lived-in characters actually talking to each other instead of struggling to emerge from a turn-based dialogue game. Oxenfree is the Robert Altman of videogames.
    Read full review
  3. games(TM)
    Apr 14, 2016
    60
    Intriguing game held back by a faltering script. [Issue#172, p.92]
    Read full review
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