HomeFeaturesOxenfree II: Lost Signals
Oxenfree II is even more spooky if you’re a tired millennialTurn down that radio you crazy kids
Turn down that radio you crazy kids
When Igot a hands off lookatOxenfree II: Lost Signals, my analysis was that it looked a lot likeOxenfreeand therefore if you liked Oxenfree you would like this. I have now played through a small bit of the game, a slightly extended version of the area I saw in the hands off preview, and my analysis is… largely the same.
I know that’s very boring, but it’s also positive, isn’t it? Oxenfree was good, and Oxenfree II looks to be doing those same things that made Oxenfree good. A 2D, side-on supernatural thriller with radios. Good thing remains good! In a world where sequels to beloved media seem to only get progressively worse, I’ll happily take it (especially since this one is a Netflix-published project now). And although it’s directly related to the first game, the characters and happenings in Oxenfree II are distinct enough that it’s going to be accessible if you’re new to the series. And even if you did play the first game, it’s possible that Oxenfree II will be more thrilling and unsettling to you now, five years later.
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals | Announcement Trailer | MWM InteractiveWatch on YouTube
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals | Announcement Trailer | MWM Interactive
The main characters in Oxenfree II are Riley and Jacob, who are actual adults rather than teens out for highjinks and fun. Riley and Jacob are investigating some strange radio signals and a weirdo cult (both required elements for a supernatural thriller), and Riley discovers she can open tears through time. As one does.
As with Oxenfree, your choices matter. Jacob will advise caution in some situations, pointing out that it’s safer to climb down a cliff and go the long way around than it is to leap a gap. And you could, if you wanted to, disagree and make the jump. It’s natural to assume that things you do in the past could have unintended results in the future, although I haven’t actually seen that happen.
This feeling that time is bleeding into itself is another commonality with Oxenfree, but I think characters being older - not to mention players - makes it more disconcerting. Studio co-founder Adam Hines said, during the hands off, that Riley and Jacob being older is partly an example of how “everyone goes through major changes at different points” and that you can have “a coming-of-age story no matter how old you are”. Which is true. But the older you are, the closer the past is. Where backwards time travel is concerned, a 17-year-old is statistically less likely to meet themselves coming from the other direction than someone in their 30s, and that’s just worrying. Plus, and speaking entirely from personal experience here, when faced with a difficult situation as an adult there’s a new and different fear in realising that the person who is supposed to know what to do is already hereand it’s you.
Now, in complete fairness, your general common or garden adult problems are usually to do with unpaid bills or tax returns or what have you, rather than supernatural voice memos or time travel. Part of Night School’s success, though, is that they can make players view extremely unnatural situations through a more normal, relatable lens. It could be that Oxenfree II is going to be well placed to capture the hearts of tired adults trying their best. But, you know, with added ghosts and that.
