Echos of the Past: What I Love About Oxenfree

I was alone in my college dorm on a late Friday night, wrapped up cozily in my comforter, scrolling through Netflix recommendations on my laptop.

There, written in sleek, alien letters: OXENFREE. I stopped. I didn’t know Netflix had video games. Already, an element of eeriness began creeping in, as if I was going to be Jumanji’d away into another world.

Then, I was. Whisked away to Edwards Island, an abandoned military outpost in the middle of nowhere. Here, dusk hangs over salty air. Clifftops reign free. Rusted radio towers split between overgrown weeds. Five teenagers ferried away for an overnight senior year tradition, the bonfire cackling in an infinite moment of jest and freedom. But this island is not all what it seems. Beware of the caves that hum sad songs, stories that devolve the page, and tricks from beyond the grave.

Above all, kneel before the ruthless consequence of decision. Who you will be on this island is something only you can decide. Will you drift apart from old friends? Will you let in new ones? Will you forgive your enemies or let grievances take the helm?

I spent hours on Edwards Island, trapped in its intoxicating design. As soon as you think you’ve got things figured out, everything is turned on its head again. There’s nothing quite like falling down the rabbit…