Oxenfree

It's a really good story, but as others have pointed out already, the experience is a bit hindered due to long walks back and forth around the island with sluggish movement and controls. This doesn't hurt on a first playthrough, but you would be able to explore more of the game if it wasn't for that, which seems to be encouraged since there are secrets around the island but the story keeps pushing you forward and even locking you onto it in some moments. You are meant to make your own choices that affect how the story unfolds, and the feedback is great, with both voice acting and setting being superb -- however, due to the dynamic nature of the storytelling in this game, you have to constantly pick an option on what to say and if you think for a couple of seconds you will miss the chance to say anything. Even when the characters are moving around the island, they are constantly talking and you can run over them whenever there's an indicator on a spot you're supposed to examine. I felt like that annoying person on a group of friends who is always talking about their surroundings and ignoring what everyone else is talking about. Also, there are a bunch of elements similar to TV shows such as Stranger Things (and the game's better than the second season, by the way) and Dark. Moody and atmospheric are two words that keep coming to mind, but the characters felt fresh and well fleshed out even if I didn't have a lot of time with them. Nonetheless, I picked this game up for free and would've gladly spent a few bucks on it for the interactive movie experience, but I think that if the developer fixed a few of these quirks the game would be fantastic.

Oxenfree is a great game! And his is coming from a person that thinks that "game mechanics trumps story" and is afraid of terror games. The mechanics are very light: you move, you tune a radio and you talk. But the conversation mechanic is GREAT! The dialogue options are almost always what I expected (no "doubt" option that means your character freaks out and swears a lot with the listener), and the fact that they can be timed is an innovation that brings a lot of immersion to this game that is basically conversation. Sometimes I wished I had more time to think what I would answer, but it fits well with the thriller and more frentic passages of the game. No more staring for 10 minutes then "Nevermind" like in Mass Effect or any other game. The story is very good, reminds me of course of Stranger Things: kids, paranormal activity, killer soundtrack, eletromagnetic mysteries. The bad side is the collectible side of the game: once you start New Game +, you lose your record of what you collected. This was a bummer, because I didn't feel like collecting what I have missed again because I could waste my time chasing clues I had already found. I recommend Oxenfree a lot! My first run was 4h48 minutes, the second one a little less. I recomend doing at least two runs because you get some new information and a different ending, if you wish so.

Everything most reviewers are saying about this game is true. Yes, you don't go roaming as much as you want, and it's because of how the game is supposed to work. All of the downsides mentioned have massive advantages throughout. You don't go around pixel hunting. You don't have to google weird shit and you don't get stuck. It's kind of watching a (long) good film, and I would argue that there's more control over what's going on than in Firewatch, for instance. Even the fact that you need to follow the dialogues is an artifact to keep you in the character, as opposed to the usual "think carefully about any answer you're giving", or just clicking your way out of dialogues. I think all of these things are good and unique. I've played Thimbleweed Park last week, I loved it and I didn't want to play "Thimbleweed Park with four kids in an island". It's a different game, and it's still great. Hard to add anything else without spoiling any of it :)

The story gets interesting and grabs you.

A great adventure game with an excellent setting, atmosphere, and art style, and a clever plot that will keep you engrossed until the end. The controls take a bit of getting used to, as does the quick dialogue interface, and although the characters are each their own cliché, they are likeable and well-acted. Fun, entertaining, and I really enjoyed it.