Oxenfree II: Lost Signals

Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals offers a highly personal and unpredictable horror-themed adventure that repeats a lot of the first game’s ideas, and it's still worth tuning into.

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals stumbles with a few of its characters but ultimately proves to be just as wonderfully creepy of an adventure as the first game.

Wander and chat through a night of spooky possibilities.

Oxenfree 2 is a more mature second run at the walk-and-talk formula.

In the end, I loved the idea of Oxenfree 2 more than the game itself. It’s a game that has the right pieces, but falls short of putting them together in a way that lives up to the innovative, classic experience of the original game. A more compelling story is frustratingly hidden within the game’s branching narrative system, and it’s a shame that some people will miss it.

"The upside of treading old ground is that the Oxenfree 2 story gets to link back to the original in some fun ways"

Oxenfree II doesn’t shake up what its predecessor did in 2016, but it delivers more of the excellent writing and charm I expect from Night School Studio. While it's light on gameplay beyond traversal, it’s done in service of the characters. After 10 hours with this cast, I want more, but I’m happy with where this story ends and how my choices shaped that ending. Despite bad checkpointing and a swift rush to the end after an overly long setup, this return feels earned and essential, with a message that resonates far more than Oxenfree's. With Oxenfree II behind me, I’m thrilled Night School Studio delivered something special more than seven years away from this world.

Well-written characters and a tense atmosphere set the right tone, but the signals of this Oxenfree sequel feel garbled compared to the original.

It might not be the out-of-left-field surprise it was then, but Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is a solid adventure for those who can’t get enough of strange frequencies and existential dread.

Night School's spooky sequel tenderly captures the ambiguity of early adulthood