Oxenfree

 Switch
Oxenfree Image
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 150 Ratings

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  • Summary: Oxenfree is a supernatural thriller about a group of friends who unwittingly open a ghostly rift. You are Alex, and you’ve just brought your new stepbrother Jonas to an overnight island party gone horribly wrong.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. GameSpace
    Oct 20, 2017
    90
    Just last week, Oxenfree was launched on the Nintendo Switch, bringing it to a whole new audience. As one of those new people, I am thrilled to have been given a chance to experience Night School Studio’s debut work. A tale of choice, friendship, communication, and what we do if we’re given a chance to alter events… Oxenfree is a narrative masterpiece.
  2. Nintendo Life
    Oct 10, 2017
    90
    A genuinely creepy creation, Oxenfree combines a clever story and smart dialogue mechanics with superbly sinister music to leave a deep and lasting impression on the player, one that should encourage an all-important second playthrough. Fans of Stranger Things and Poltergeist will love the direction this game takes – if not to hell and back, exactly, then absolutely to some other place where horrors abound, just waiting for an invitation into our world. It’s yet another Switch essential.
  3. Switch Player
    Oct 12, 2017
    90
    Oxenfree mixes a spooky story, superb soundtrack and vivid visuals to create an experience that is truly memorable. I cannot recommend this game enough to anyone who enjoys getting lost in an atmospheric adventure.
  4. NintendoWorldReport
    Oct 9, 2017
    80
    Oxenfree is fascinating. It’s best played in a relaxing spot, free of distraction, so the immersion can be best enjoyed. It’s short and different, but there is replay value. There’s not anything outside of what you can do with the story of the game, other then interact with the world itself. But it’s exciting to come back and see how choices can change the plot of the game. Not quite a Telltale-level game, but also not something to pass up. The beautiful visuals, characters, and choices are why I came back to it. And with that radio you just can’t turn that down.
  5. FNintendo
    Nov 13, 2017
    80
    Thanks to its remarkable character development, well written dialogue and overall quality of the plot, Oxenfree is certain to strike a chord with fans of story-driven games, even if its length is rather short but that ends up being minimal when faced with the game's surprising developments.
  6. DarkZero
    Oct 16, 2017
    80
    Like a top-notch episode of a great TV show Oxenfree presents a well told singular story in parallel with interesting mythology. Bar a few pacing issues I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the game – and was enthralled with the narrative for huge swaths of the runtime. Oxenfree is a superb addition to Switch’s growing catalog of indie games. It may not be a title well suited to gaming on the move, but I found that playing curled up on a couch, in a dimly lit room, was an excellent setting to experience the story. Maybe you will too?
  7. Vooks
    Oct 30, 2017
    70
    It’s an intriguing story, and one I feel is worthwhile experiencing so long as you’re not put off by a lack of moment to moment game-like elements. It’s just a shame that Oxenfree’s design genius is at odds with its pacing.

See all 9 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 52
  3. Negative: 9 out of 52
  1. kermitincarnate
    Apr 9, 2018
    10
    I just finished this and it blew my mind. I went it knowing it was going to be good from what I had heard but it was so much better thanI just finished this and it blew my mind. I went it knowing it was going to be good from what I had heard but it was so much better than anticipated. 10s across the board. Writing, Story. Graphics. Voice Acting. Very, very good. One of those gems you find that hasn't been influenced by the pressure to be conformitive and do well like most triple-a titles.… Expand
  2. GonzoBobH
    Jan 1, 2018
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game does NOT end after the first play-through. Nor after the second. Nor the third. New play-throughs are different and are part of and build up the story. My goodness, it gets amazing. You have no idea. The game, the narrative, the story development recognizes this, because this is the game that eventually, satisfyingly, leads to the solution. Strangely, I'm begging you to play it. Then play it again and you will begin to understand. The only con are screen-load times, and they are painful - but even that doesn't matter because it is really that great. If you read another review and they don't mention the magic (the actual game) of replay, then they have missed something crucial to the narrative.… Expand
  4. NothingReviews
    Jan 20, 2018
    9
    Oxenfree is well-polished game with a great story that gets you want to play more and once you finished one play through, then try again asOxenfree is well-polished game with a great story that gets you want to play more and once you finished one play through, then try again as there are multiply endings to this game depending on your decisions. Even on the switch the game looks incredible with gorgeous environment and believable voice actors who did a great types of being certain types of characters. The soundtrack fits everywhere where ever you go in the game and it sounds amazing

    The only problem with this game is that the loading times takes a long time to load.

    But other than that, the game fantastic and I recommend everyone to have this game on there switch.

    Sorry if this review seems similar because I want to change my name but I couldn't so I just signed in with a different account.    … Expand
  5. BigTom93
    Jun 4, 2018
    7
    Good, not great.

    I got it for $5CAD on sale, and at that price, its a damn good game, 9/10... However it regularly goes for $20CAD, and at    Good, not great.

    I got it for $5CAD on sale, and at that price, its a damn good game, 9/10... However it regularly goes for $20CAD, and at that price, this game is kinda lackluster, especially compared to other titles on the e-shop.

    Depending on your route, this game will take you probably about 4-6 hours to finish. I'm not sure what "completing" it would take, probably multiple playthroughs, which most people don't have the time for.

    The narrative is fine, but I could clearly tell I was beyond the age of the target audience. I still enjoyed it, but not as much as I think I would have, had I been in high school when I played this. But yes this is very much a "teen" story, which means it primarily appeals to teenagers, aspiring teenagers (preteens), and people who miss being teenagers (manchildren).

    The game would benefit from a faster movement speed. There is far too much backtracking both in this game and inherent in this genre of games, for the speed your character moves at. There's often dialogue when you make these treks the first time, so they don't seem so tedious. However, when you get later in the game and you have to start wandering around to figure out what you're supposed to do (again, inherent in the genre), there's no dialogue. You march in slow, tedious, silence. This by no means ruins the game, but the amount of time it takes to get around is definitely a problem.

    The game also takes a depressingly long time to load. Between that and the movement, a lot of a playthrough is spent waiting, either to load, to walk, etc. And for a game that's only 4 hours long, that's really... not great.

    If it were a $5 game, none of this would really bother me, but the regular price is $20. I don't think this game is worth $20 in the current video game market, lots of stuff at a similar price offers LOADS more content.

    I realize this is mostly critiques, however the game is still good, and I would recommend it, but only below half price.    … Expand
  6. EnriqueAcevedo
    Mar 8, 2018
    7
    A very interesting game with a good storytelling... I loved Alex. In the negative aspect the price is too high in my opinion and the game isA very interesting game with a good storytelling... I loved Alex. In the negative aspect the price is too high in my opinion and the game is too short for $20… Expand
  7. AnnaLynxy33
    Jun 27, 2022
    6
    I think this game just didn't work for me - characters are moving very slow, they talk all the time. Yes, dialogs are written great and allI think this game just didn't work for me - characters are moving very slow, they talk all the time. Yes, dialogs are written great and all the characters have individuality, but still - I can't focus on a game when I need 1. Move 2. Listen all the dialogs 3. Read my options to answer (there is a timer) 4. Choose the right one. I know, that in that flow everything should go smooth like a real talk, but I was annoyed by that. The main plot is great if you will go dipper, but I didn't read all the letters and for me it was just OK. Idk, I just wasn't super excited playing that game… Expand
  8. red_rum_horror
    Jun 21, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. oxenfree is a beautifully haunting experience of a game. the music perfectly blends with the chilled game play while constantly keeping you tense. when you finish your first play through you come to a brutally horrifying realization, you didn't stop the loop. so you play through again, and you stop it again. you play again and again until the story finally reaches a boiling point and you break the loop, at a cost.
    you never meet nona and nether dose ren, your brother is still dead and you never build your relationship with johnas. oxenfree is a truly amazing game and as I've said before, a must have for the switch.    … Expand

See all 52 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Best Switch Game of 2017
30
#30 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017
62
#62 Most Shared Switch Game of 2017

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