Oxenfree II review: Lost Signals is a strange thing on radio waves

It’s hard to believe, but an incredible 7 years have passed since the release of the first part of the mysterious 2.5D adventure game Oxenfree. The story of a group of teenagers who are accompanied by a strange secret on a deserted island, caused very warm responses from the players. The game worked with the feel and aesthetic of the B-movies of the 1980s before it became “cool”. From the then-independent studio Night School (consisting mostly of ex-Disney and Telltale Games employees), the mix of mystery, storytelling, and storytelling created a modern take on adventure games worth trying. Can the same be said for a sequel made under the banner of Netflix?

• Platform: PC (review), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch
• Publication date: 07/12/2023
• Manufacturer: Night School Studio
• Genre: adventure game
• Czech localization: Yes
• Multiplayer: NO
• Data to download: 5 GB
• Game time: 4-6 hours
• Price: from 475 CZK (Steam)

Long live the millennials

The good news is that Oxenfree II: Lost Signals retains the feel of the first game. As in the first, the whole story develops mainly through conversations and puzzle solving. And, as with number one, sometimes you may not understand what is happening. But that’s good, because that’s just part of the whole charm of this adventure game. It’s worth noting that you don’t need to have played the previous installment to play Oxenfree II. Teen Alex and her group of friends from the first part are replaced by thirty-year-old Riley Poverly and local husband of the hour Jacob Summers, who is your companion for most of the game time. So you’ll love the new characters anyway. However, personally, I would recommend playing the first part, otherwise you will lose several references and plot connections. Netflix has prepared a good one for the lazy final video.

Along with the main character, the nature of the interview also changed. Riley is not a teenager like Alex is, so suddenly it’s not about youthful unrequited love, but about the problems of aging millennials. Searching for the meaning of life, family problems or assessing past mistakes. Both Riley and Jacob are characters that are very easy for you to connect with, they deal with things that happen to most of us. This makes you really interested in how their fate will turn out, and they are not just flat dummies without the slightest believability.

The plot of the second part takes place 5 years after the events of the first part and follows the journey of Riley, who returns to her hometown of Kamenu for a seemingly routine job – placing transmitters around the city. As is often the case, soon much more will come out of this work, and all will not be what it seems. Along with Jacob, who is searching for his lost dog and the meaning of life, he embarks on a journey through a mysterious environment full of obstacles. As if it’s not enough that Riley has to deal with supernatural radio entities reminiscent of The Board from Control. A group of strange sectarians will still claim the “word” in Kamen.

Calm and worry in one

In terms of gameplay, Oxenfree II is very similar to the first part, albeit with some changes. The most important thing is the presence of a walkie-talkie, it allows you to communicate with people who are not near you. It’s a great continuation of the story, the whole environment feels much more alive. On different frequencies, you will meet a local aging weirdo, a young school radio announcer, or maybe a ranger. Interviews with these people then act as such side tasks, most of which you don’t need to do, but in my opinion, these are high-quality conversations and interactions that would be a shame to miss. Part of the gameplay is also the need to solve “puzzles”. If you are not a fan of difficult puzzles, you have nothing to worry about. These are visual puzzles that are not overly difficult and less experienced solvers will have no problem.

Along with dialogue, walking is the biggest and most important part of the game. And this, unfortunately, is one of the few things where the game is a little lame, in my opinion. The situation has indeed improved from the first part, but you keep going back to the same paths and there is pretty much backtracking. The environment is interesting and rightly mysterious, but when you walk through the same forest for the third time, it starts to annoy you a little. Luckily, the frustration is quickly quelled by the well-written dialogue, so you don’t really have much time to figure it out.

The atmosphere is provided by a great soundtrack, as if dropped out of the films of the eighties. Sure, it’s a bit cliché these days and the ’80s theme is inflating, but the synth notes combined with the mysterious woods give it the right ‘feel’. The music goes hand in hand with the ambivalent mood that reigns throughout the game. A visible sense of calm can replace anxiety. Well thought out Czech localization is also a plus.

I would recommend Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals to anyone who is not alien to the word “waste”. It doesn’t matter if you like Twin Peaks or Dark. This seemingly cute adventure game is accompanied by a mood that some unfortunate horrors would not be ashamed of. Because neither things nor radio are what they seem. Unsurprisingly, the game should also receive a serial adaptation in the future.

Both Oxenfree and Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals are part of the Netflix subscription. Just open the mobile app and you are ready to play. This alone is definitely worth a try.