Yesterday, Sony revealed seven indie games coming to PlayStation, including Hades and Wytchwood. But while most of these consist of ports of games, the announcement included a couple of reveals for entirely new titles. PlayStation and Night School Studios unveiled Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, a brand new sequel to the hit 2016 supernatural mystery game.
In the original Oxenfree, players step into the shoes of Alex, a blue-haired teenager investigating a local supposedly-haunted island with her friends and step-brother. Naturally, the supposedly haunted island becomes actually haunted, as the gang discovers strange radio signals that open portals to another dimension. Gameplay consists of puzzles, often involving said radio signals, and dialogue choices that influence the story.
The sequel looks to stay true to the gameplay of the original, but takes place five years later and tells a new story of a young woman named Riley. Working as a research assistant studying electromagnetic waves, she heads to her coastal hometown to plant radio transmitters and investigate the strange signals affecting the equipment. Judging by the trailer, it seems likely that ghosts might have something to do with it.
Lead writer Adam Hines elaborated a bit more on the thematic connection between the two games:
In Oxenfree, our characters were just finishing high school, and entering that period of time in their lives when they get to decide who they really want to be. Riley had that moment long ago, and is now grappling with the repercussions of post-adolescence. Were the choices she made the right ones for her? Is she who she really wants to be?
The PlayStation blog confirms that Oxenfree II: Lost Signals will keep the conversation system from the original, as well as the radio that seeks out supernatural occurrences. But it will also have new features involving time travel and “Time Tears.” Will it have any story connections to the original? We’ll hopefully find out in the near future, as the only release date is “coming soon” for PS4 and PS5.
