Missing Signals is an enchanting narrative adventure

Released in 2016, Oxenfree was one of the latest surprises in the indie gaming world – and one of my favorites. It is a technically simple game that, while very charming, has the highest quality in its narrative full of twists and possibilities. Oxenfree II: The Missing Signals It keeps the essence of its predecessor and introduces few new features in terms of gameplay, but it has characters and stories that manage to be even better and justify all seven years of waiting.

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Oxenfree II: Lost Signals takes place five years after the events of the first game and follows Riley, a woman in her early thirties who returns to her hometown of Kamina, on her first day at her new job and searching for a new one. Begins. Soon the player is introduced to two main characters: Evelyn and Jacob.

Evelyn keeps tabs on everything from afar via her walkie-talkie – which also serves to break the couple’s isolation a bit and develop enrichment for secondary characters, something the first game didn’t do well – and guides Riley on her mission and teaches her everything she needs to know. Jacob, on the other hand, is a physically present partner who co-stars in the dialogues that fuel the entire Lost Signals narrative.

And this is where the game shines, much like the first game in the series. Oxenfree II has deep, complex characters, which carry captivating traits – after all, it’s relatively easy to see yourself in any of them, for a variety of different reasons. Add to that an intriguing and mystery-filled story – clearly inspired by works from the 1980s – and you have one of the most expensive adventures of recent times.

It’s fascinating to see how Riley and Jacob go from just strangers with a common mission to great friends – although depending on the game’s selection system they could follow very different paths than this one. The two share stories, dreams, fears, and traumas as they try to discover what torments the once peaceful Kamina—and without realizing it, they rediscover and evolve as people.

Additionally, during the adventure, some time lapses and ghosts of the past – which make use of the same radio frequency mechanics as the first game – successfully pique the player’s curiosity about the story: though it’s a quiet game, that can be deceptively summed up as a long walk. All of these elements ensure that the player will want to continue and find out what’s really going on, as well as make them think about themes that show Night School Studios’ evolution in telling good stories.

Three other items contribute greatly to this indulgence. The first of these is the soundtrack: all the atmosphere of mystery in the game wouldn’t have the same effect without the music and effects that seem to have come straight out of the box. Weird thingsfrom Netflix – which even streams the game – and grab your attention at the right times. The second is the dubbing: all the dialogues and performances of the voice actors make the player feel there, along with the heroes, as part of the adventure – unfortunately, the game is not dubbed in Portuguese, but it has subtitles that do their job perfectly. .

Finally, the graphics: Kamina is beautiful and has mountains, caves, and countless scenarios that very much could have been pulled out of a painting. The Moon is an attraction in itself, and steals the show in some of the game’s most striking locations.

But there are also some negative considerations. Lost Signals maintains the same gameplay as its predecessor – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing – and it’s a long journey amidst the dialogue choices that define character and narrative conclusion. This long walk is essential to developing everything about the characters and the story, but it can also get tiring and break the rhythm a bit.

There’s another problem with the game’s final third: Oxenfree II develops slowly, not in a hurry to introduce the main and secondary characters and all their stories, until it becomes eager for a conclusion that could have been better.

considerations

It’s nice to see how some good stories are hidden in not so popular games. Even better is seeing them well told and surrounded by great technical qualities. Oxenfree II: Lost Signals isn’t a perfect work, but it’s a definite evolution of the series and shows the potential of a small night school studio.

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Android and iOS.

This review was made using a copy provided by Netflix Games.

Source: GameOn