That's the true fun of the game: You essentially become Alex. Of course, this depends on your responses and getting to hear Alex express herself. I think the best part about Alex, however, is that even with all the creepy supernatural stuff going on, there are still moments where she's genuinely excited to be apart of this event. You really feel for her, because if anyone remembers what their teenage years were like, one can't be burdened with the decisions she has to make in this game. It's meant to be played numerous times to see just how much can be opened up, what kind of ending Alex can get for herself and everyone else, and seeing the broad spectrum of happy-vs.-sad endings, and, in a couple of cases, borderline dark entries.ДЄlex is one of the most interesting characters I've played within gaming, and a lot of that has to do with being able to let your own personality come out in her responses. Oxenfree is not meant to be a one-time five-hour playthrough. It didn't make much sense because it was my first playthrough, but when I spent more time unlocking things in the second playthrough, that first ending made far more sense. One ending really caught me off guard and it was surprisingly easy to get.

I couldn't tell you how many endings there are, but I played through Oxenfree three times and got three different endings, all with varying degrees of clarity. The decision you have to make is how much you're willing to dig up-versus wanting to see a different ending at certain points of the game. There's a well-thought-out story that the characters stumble across, tying everything together. While there isn't going to be any action sequences, what I found so enthralling about Oxenfree is the number of little things that can be unlocked and lead to learning the real issue going on in the story. Every decision has a consequence, whether it be a minor thing like how another character speaks to Alex, or a major decision that could affect the final ending of the game. Alex's responses range from friendly to sarcastic to dismissive. The beauty of Oxenfree is that every playthrough is different, given how the player responds in every interaction. The radio becomes your best tool throughout the game, as it is required to advance from scene to scene. Oxenfree ramps up when Alex and Jonas discover a cave and manage to accidentally open up a supernatural rift using a small radio.

But the game quickly goes south for one reason or another (mainly decided by how you let Alex answer questions), and turns into just underage drinking and exploring. Without giving away much of the backstory that is learned along the way, the party starts off with these five characters playing a modified version of Truth or Dare. Ren spends most of the time talking about the history of the yearly party and how it will be amazing, even though only two others end up joining: Nona, an artsy student that Ren has a massive crush on, and Clarissa, who is the most popular girl in the school and has a strained relationship with Alex.

You're quickly introduced to her best friend, Ren, who fits the stereotype of the extremely smart but underachieving stoner. The premise early on is that Alex is bringing along her new stepbrother, Jonas, who she just met right before the opening scene. The central character is Alex, a soon-to-be senior at the local high school. Oxenfree tells the tale of a group of teenagers who are gathering for a yearly party on an island off the coast of their town. The staff over at Night School Studios know this, and yet they still deliver on their promise to give us a game that is eerie and enthralling. When a developer wants to intertwine these elements into a game that isn't going to see much action, it's a risk. Good ones are hard to come by, and great ones are far more rare.

There's a special place in my heart for mystery and suspense stories.

Oxenfree game stills