Oxenfree
10 Games to Play While You Wait For Stranger Things Season 2
Stranger Things takes some big inspirations from classic ’80s movies, especially in the realm of a group of kids’ coming of age story. Films like E.T., The Goonies, and The Gate all tell a story of a group of adolescents dealing with something extraordinary or paranormal, and finding out about themselves in the process. Oxenfree follows that same idea, revolving around a group of teenagers that take a trip to a local island to party it up. Alone and secluded, the group discovers a paranormal threat and tries to unravel the mystery of what’s happening on the island.
If the characters and their personalities is what appealed to you most about Stranger Things, Oxenfree is definitely for you. The big focus of the game is getting to know the main character Alex, and her group of friends. Instead of telling things through cutscenes, however, all dialogue in the game happens in real time, assigning different conversation choices to the different face buttons. This keeps you in the action and the flow of the game active, forcing you to make decisions constantly. While the paranormal threat is the main threat of the game, the crux of Oxenfree is how these characters learn and grow because of it. You’ll have a hard time not getting attached to at least a couple of them in your time it.
