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. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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.
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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.
  23. 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.
  24. 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.
  25. 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.
  26. 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.
  27. 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
  28. 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.
  29. 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.
  30. 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
  31. hoanns
    Jun 6, 2020
    6
    meh walking sim, shallow characters, weird story. i just played it thru for completion, wouldnt play again
  32. bar0yka
    Feb 2, 2023
    6
    bitmedi daha editlerim .
  33. 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.
  34. 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.

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.
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  3. games(TM)
    Apr 14, 2016
    60
    Intriguing game held back by a faltering script. [Issue#172, p.92]
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