Oxenfree II: Lost Signals Review (BOXman)
Massive technical improvements over the first Oxenfree! But with major narrative flaws. (Read below for an explanation)
+Better animations
+Better mini interactions
+Better audio and sound design
+Larger map to explore
-some goofy dialogue, never met a group of humans that converses in that way
-Backtracking (though it is minor)
- Dialogue cutoff... many times in my two hours I had moments where a conversation would be midway or near the end and then be instantly cut off for another conversation to take its place. (Another minor annoyance)
Though it still has some flaws that were common in the first one. Many times in the game crazy events happen and the reaction from the character is either calm or mildly stressed. Now, this problem was also present in the previous entry yet less so. There should definitely be more screaming or mental breakdown moments. I don't think a single human being would stay calm after the first 2 hours of events.
Edit: I still recommend it, but the story feels weaker now. Having Alex agree to sacrifice a grieving girl just so she can save her friends doesn't fit her. I remember being able to break the loop in the first Oxenfree, Alex called someone off the island and convinced them to not get on the ferry. Breaking the cycle and freeing her from this nightmare. But the second one just retcons this. And the other options are ridiculous. Unless there's a secret ending where I can actually get a good conclusion which I didn't find.
I don't feel Oxenfree 2 should even exist if this is what we get. Alex and her friends barely get screen time when the game is literally about them. Riley and Jacob feel forced, disjointed, and out of place. I liked them slightly but they don't rise to the bar set by the previous group of characters. They feel meh... they have interesting dialogue and some minor problems to overcome but the writing fails to bring any of it forward.
they both behave like teenagers, even though they are full-blown adults. They don't cuss. They speak in a teenager angst dialect.
For the most part, they don't have great dynamics... Alex and her friends had their personality bounce from one another and create a really fun dynamic to interact with. But here Riley and Jacob just feel... submissive? Jacob never argues or gets angry or disagrees. He's worst than a wimp. Riley herself also fails in standing out. Her only character gimmick is that she's pregnant; which can be a very interesting thing but the story goes nowhere with it. It doesn't affect the story at all.
Alex on the other hand had flashbacks or future flashes with her dead brother. And interacting with him actually affected the story. So I fail to understand how the devs messed this up so badly when they already had the blueprints for it.
I'll be honest... the writing isn't great. The plot feels all over the place.
-You have a cult (Turns out it's not a cult but two kids that are following a grieving child who wants to believe she can bring her parents back from the dead.
-Adler becoming evil (for no reason... I guess she gave up? but she also gets 2 minutes of screen time and vague dialogue)
-Alex's friends get no screen time... They say 11 words in total... WHY?!?!
There's also pointless interaction of the side characters; having Hank, Nick, Maria, Evelyn, and Shelley be interactable is cool. But they add nothing... They don't help. Only one of them actually gives bits of lore for the player. But for the most part, they are just there for super minimal side content. Which feels like a giant miss. It would have been cool if we could add them to the ensemble cast and have them for the finale.
My expectations weren't high at all which sucks because I wanted to have a fun experience. But I feel more rubbed off than happy.
Nightstudio is starting to feel like a one-hit wonder...