Oxenfree

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. RPG Fan
    Aug 11, 2016
    90
    Oxenfree is an extremely well put-together horror game from a new developer, and one that I can find very little fault with. Night School Studios might just be 2016's class valedictorians, and any fan of Telltale games and suspense fiction simply must give this one a go.
  2. Gaming Nexus
    Jun 30, 2016
    90
    Oxenfree is everything that is right in the indie development scene. It tells a great story, has really unique gameplay that's almost completely dialog driven, and has some of the most subtle horror elements I've seen in a game. This is one of those games that you shouldn't sleep on, make sure you check it out.
  3. PlayStation Universe
    Jun 8, 2016
    85
    So much of Oxenfree is an utterly heavenly experience. The conversation options knocks other games out of the water, and the characters are relatable and well-realised. The story is well-paced for much of the fairly brief play time, but sadly things unravel by the time the finale arrives, making a potential stone cold classic into something that’s merely great.
  5. Digital Chumps
    Jun 6, 2016
    84
    OXENFREE is an amazing story that doesn’t ask a lot of extra attention from its players other than listening and occasionally playing out some puzzles/problems/actions onscreen.
  6. Gamers' Temple
    Oct 5, 2016
    82
    The game's story was captivating enough to keep me playing in spite of the lack of any real gameplay challenge.
  7. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Jul 16, 2016
    80
    One of this year's best indie offerings so far. [Aug 2016, p.88]
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  8. PlayStation LifeStyle
    Jun 3, 2016
    80
    Oxenfree deals with some heavy topics in just a few hours, and manages to do something genuinely interesting with them. A phenomenal conversation system anchors most of the experience, but there’s many mysteries for dedicated players to solve. Oxenfree is a game that rewards players that go the extra mile, and how much you get out of it is directly tied to how much you put in.
  9. Push Square
    Jun 6, 2016
    70
    It may be brief, but Oxenfree has elements of greatness and stands out as an excellent example of video game storytelling. It's also a beautiful and intriguing game that draws you in from the very start and makes you want to see just how deep the rabbit hole goes. Unfortunately, the situational narrative is let down slightly in the final third where it confuses even itself and fails to merge with the far stronger and more prominent social narrative.
  10. We Got This Covered
    Jun 3, 2016
    70
    Although light on challenge and gameplay, Oxenfree offers rich dialogue options and an intriguing story that unfolds over multiple playthroughs while following characters that are easy to become attached to.
  11. DarkStation
    Jun 30, 2016
    60
    Oxenfree has a fabulous soundtrack, well written dialogue, and it takes some bold steps into territory that’s rarely tread in games. The island Alex and company find themselves trapped on holds many secrets, but none of them seem to warrant discovery.

Awards & Rankings

72
#72 Best PS4 Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 110 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 82 out of 110
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 110
  3. Negative: 11 out of 110
  1. Almighty_David
    Aug 9, 2016
    7
    Oxenfree is flawed but still an enjoyable experience and one of the better "walking simulators" I've played so far.

    After reading some    Oxenfree is flawed but still an enjoyable experience and one of the better "walking simulators" I've played so far.

    After reading some mediocre reviews I was skeptical going in, but I was positively surprised by how well written and interesting the dialogue and the characters were and I was intrigued by the choices I was offered, because they seemed to be more substantial than in most other games in this genre.

    The story, however, ultimately was disappointing and it felt (too) "dumbed down", like they were constantly sacrificing depth just to make it as easy to follow as possible for everybody.

    The whole game is pretty simplistic in general and I liked that about Oxenfree, but some people might feel a little underwhelmed or even bored by the lack of challenge and sophistication.

    The biggest problem for me was that the game makes promises in the first half that it just can't deliver on in the second half, because in the beginning the story appears to be pretty fascinating and mind-bending, but that only leads to a much greater let-down when it eventually turns into something very unoriginal and predictable and ends in a completely unsatisfying way.

    All that being said though, I'm still glad I bought this roughly four hour long adventure (on sale), because I really enjoyed the dialogue and since I was given a good number and variety of choices throughout I even thought it had some decent replay value.    … Full Review »
  2. Nexre
    Nov 5, 2016
    8
    Good story, little confusing and could do with random, not story driven dialogue so when you get lost you dont get bored, couple times i feltGood story, little confusing and could do with random, not story driven dialogue so when you get lost you dont get bored, couple times i felt like just quitting because some bits required a lot of walking.

    Otherwise great story and great dialogue, voices were a bit "studio" rather than walking around in the woods but whatever    … Full Review »
  3. Yojimbo2015
    May 11, 2023
    7
    Nice little narrative-based adventure with attractive graphics that stands out from the crowd thanks to some very good dialogue and voice acting.
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