Yup! Loved the dialogue throughout the whole game. The dialogue system is just smartly done and I just think it comes off incredibly natural. It also helps that the voice acting is so great.
damn it. I just tried running a completely silent playthrough. It started off super awkward and everything, but then at the top of the first hill she is forced to speak when you go to push the trash bin against the fence. Ah well. At least I failed quickly rather than halfway through the game or something.
Played it this morning after seeing the launch trailer appear in my team's Slack. Goddamn it's a wonderful game. I really, really, hope more games employ the dialogue system it uses. Being able to respond in real time (or hold back) is such a naturalistic touch to conversations. It helps that the voice acting is mostly top notch too. Well Alex's was consistently, the others took a while to grow on me.
The art is obviously incredibly gorgeous, but it's the sound design (and similarly the music) that takes the cake for me. So well executed and engrossing. Really pulled me into the world. I'm a sucker for the 80's glitchy/warped/analogue aesthetic treatment as well.
There were a few spots where trekking round between locations did feel a bit slow & cumbersome. The movement also sometimes felt a bit finnicky when navigating paths. But these are minor gripes.
Lovely game, highly recommended. I'm looking forward to playing through this a second time!
It has a similar issue to Everybody's gone to the Rapture in that traversal can be a bit of a chore which makes it less fun and enticing to backtrack/explore IMO.
Great game, but the progress stopping bugd are rediculous, just got one where it wanted me to barge open the door tonthe parks and rec building, alex got into position then...nothing i cant do anything, nothing on the controller works, not buttons register except map and radio. Also i feel like im sabbotaging all of the friendships, even when I think I pick the right or nice dialogue choice, alex comes off as mean and the characters seem to like her less because of it
Great game, but the progress stopping bugd are rediculous, just got one where it wanted me to barge open the door tonthe parks and rec building, alex got into position then...nothing i cant do anything, nothing on the controller works, not buttons register except map and radio. Also i feel like im sabbotaging all of the friendships, even when I think I pick the right or nice dialogue choice, alex comes off as mean and the characters seem to like her less because of it
Don't forget that staying quiet is also an option. You don't always have to get a word in edgewise. The other thing is that the game is extremely free-flowing. For the most part, is not going to be just one thing you say that will shift the balance of the whole relationships.
I really liked Oxenfree and now I'm looking for another point and click adventure game with good atmosphere and without any difficult puzzles to get stuck on. Any suggestions?
Man, the story was pretty good and the VO and dialogue was fantastic! I think this game might help the VAs get more gigs. Everyone sounded so natural and just plain excellent. I'm in love with the VA who does Alex. She also did Sasha in Tales from the Borderlands.
Need to point out that I played on Xbox One and the game actually crashed on me 3 times after freezing. Seemed to happen when you end up in a new area and they're about to speak. I dunno why this happens. I also wish the game was longer. Beat it in 4 hours. But other than that, I really enjoyed my time with it.
Great game, but the progress stopping bugd are rediculous, just got one where it wanted me to barge open the door tonthe parks and rec building, alex got into position then...nothing i cant do anything, nothing on the controller works, not buttons register except map and radio. Also i feel like im sabbotaging all of the friendships, even when I think I pick the right or nice dialogue choice, alex comes off as mean and the characters seem to like her less because of it
Started the game last night and like, everyone else, I really love the VA in this game -especially Alex. I also really liked how the characters picked up their conversation after I interrupted them that one time.
No crashes or bugs yet, but I've only played an hour or so. My only issue with the game so far is the controls, which can be a bit frustrating when Alex goes from running to shambling along the path.
I just started about 10 minutes ago and I'm already annoyed by how often the characters cut each other off and skip over dialogue. Maybe I'm moving forward too quickly.
I just started about 10 minutes ago and I'm already annoyed by how often the characters cut each other off and skip over dialogue. Maybe I'm moving forward too quickly.
Yeah, you'll miss a lot if you race from place to place. There aren't a lot of awkward interruptions in the script, so if you have one then it's probably because you were moving faster than the game wanted you to. In general I found pushing the control stick halfway was about the right movement speed to hear everything and not have to wait at the edge of the screen for a conversation to fade out.
My first play through was about five and a half hours long, and my second run was four hours.
The choices you make affect the story a little bit, but mostly they affect the attitudes and relationships of the characters in your group. Given that over half the game's content is talking with people while walking, this still has a profound difference on experience.
managed to keep Ren from dating Nona without realizing it. Whoops
. I gotta say the VA cast had done a great job throughout the game, with the dialog mostly flowing naturally (when characters weren't skipping lines at random).
I have a question about the ending:
does sacrificing Clarissa to the 'ghosts' save you from the time loop right at the end?
Just finished my first playthrough with this game (4 hours). Awesome game. I loved how unsettling the entire game was instead of just being 'scary'. Sometimes while messing around with that radio I'd find some really disturbing old transmissions that really set the tone. Early in the game I heard one that was just repeating 'Everybody died in horrible, painful ways. It should've never been found at all'. That's some unnerving shit.
Just finished my first playthrough with this game (4 hours). Awesome game. I loved how unsettling the entire game was instead of just being 'scary'. Sometimes while messing around with that radio I'd find some really disturbing old transmissions that really set the tone. Early in the game I heard one that was just repeating 'Everybody died in horrible, painful ways. It should've never been found at all'. That's some unnerving shit.
One thing I really liked about the game is that while it's
marketed as a supernatural thriller and ghosts and such, it felt way more like cosmic horror to me. Another dimension and opening a portal to their world, beings that can manipulate time and space, that have been waiting "a long time for this", the geometric and scientific means of communicating with them (triangular doorways, radio frequencies, etc.)
When you sacrifice Clarissa, the ghosts promise to keep you and your friends out of harm's way, but I believe the ghosts are actually a part of something bigger. In the secret transmissions you can find you hear stuff about a genocide of the original inhabitants of the island and at one point the voices/ghosts literally say 'We are the race of the island', which doesn't seem to match the idea that all the ghosts are the dead/disappeared crew of the submarine. I don't think that the ghosts fully control the time loops and that there are other, more powerful things in that dimension.
When you sacrifice Clarissa, the ghosts promise to keep you and your friends out of harm's way, but I believe the ghosts are actually a part of something bigger. In the secret transmissions you can find you hear stuff about a genocide of the original inhabitants of the island and at one point the voices/ghosts literally say 'We are the race of the island', which doesn't seem to match the idea that all the ghosts are the dead/disappeared crew of the submarine. I don't think that the ghosts fully control the time loops and that there are other, more powerful things in that dimension.
Well, I didn't get the chance to complete Oxenfree in one sit down session, but I managed to keep it split to two back to back nights. Stayed up late to wrap it up last night, but it was totally worth it. Really neat little game.
The conversation system works extremely well. Best one I've seen in a game in a while, honestly. The only hiccups is when selecting a dialogue option randomly cuts off the other character that is talking. Sometimes it flows well, and sounds like a natural interrupt, and other times it just sounds like my dialogue choice over rode whatever was already going on. It's a small complaint overall, considering how well the system does work.
The radio mechanic did less for me. The visual effects around it were neat, and I liked being able to scroll through and pick up random broadcasts while wondering around. However, using the radio as the puzzle solving mechanic - by tuning in a frequency to unlock a door, or trigger an event - was a little basic and towards the end became a bit repetitive. It being the only other mechanic in the game beyond dialogue, meant that it was less "Oo, maybe I should try my radio here to progress, wouldn't that be crazy?!", and more of a "Oh, time for me to randomly search through the frequencies."
Radio spoiler:
This became even more repetitious when you got the WAL Radio and the range of frequencies became even larger. I get why it was designed this way, to keep players from being able to access areas of the game too soon, but by expanding out the frequencies on both ends it just took too long to scroll through the ranges to find the right one. Especially since there was no thought being put into it - it was just scroll around. It was mindless.
As for the story itself, I'm happy with it. I actually ended up getting the "ending" I wanted without even realizing it.
Ren and Nona a couple. Jonas and Alex friends. Clarissa alive and in general more friendly towards Alex. Michael still dead, although I didn't know that was an option to save him - and really, reading up on how you can get him back sounds like you have to really stifle his dreams which sucks. Alex also lived, but was stuck in the time loop same as everyone else.
I was surprised to see the Telltale pie charts at the end - (i.e. "66% of players got the same ending with this character as you") . A welcome surprise, though. Turns out, I fell right in line with the majority of people on all of my actions - which is always interesting to see. It is also eye opening on the number of variations available. Some charts had two options, some had 5 - which is interesting when I would have thought there would be less variation on that character. It's just neat to see.
I'm rambling - which is always a good sign that I enjoyed a game - so I'll wrap it up. With that in mind, I think it's worth not just focusing on the story (which was enjoyable), or the mechanics (where were fluid), but the vibe. Beyond the paranormal trappings, Oxenfree really does an admirable, great even, job of capturing that feel of a night out with your friends as a teenager. At least it did for me, and that was what I think is most special about this game. The dialogue mechanics work so well, because the characters themselves are well realized and well acted. They might be stereotypes on a base level (the popular girl, the stoner, the loner, ect), but they are handled in a believable way especially as the night progresses and you learn more about all involved.
Really great game, definitely worth the price of admission.
Beyond the paranormal trappings, Oxenfree really does an admirable, great even, job of capturing that feel of a night out with your friends as a teenager. At least it did for me, and that was what I think is most special about this game. The dialogue mechanics work so well, because the characters themselves are well realized and well acted. They might be stereotypes on a base level (the popular girl, the stoner, the loner, ect), but they are handled in a believable way especially as the night progresses and you learn more about all involved.
Finished the game on Sunday and man, it's pretty good. Loved the dialogue system and how the choices have actual consequences. The eerie mood was excellent and it was really well written.
Just finished the game. Got the second best ending
(didn't saving Michael)
also without realizing what I was doing. I wish the game did a better job at letting you know when there is a critical dialogue option, like in Telltale games.
Overall really enjoyed it, but I walked away very confused about the whole
paranormal thing. Does the game explain wtf was going on at all? I thought it ended kinda abruptly and with not much resolution. "Hey Alex whatever you did in the cave worked so now we're suddenly at this boat going home yo." Like, what the fuck DID I actually do? How did we get reunited? Did the ghosts just let us go? Did I kill them? Hadn't Jonas disappeared just moments ago? Why is Clarissa back with us? Which boat is this again? What the hell were those ghosts and those time loops? And how are you even supposed to save Michael?
When you sacrifice Clarissa, the ghosts promise to keep you and your friends out of harm's way, but I believe the ghosts are actually a part of something bigger. In the secret transmissions you can find you hear stuff about a genocide of the original inhabitants of the island and at one point the voices/ghosts literally say 'We are the race of the island', which doesn't seem to match the idea that all the ghosts are the dead/disappeared crew of the submarine. I don't think that the ghosts fully control the time loops and that there are other, more powerful things in that dimension.
don't the ghosts specify that time-loops were generated by Alex herself? After you're shown the alternative ways Ren could die, they tell Alex (through Jonas) they weren't responsible for the time-loops. I think by the time we start the game, Alex is just going through the same night again -there is no way we can save anyone because we're already stuck in a never-ending loop. The 'ghosts' themselves tell Alex "You can't change... before." That is why we get messages from the Alex who had already been through the night. We also witness events that took place but not in the current loop (for example: the deaths of Ren and Clarissa and the scene where Clarissa blames Alex for Michael's death and the mess they are in). Another clue that Alex is already reliving the experience is her memories manifesting in the world she's in; the football, the bench, and probably the bonfire and tent. Just like how the ghosts' personal items start popping up more frequently on the island the longer you stay on it (the armoire in the cave, the random furniture, the bed frames, etc).
My current theory about the game's story/ending
is the ghosts are just playing with the kids. As mentioned in one of Maggie's letters, the ghosts' emotional (and probably mental) states were reduced to that of children with a reliance on 'game logic'. It doesn't matter what you choose in the end because your fate is sealed, and the ghosts are merely amusing themselves by witnessing each possible timeline you can create with the different options players might choose. That's why they tell you to "remember what you choose to--" before you're immediately given the opportunity to alter the next person's game by suggesting a choice for the major decisions (Michael's fate, his relationship with Clarissa, and allowing/preventing Jonas from talking to his mom.)
The choice to whether or not save Clarissa is probably born out their bitterness of being forgotten and having their deaths covered up. Maybe it's also influenced by Anna's own 'death', when Maggie chose to run and leave her behind instead of attempting to save her friend. In one of the dialog options right at the end, they show contempt for everyone involved in the incident and the aftermath. If you claim that Maggie cared enough about them to never leave the island, they will call you a fool; they believe the only reason she tried to help was due to guilt and not love/caring.
Another thing I found: once you're on the other side, you can tune in to find another Morse code that includes "you want to play?" The Morse code translator app I used couldn't pick up the whole message, so maybe there's something more to it, but I think it's another clue to the ghosts playing one big game with their "dolls".
I do think the original inhabitants of the island have a part to play, but not sure about it yet. Maybe their revenge against those who wronged them was causing the distress signal sent by the Kanaloa to be cut off, which in turn resulted in the destruction of the submarine.
Whoops, that's a lot of words so tl;dr
angry ghosties toying with teenagers who should've known better.
Another question I have about the ending:
is Alex is the only one trapped or is everyone else going through something similar? Aside from Ren, it seems that everyone else is given a past memory they could probably influence. There is Clarissa with her sister, Jonas and his mom, and Nona probably witnessed something about her grandfather. Maybe they all are given reasons to create their own time-loops in hopes of preventing a past regret. Nona freaking out by Alex and Jonas indicates that Alex was also possessed by the ghosts at some point, so maybe she isn't the only stuck in the time-loop.
I still haven't gotten all the collectibles, so maybe there are messages that lead to a different conclusion. Just wish the game had subtitles for the anomalies as some of them can be hard to make out.
Speaking of, an interesting anomaly is the one
about Bobby Dunbar, a true story about a missing child who was replaced by a stranger. The game touches on this theme a few times, like when possessed Jonas quotes "Here Comes Mr. Jordan", a movie about a guy given the life of another because his own time was robbed from him. And now it's Alex and her friends' turn to be replaced.
Anyone else pick up the iam8bit Special Edition? http://store.iam8bit.com/products/oxenfree-collectors-edition. I already had the game on PC so I went X1/Soda; the demo tracks are pretty cool! Shipping was a tad steep but the cooler is fairly large (also iam8bit gonna iam8bit). Still, very cool.
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