Against hits likeFive Nights at Freddy’sandAmnesia,Oxenfreewasn’t like most indie horror games, lacking jumpscares or a plot driven by fear. Instead, it followed a group of teens and protagonist Alex with a few simple gameplay mechanics: point-click adventuring, dialogue options encompassing coming-of-age decisions and frustrations, and a radio dial that opened a portal to another dimension. While light on the spooky side, its titular cast of characters and the tension between them drew fans in, and the endings added replayability value. Players found the beauty in its simplicity, andOxenfreebecame an indie hit.
Oxenfree 2: Lost Signalsdeparts from that beloved group of young adults. Still, with a similar art style and familiar mechanics, it will both look and feel like the originalindie game from Night School Studio. In fact, it’s possible that both games are simply two sides of the same coin.
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This time, players will follow Riley, who’s returning to her hometown to investigate disturbances found in the radio frequencies, joined by Jacob. Not far fromOxenfree’s setting of Edwards Island, the pair find themselves in Camena, a much bigger map than the last. As Riley and Jacob set out to uncover the island’s mysteries, exploration will play a much bigger role than before. Whereas Alex and company only had one correct path to each objective, players will have the freedom to roam and find different ways of reaching checkpoints inLost Signals.
This is howOxenfree 2will introduce side quests, something thatOxenfreedidn’t quite have. Riley and Jacob can encounter NPCs as they tune into channels on their walkie-talkie. They’ll be contacted by various strangers asking for their help, such as by running errands for them. After gaining their trust, there will be opportunities for these side characters to return the favor. And depending on how players decide to get from point A to point B, or if they choose to forgo the side quests altogether, they can miss out on folks who can help in their main quest further down the line, thereby affectingOxenfree 2’s story and its endings.
Overall, the preview ofOxenfree 2was a tiny snippet of Riley’s adventure, but there’s much to be said about the way time can be manipulated in the upcoming game. InOxenfree,Alex almost accidentally opened a portal hiding nasty beings from another plane of existence. Now, a company known as Parentage aims to do exactly that on Camena. Tasked with investigating the radio frequencies that make this possible, Riley and Jacob are already partially aware of time travel, but the extent that it plays a part in their story is unexpected.
Time will be a much more prolific element inOxenfree 2than it was inOxenfree. In the sequel, there are two types of time travel that can occur: opening portals and opening time-tears. While portals will take them to new places completely, time-tears are reminiscent ofElizabeth’s abilities fromBioShock Infinite. Riley can use the radio to open a tear, creating a window to the space location but in a different time period. In the preview, when Riley and Jacob are underground with no direct path, they approach and open a time-tear, bringing them to a mine cavern in 1899.
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But when the two are just about to escape via the other end of the time-tear, the mine begins to cave in, and Riley needs to find an alternate route of escape. In this instance, Riley did not have limited time for escape, though it may look like the time-tear was closing in on her. However, this will play a part in future missions.
Despite this new information about time inOxenfree 2, there’s still plenty of mystery left for players to discover on their journies. Like Alex inOxenfree, the pair can get stuck in time-loops, broken versions of the past. LikeMax Caufield’s story inLife is Strange, messing with time can have catastrophic consequences, breaking down the time-space continuum. Some questions still stand: did Riley and Jacob enter the exact moment the mine began to collapse, or did they themselves cause the cave-in? Night School Studio confirmed that Riley and Jacob’s actions can affect the past, but didn’t want to spoil more of the main story by revealing too much.
In addition to the new time mechanics, there’s one other major difference between the first game and the sequel. LikeOxenfree, the developer’s other narrative gameAfterpartyalso follows a couple of young adults as they compete in drinking games against Satan to escape Hell. It highlighted the studio’s clear talents: writing realistic young characters figuring out how to adjust to major life changes (which may be a bit of an understatement for two kids trapped in the underworld), and it’s something that the studio has become known for over the years in the indie sphere. So isNight School Studiolosing what attracted players to its first two games the most?
As shown during the preview, Riley and Jacob are several years older, though still at a pivotal period in their lives in what could be called a non-traditional coming-of-age story. However, players can expectNight School’s signature gameplay mechanicof dialogue options to influence endings similarly, but with more possible outcomes.
Unexpectedly, Night School also revealed thatOxenfree 2gives way for more possible installments set in this same universe in the future. While there’s no other information regarding a third game so far, players can experience the beauty of Camena in4K (on systems that allow it) and 60 FPS. It may not release for a bit longer than initially anticipated, but it looks likeOxenfree 2will be worth the wait when the time finally comes.
Oxenfree 2: Lost Signalsreleases in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, and Switch.
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