The Hidden Message of Oxenfree (Oxenfree Story Breakdown)
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- čas přidán 23. 02. 2017
- Oxenfree is a mysterious game full of choices, and the consequences of these choices are at the core of what makes Oxenfree such an interesting experience. The game starts off as your average teen-age thriller, complete with a cast of akward young characters trapped on an island after a party gone wrong. But this setting, and these teenage tropes are only surface level, what's really at play here goes far beyond the high school lives of our cast of characters, and today we are going to discuss what lies beyond.
Let me know what you think the real story is in the comments below.
Oxenfree has an amazing OST, go check it out!
Music Credits:
• Video
• Video
• Video - Hry
![Eminem - Houdini [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/22tVWwmTie8/mqdefault.jpg)
The game almost has a satisfying ending until you realize Alex can never have a happy ending because she just relives everything. Depressing as hell.
She can mate, look for the real ending
You have to play the game again to get the better ending
She can have the good ending,with Michael,Nona and Ren toghether,Clarissa is good and like a sister too you,nona too.Btw,I think you’ll need to try it again and get the happy ending.
@@QwertyUiop-bs2zr Not really because she is choosing Michael and losing her relationship with Jonas :( its still heart breaking and some reason harder because you can "choose" which brother can stay in your life rather than just having it happen.
You can break the loop by playing the 2nd time
I actually have a theory for the end of the game.
If you noticed, the ghosts mentioned how if Alex sealed the dimensional rift, she would be trapped in it, along with the ghostly spectors.
I think Alex did so in the real timeline, letting her friends leave without any memory of the incident, but in doing so, she doomed herself to repeat the same disastrous night over and over again.
As for why Alex gives out clues to another iteration of herself, I think she does this as a last ditch effort to try and free herself from the huge timeloop she is stuck in, which she becomes fully aware of before the game ends. Apparently, in one ending, you can see one iteration of Alex never go to the island, for, she hears another iteration of Alex tell her not to do so on her radio, before she leaves.
That...that could be right actually
HOLY SHIT HOW R U SO SMAAAARRRT WAT THE FUUUUKKK!!!!!
But by doing the NG+ ending (Parking lot ending) She keeps that version of Alex away from the island, does that break the time loop?
Nico's CZcams life No it doesn't. Just as it was said in the video, one version of Alex will still be trapped in the loop. She only saved one (or many) version(s) from the time loop. While on the other hand, there is still a version of Alex that's forever trapped.
I used an app to decipher the morse code you can hear on the radio. It says “I’m still here alone, really cold, love Anna....creepy thought I’d share as it’s kind of a hidden Easter egg. 👍🏼
yikes! That's actually really cool. You're doing Gods work my friend.
wooh thanks! i always wondered what that said
THAT MEANS SHE SENT THAT MESSAGE FROM THE OTHER DIMENSION!
What app ? I wanna see
You put this on another video about the same game i feel like im also in a loop lol
I remember on my second playthrough, at the very beginning, i actually managed to convince jonas to leave the cave with me. I was like "what the fuck? this actually worked?" And so i went all the way back just to see the cave entrance collapsed.
That was and still is probably the biggest middle finger i've gotten from a video game in my entire life.
nah thats attention to detail. there alot of little things like that in the game. i did that during my first playthrough and thought it was a nice touch. the devleopers actual thought about people wanting to get out of the cave and explain why they need to continue the plot.
theres also some dialogue you'lll miss if you don't do that either.
that happened to me on my first playthrough because I was legitimately scared and wanted to leave lmaoo
This whole game feels like a middle finger to Alex.
@@tehufn The fact that she's in a purgatory time loop hell reliving the same yet different night for the rest of fucking eternity? Why yes, it's the universe's middle finger. But to quote Clarissa on one of the endings, "why would the universe choose to do anything? It just does." I'm depressed by this game ._.
right there with ya
If you restart the game it does that time loop thing and alex says she remembers this moment
Well she can say. You can always choose to remain silent.
When you are in cave ghosts say "Hey,it's you again."
@@heroinero wow really
@@whippersnapper8387 yess
Am I out of line to say this game did not get as much exposure as it should have? Its such an amazing game
I'm with you there. I think it deserved more buzz, closer to indie hits like Abzu and Journey.
Steven Walsh it should have been at least as popular as life is strange. My 2 favourite games
Don’t forget to mention Life Is Strange 2!
Can't wait for the seguel
The Morse code messages you can find on the radio are actually from Anna, reaching out to Marianne, Anna is losing her memory of the real word but still loves Marianne and as the messages continue, they stop ending with the words “love Anna” and begin to say “love and” meaning Anna has forgotten so much, including her own name
i swear at one point she said 'banana' instead
Gameplay was great.
Story was great.
Soundtrack was great.
10/10
+SlingJellyStickyGlue this game has stuck with me. I can still hear the music and feel the unsettling atmosphere of the island. Sign of a real good game in my opinion.
NIKMOE Ikr
There should be a Sequel! Maybe there will be one
you lost me at "Gameplay was great"
I enjoyed the game but the gameplay gets stale quick;
especially on the 2nd playthrough
Bichr Salhi are you serious?
The endings are what drive you to keep replaying, "if I can just do better this time, maybe it will end better.." so you play and play and each time, the ending IS different, but still leaves you feeling empty, so you play again, and again, getting stuck in this time loop.
I find it difficult to think this wasn't the creators intention.
Id argue REN is the entire reason everything happened. Everything was his suggestion in the first place. Plus, he was always completely useless because he had the BRILLIANT idea to constantly get high. Innocent bystander, he is not.
well they do need you to start the plot, you can see that when they mention maddie's death you can either answer "bummer" or "let's explore her house" in which i totally felt how they're forcing you to the game plot…
duo1666 Alex is the reason everything happened. To say that Ren is because he suggested it is kind if a reach. But I do agree that he’s not just an innocent bystander though. In this video they say that Ren and Nona both are innocent bystanders and fail to shift the story. Nona is but Ren isn’t. Ren is the whole reason Jonas is still in the story if you save Michael. Ren is Jonas’ tie to the events of that night when Michael is saved. If not, then you would save Michael and wake up on the boat with no Jonas and none of the others would know who he was.
Well that’s true honestly , isn’t he the one who showed her the caves and the noises. He is the reason she had the radio.
The anomaly is the reason everything happened, you can't lay the fault of unforeseeable consequences at the feet of those who set them in motion. Don't be such a Clarissa.
Troy Bachelor hahahah don’t be such a Clarissa 😂. I guess so.
The transmitted message back in time which makes Alex change her mind and not go to the Edward's Island is the only ending which results in breaking the time loop. You hear this message when you complete the anomaly riddle and call the phone number encrypted in that riddle, it's like a hint from developers that this is the only right choice, accepting the past not trying to change it and living on. Otherwise you're stuck in rethinking all what ifs.
wrong, there r more ..but just feel happy 4 yourself...but dont play smart..u r not
@@daniela_dundel Are there any other endings that break the time loop?
@@grify well if you consider the game is still going on, Alex is still repeating the night, but the Alexs' from the different dimensions are free from it. She left the message for the Alex from another dimension, it's like a sacrifice so that other Alexs' shouldn't be doomed for eternity
@@daniela_dundel shut the fuck up. you prick
@@daniela_dundel someone’s bitter
the ending got me
Alex actually sacraficed her freedom for all of her friends and now has to relive the loop obere and over.
Guys it’s all in the sentence Michael tells Alex “when our uncle left for New York he said the most difficult thing was to decide on what to bring with him and what to left behind”...I think this sums up all the meaning of this game...no matter what ending we choose, something must be sacrificed in order to have something else...what a deep game shaped into every particular! Loved it!
Every time I watch a movie or play a game that has a intense storyline I tend to get it stuck to me mentally. I can just feel it in my soul just lurking there.
And at the same time it's the best and the worst part of it
Indeed. The last time I felt this was after finishing the Little Nightmares duology and Higurashi series.
Ugh I have felt so empty since playing the game back in December, I want to see more! Hands down my favorite game ever.
1. Skyrim 2. Fallout New Vegas 3. Halo Reach 4.Oxenfree 5. Batman Arkham series
Nico's CZcams life you put Batman Arkham series as #5, but only Halo Reach for #3. Do you like reach more than the rest of the Halo series combined?
Idont Cares lol
ruan me too there's just something about this game that I love maybe it's the characters or the awesome storyline or just the beautiful artwork I love this game so much I hope they do something with these characters or maybe an oxen-free 2? I was kind of worried because I thought people weren't into this game as much as me but now I see that they are I'm sorry if I sound like a super fan I just really really really really really love this game the music is out of this world
Alan Lockett I don't think a sequel is possible since Alex is stuck in an infinite time loop. They could maybe do a sequel with a different cast
You made me feel at ease. I felt so sad and stuff because of the ending. Im gonna play it one more time to prevent the group from going to the island.and then im done with the game
+Xploding-turtle that's awesome to hear. I hope you enjoy your next play through!
Xploding-turtle yeah that's what I did
Xploding-turtle why prevent them. Preventing them, ren and nona wouldn't be together...Or Jonas and Alex bond wouldn't be stronger.
tommy blade and continue the loop over and over.
Well I'm pretty sure Alex and Jonas would become closer over the years. And prom is coming up and Ren could ask Nona out then. They dated in my playthrough and I didn't do anything.
I didn't care about Alex's past as much as I cared about the mystery of the island. What is really cool about the game is that when you start a new game plus, Alex herself start to get vague memories of what she have been through in another timeline like a deja vu which affects the conversation and some parts of the game. So when the player gets the best ending possible in his opinion it all makes sense because the last version of Alex is a little more experienced than the one before it.
There are 2 things that I'd like to mention they might be right or wrong I don't know:
1-I believe the player takes the role of a version of Alex that is trapped in the island, watching another version's action and prompt her to do what he believes would lead to the best ending, the more versions of Alex the player observes the more he get close to tell Alex to do the best choices possible.
2-Even though it's not possible in the game but figuratively speaking: If there is a true way for Alex to leave the island for real with all her friends without looping back again, then in some point of the game A version of Alex would do it and then every other version after her would also escape the island which is in my opinion the ultimate good ending. (I believes that when the player gets the car park ending, it is indeed the best ending possible in the game)
caesar ali best end.micheal with clarrissa.nona and ren. Alex is close with her step bro.play and get all endings to get the best one after you finally win
like icare Yeah, you don't have to be like that.
Well not really.. You have to sacrifice many things to end the loop. Nona and Ren are not together anymore, Michael is dead, and Clarissa still blames Alex for letting Michael down.
caesar ali I would read more but explanation is to long try fitting it in 3 or 4 sentences instead
Cheese God well I read the entire thing, try not being so lazy
it's essentially the butterfly effect, for every cause there is an effect
I think you missed out a bit with that final alternate ending; it's pretty clear Jonas is her step-brother; there is no reason to think that Michael is alive in that timeline.
That's actually kind of the point. The whole Island represents the inability to face the tomorrow and living in the world through regret of the past. That is why the past is a subject in so many of the discussions on the island, as well as Alex' choices to correct past mistakes. In the end, among many other things of minor importance, of course, Alex not going to the island represents her letting her brother go finally, because she's obviously blaming herself for his death to a significant extent. That choice is actually cunningly underlined in a number of the (late-game especially) choices; remember, Alex can choose to encourage her brother to stay or LET HIM GO (which is the path that ends with his accidental death). The timeline in which she consciously chooses to sacrifice Clarissa is precisely that; she blames herself for Michael's death, so she continues to recreate that guilt by choosing to leave Clarissa behind, which ends up deleted as a result of some of her choices, though not directly and intentionally (but rather as a result of a 'higher power').
It is no matter of circumstance that it's Clarissa, Michael's ex girlfriend, who is the subject of this question; the same girl who directly blames Alex for Michael's death on the island itself. Clarissa herself is an incarnation of Alex' guilt and she hates her just like she hates herself for letting her own brother die.
So just like Miss Adler, as you correctly assumed in this video, Alex is stuck with her guilt(s).
Anyone who liked this video game I recommend a British film called Triangle (2009). I have to warn though, the horror is a bit more violent and scary so it shouldn't be treated as, how should I put it, "user-friendly" as this (by itself quite scary of course) game. In fact, I believe that Triangle has probably had significant influence in the making of this game......it is my theory that the game's protagonist's brother shares some similarities with the role of the movie protagonist's son.
Ugh I fucking love that movie. It is my absolute favorite movie ever.
Your grammar is completely on point
Best explanation in the entire world. I will definitely watch that movie! Thank you for this.
decent movie but this game is much better.
Ne seri
Oxenfree has been one of the most highly requested story breakdowns since I started my channel. Thank you to everyone who suggested it, it's a fantastic game!
What do you guys think of the story? Anyone else have a conspiracy theory?
Thanks for this video, mate, your Game Breakdowns are my favorite ones on CZcams and you tackle really great games.
The only thing I want to add is that Oxenfree is also about forgiving and letting go. If the submarine-crew had accepted their eternal fate and didn't pull innocent bystanders into their problem, the whole night would've played out differently. It's not even about Alex stepping foot on the island. Also, if you sacrifice Clarissa and save Michael, there's the epilogue on the boat when everyone is talking, Alex goes nuts over the timeline-shift. When you talk about Jonas (who is a friend of Ren in this reality), Alex can still call him her step-brother. The teens think it's cute and then CLARISSA (who is in the submarine-dimension, no one but Alex remembers her) simply says: "Good analogy" in a friendly voice. It could very well be a glitch, but I believe it's Clarissa tuning into Alex's reality/dimension somehow, giving her comfort. That she forgave Alex the sacrifice and understood that holding grudges would simply turn her into the crazy submarine-bastards. Maybe she found consolation in the thought that Michael was back alive and that will help her through eternity.
I'm rambling, but Oxenfree tells a great story about moving forward. Thank you for pointing it out!
Hey glad you liked it! I like the way you think... You are totally right. The concept of "letting go" is huge in this game, I touch on it a bit comparing Alex to Maggie, but I think your comparison to the Submarine crew is spot on.
Thanks for watching!
Great video! Could you do something like that for Virginia?
Thank you! I am also a fan of Virginia, such a thought provoking game, I might need to replay it soon!
I also enjoyed that ending the most, but I think you missed the bit that essentially cemented Michael's status.
Michael is, in fact, dead. We know this because Alex's affecting of the timeline begins after Michael's already dead. His death is a fixed point in time prior to the time loop. Additionally, Ren asks Jonas "Seriously, Jonas, do you know who you have as a new sister?" While referencing what he believes is Alex's prank call on the radio. And finally, because of the conversation right before the ending cuts: "And that makes him what to you?" This conversation also precedes the time loop's initiation and doesn't change.
I wish Alex could break out of the time loop. It's also more like a parallel universe where something is different. Bet even death couldn't save her. I choose the ending to make up with Clarissa, get Ren and Nona together and stay step-siblings with Jonas. I know that means leaving Michael to die and a marriage to break apart but moving on is a part of life, mature, let the dead be dead and the living be living. Besides reliving the pain of a dead family member would be more painful than the first time.
MatrixMiles17 I didn't know i was saving Michael and then felt a little empty when jonas never remembers Alex's story
Base Core me too
I did the same
Unfortunately MatrixMiles17 life isn’t like that
The stadest thing is that it can't really be considered an ending
This is one of the most fucked up games I have ever played, and I don't know what's better now Life is Strange or Oxenfree.i love it!
Lol life is strange is better in every shape of form this game is messed up
@Erşan Kuneri If you choose to be ignorant, then yes, you could say it was just teenage drama. Leaving that aside, I do agree that Oxenfree's story is deeper/more intriguing but nowhere near as impactful or emotional as Life is Strange's.
Erşan Kuneri Life Is Strange has a DEEP message, but it depends how people intepret it. For me it's about loss, and the Chloe ending tells you that no matter how hard to try, letting go is what you have to do after you experience the grief of your loved ones. That's the whole point of the story, but it's wrapped and spiced with drama and superpower gimmicks to make it adventurous for the players. In the Chloe ending, Max stops reverting time (denying death) and just lets things unfold, despite her huge loss. She's accepting and moving on. That hits home for me. That ending left an immense mark.
Oxenfree is just as amazing and carries a similar message but with a significantly more complex approach. I actually like Oxenfree better, gameplay-wise, even the way it tells the story, but simply considering LiS as "freaking teenage drama" only makes me think that you didn't bother to understand its story at all.
Life is strange literally gives no explanation to Max’s power simply because they don’t have one. Their plot is so bad that the WRITERS don’t have an explanation. Probably partly the reason why they went with a new character because they knew they’d have to explain it soon if they did. Other than her power and the hidden bunker, it’s literally just college life. You’d think Mr. Jefferson would’ve accidentally dropped a major hint about himself but he doesn’t because they probably weren’t even planning for him to be behind it. Don’t even get me started with the stereotypical tumblr characters. Don’t compare that shit to this masterpiece.
@@N1SPECIAL Not everything needs an explanation, you mong. It adds to the mystery and it keeps people talking about it. They knew what they were doing and they have addressed those subjects multiple times. If you did some research, you'd know. By your logic, Donnie Darko would be a shitty movie too. Them You sound like the typical edgy douche who shits on everything that isn't his cup of his tea. On top of that, you seem to have some sort attention deficit disorder because you clearly missed the point/theme of the game. Even Jefferson's character literally foreshadows everything in the first 5 minutes of the game.
In my opinion, the loop ends when you, the player put the game down and walk away from the game. In a sense, you are the ghosts, you control whether you continue the loop, or let it stop.
Themsaltybois yup
The assassin's creed does say that "We must live the consequences of our actions, wether glorious or tragic."
Gaming Mobster Is that part of the actual creed or just a quote from a character? Either way I love the series and don't remember that quote even though it's a great one
Gabriel Brown the character Ezio says it in revelations so it's not directly from the words of the creed. The words "everything is permitted" means that you can perform any action you wish but you must live with the consequences of that action. So it the words of the creed through Ezio. The real creed is "Nothing is true, everything is permitted". I also love assassin's creed, you could probably tell by how much I know 😁.
Gaming Mobster I found the clip after reading your comment! Yeah that's where he says it. He says the creed says everything is permitted and explains the whole archetype of your actions bear the consequences whether glorious or tragic. Words to live by really.
Respect the assassin's creed love!
And they said in Origins they can change the history from Layla's Animus
Wether
3:00 clasrissa
Jay Bee he spelt the name wrong in the video
This is so emotionally EXHAUSTING!!!!!!
I don't remember Maggie Adler being the one who gave the command to sink the Kanaloa. I thought Adler's connection to the ghosts was that she and her friend had tried to interact with the ghosts, the ghosts tried to possess them, and Maggie's friend died.
It was in the letters, when you collect them all, you get a true story, told by the Maggie herself
Just played this game and loved it. You forgot to mention the bit were you speak through the reflections and realise that it was another version/ player of your character speaking to you telling you what to do. However this still supports your view of the game which I agree with.
Just finished my first playthrough of Oxenfree and oh man, I LOVE IT! I also love how THE ONLY REAL WAY FOR ALEX TO NEVER GET CAUGHT UP IN THE TIME LOOP NONSENSE IS FOR YOU TO NEVER PLAY OXENFREE!!! It's so simple:D Awesome game. Totally doing another run!! Thanks for the vid! Excellent job!
I actually just played it beacuse it was free on epic games store
Same lol, all in 1 play through 😂
same and BOY was it worth it
jup, me too
They have the soundtrack on Steam if you still want to throw money their way.
Same here fun game
Excellent analysis. Having just finished the game on PS4 I completely agree with your analysis. Choice and consequence feature heavily as the central motifs of the game. I was quite impressed with how well the game handled challenging subject matter - death of a loved one, guilt, responsibility, growing up. It's definitely one of the more mature indie games I've played in recent years.
"Every Action has a Equal and Opposite Reaction"
They should've just burned some sage
Thanks for the explanation. Especially about all the alternative endings.
U ready for the new one
as soon as I got this game I played through it in about 5hrs, I felt happy with that ending because i know there is no such thing as perfect endings. you will always make a choice and be mostly happy with it, but deep down, we will have some longing to know what happens between door number 2. Sometimes in life you just have to accept that everything happens. and once it does, there is nothing you can do to change that. every desicion you make in life is permenant, That is why in games like oxenfree, I do one heartfelt run, and then am mostly finished with the game.
I liked the game, a fusion of life is strange and Bioshock infinite.
experiment0789 thought the exact thing
Bioshock, Life is strange and Stranger Things
Theory: What if when Ren offered you the brownie you ate and all of this is you just getting high.
loved hearing your breakdown of the game. this game forever changed me, and i'm going to play through it fully again. thank you for this.
BRO WHEN I GOT TO THE ENDING I WAS ACTUALLY MAD , THE WHOLE GAME IS JUST AMAZING AND AT THE SAME TIME TRIPPY AS HELL. THE STORY IS JUST AMAZING THE WHOLE THING WIT H THE LOST WAR SUBMARIE SOULS AND DEMONS ITS JUST AMAZING TO MAKE A GAME LIKE THIS 10/10
Just finished it since it was free on xbox. Why was this game ever considered to go for free? I genuinely needed to hear the meaning, and you know what? Im happy with my ending. Michaels not back, but everyone else is happy. I did all that eithout any help. Im satisfied, happy, and im gonna show this game to people who need to learn the message from it. (Me included)
Kevin Crepas I download every game with gold and just got around to it. Would pay good money for this
well everyone is happy sure, but Alex is doomed to always repeat the night
I did a different ending and Michelle came
back
I just recently finished it and it was just an amazing experience. I really hope we see more from the dev team, or at least titles with a similar style/setting/story.
I loved this video!
It's a true representation of how even the simplest choices can have consequences to a certain degree.
That, to me, is what a good adventure game, let alone an awesome story, is all about.
This is a criminally underrated game, but I feel it adds to the surrealism of the game. When I think back on Oxenfree, I don't have these grand moments I remember, just a slightly uncomfortable mood. Enjoying the game and atmosphere, but always at least slightly tense. Loving the characters, but remember how they're stuck in a limbo. I can't remember the exact ending I got, but if some version of Alex is destined to live in a time loop forever, does my ending really matter? The whole game feels like an odd dream, and it seems to kinda exist only in the background of CZcams, almost by its own nature.
Yh I remember playing the game as I was forced to finish it. I didnt like it but I kept playing. It was games with gold as well so didnt think much of it. If I dont like a game I literally uninstall, so many games I quit after tutorial first mission.
But not this, I wanted to finish it, I felt weirdly uncomfortable as the game kept doing exactly the opposite of what I wanted to. I finished it got the satisfaction, then realised there are bare endings and decided to quit and end the game on a high
Will try visit years after now cause I definitely underappreciated this game!
omg i have tears in my eyes. thank you for treating this game with so much respect. ♡
This is the best video on Oxenfree on CZcams. Seriously, good job with this video!
Welcome to groundhog day cadet
Wow you did a really good job at presenting the themes and motifs of this game through your editing and narration. I was already in awe at the story, visual elements, and the new game plus element but you took it to a new level. I feel like more people should know about this game
I just finished playing through and I thought I got the happy ending with everyone alive and happy on the boat, I didn't even realize bringing Michael back to life was an option....guess its time to play again lol
great vid! oxenfree is still one of my all time fav games, loved your breakdown of it. I totally agree with your ideal ending, that new game plus end totally made me cry!! i just felt so connected to these characters after so many playthroughs, and seeing an "end" where they avoid all the horror, made me so happy
Glad you liked it! Oxenfree is still in my head months/years later. The atmosphere was unforgettable.
I seriously love your breakdown videos! Your insight is on fire! Keep up the incredible work!
this video was awesome, you did a really great job once again!
I hadn't heard of this game, but noticed it was heavily discounted on the Switch eShop 2 weeks ago. What a pleasant surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really enjoyed your video on it too - well done!
Here's the best ending from what I've gotten and understood, I just got the game today and played it through all the way, get Michael out and have Jonas as a friend in a brother way, and alt f4 to end the loop before the glitch, the rest you make up, I hope you agree some people's :)
Also save everyone and get ren that girl :)
Wow thats good idea. Why i wasn't think of that. Thanks friend you just relief my headache (for real tho, oxenfree is my first time decision making game that i played, and already confused by time loop thing)
I came here from the reddit post of the inside theory and I am in love with your account. I love your theories
Geez. I just realized that even the starting of the game may be already in the loop. And every loop event in the game is an actual events from multiple timelines that trapped Alex has seen already.
@@TaxFraudTutorials yep, it gets even creepier when you understand that
Thanks for the Analysis videos of these type of games.I really wanted this.
Idm jf anyone else noticed while playing the game but there is a part before you go to clarisia where alex asks jonas what type of girl jonas is his type but if you rly pay attention but jonas describes alex perfectly...
I wanna hook them up so badly !!
@@Imunclean then you gotta bring Michael back lol, they can't be if they're still step siblings
Yes! I got that. And I was wondering if anyone noticed.
Alabama 100
Get the fuck outta here
Amazing video, the intelligence and charisma brings me back to this video again and again.
Honestly one of my all time favorite games. Never before have I smiled my whole way through a game till my jaw was sore. Truly beautiful work of art.
Here's my take on Oxenfree (from listening to a couple of reviewers). I did copy & paste this from my comment on another person's video.
There is no ending that will completely satisfy you in every way. Someone must be sacrificed whether it is Alex, Clarissa, Michael, Jonas, etc. Some characters like Ms. Adler and The Sunken both refused to accept the past and they both got burned for it. Ms. Adler with lifelong guilt and losing Anna and The Sunken clutching onto their anger and suffering for it. Sometimes this game may leave you disappointed and that's okay. The goal of the game is for you to accept what happened. Another theme from Dutchy was grief. Dutchy already explained it all but grief seemed like a way to convey the theme of acceptance. Alex and Clarissa didn't accept Michael's death, leading to both of their sufferings. The final theme is the consequences of your actions. Each choice has a rippling effect, changing the story. Each one has a consequence generally ending in someone's sacrifice, causing players to constantly replay and trying to change their actions to get the effect they wanted. All of these themes reflect acceptance and the pain of refusing to accept.
People say the best ending is where it never happened at all. In that ending, the character development and the relationships do not matter because it never happened in that iteration. The only thing it leaves you with is the theme of acceptance. People try again and again to get a better ending, with all the "what ifs" but it never gets any better than it never happening. In the best ending, it teaches you, the player, how to accept things even if you don't want to. Everything from unsatisfying endings to grief to your choices all go back to acceptance.
I don't think the characters and the story really matter in the theme but they matter in conveying it. They were used as a way to truly teach you acceptance. They used the bombing of the Kanaloa and the loss of Michael to teach the player from their example that they just need to accept what's done is done before forcing the player into a situation they don't want to accept (which is unsatisfying endings). It taught you the lesson and then put you in a situation where you're hooked to this game and the only way you can be satisfied is by actually learning the theme. If they intended to do that, that's really clever.
Hope everyone understood that.
You actually summarized everything succinctly in a game that transcends conventional logic in so many ways. Well-done, NIKMOE!
This and the Firewatch and Abzu videos are my favorites you ever did. I'd love it if you did more in that vein!!
This is a terrific breakdown of this exceptional game, great job! 😊👍
But... I've seen several playthroughs, and I coulda sworn I saw one with an ending where everyone survives and the loop ends... I think... 😅
This is a great video, it really expressed all the unspoken theories and made me feel a bit better. The game whilst being amazing did leave me feeling empty and mad but this video gave me some sanity 😂
This was😊 a great refresher to watch before watching the second game which just came out!
I can't believe I didn't play this game until this summer...2018! This is one of my favourite games, not only because of the time travel and multiple endings, but because of how many times you can replay it. It's a loop! And there are so many different endings. I just found out you could save Alex's brother! It's also really neat how you can affect your own future playthroughs.
I played it twice. The first time, I did the “good ending”. I wasn’t dissatisfied with the fact that it’s a never ending loop, and no matter what I do, no matter how many times I play. Alex still has to sacrifice herself.
My first play through, I completely understood that. And that fact alone didn’t make me play it over again to figure a way out. I knew just how it was going to end. That was the way the game had been designed.
The way you explain it makes it seem like people are racking their brains, trying to understand that fact. I don’t know, that’s just my own opinion, and how I felt playing the game over again. Just like any multiple choice endings in these types of games.
Thanks to this I was able to break out of my loop for feeling dissatisfied with my game ending. 😂
This is so true. I tried all the endings and haven’t been satisfied with all of them. I started thinking and realized, that there is no happy end. This video explains my thoughts even more. OXENFREE really shows real life. Not every life or story ends well.
The ending I got on my first play through was honestly my favorite. Jonas as a true step brother, Clarissa as a friend, Ren and Nona in a relationship, and Michael still gone. Every character grows and changes from the experience, and they are able to move on with their lives. I wish there was an ending where Ren and Nona don’t get together and it deals with the nature of getting over attachments instead of just not happening altogether, but alas no game is perfect. This one’s not far off though.
Yo, great vid dude now OXENFREE IS ONE OF MY FAV GAMES
Great Content Dude! Cant believe you only got 2000 subscribers!
Thank you! I have a long way to go but enjoy every video I put make!
Very smart video.love it an clears things up well. :)
Great great video man seriously
Amazing analysis, while I formed my own opinion, you certainly helped me broaden my understanding of this game
I loved this game. It was so immersive, with even the main character sharing my name and hair color. All of the characters are so relatable and love able. You’re able to see yourself in all of their shoes. The game really makes you feel like you’re Alex, and that you’re living the situation. I even feel like the ending I got reflects my own choices in life. I don’t know if that was just a coincidence or great game design. Whatever the case, it’s a journey I’m glad I went on.
This game is awesome, not gonna lie i almost cried and had some mental breakdown here and there, so thats how awesome it was.
Beautifully articulated
Great Analysis man! Poor lil Alex
Very good breakdown man.
The game was GREAT the spooky atmosphere and how that it can still be pretty scary for being a 2d game. The story is also amazing. Just good job creators you made a great game. I will always consider it to be one of the greatest game
I played through it once and had to abort my second playthrough because I found it too startling and upsetting. Thanks for the summary - I at least have some sort of closure now.
Thanks for the insight Ren, a very profound way of looking at it. I agree it teaches us all about our choices and how we choose to build life around us. I was skeptic with Jonas all the way and my relationship with him could have been better but I managed to save everyone, even though I sacrificed Clarissa!😂 in the end I thought they would save me so I had to do the right thing.
Nice video!I played it only once, and saves all but not michael, he was allready dead. For me the perfect ending and i don't regret any choices i made.But maybe i will come back for another ending ;)
tazzz001 did you end up trying to get another ending?
One of my favorite playthroughs in an attempt to get all of the achievements was the one where you don’t say anything the whole game.
Confronting the drowned at the end of the game i didn't listen to a thing they said.
I had heard it all before so i jumped right into sacrificing myself resetting the loop.
And I remember the drowned were freaking the fuck out lol grilling me for not even attempting to listen to them.
I think i remember specifically them saying something along the lines of do. you know what you're doing?
Damn I gotta replay this masterpiece
I felt the message by Alex on the radio warning you not to go is the real ending you are striving to get
OXENFREE is the by far the best game I’ve ever played it’s action packed with tons of mystery and suspense!
IF YOU SEE THIS BUY THE GAME!!!
Grrrrreat breakdown!!!!
Great video. Liked and subbed. :)
This is as well written and produced as like a Polygon deep dive video, I fuckin love it
This game reminds me of the Stephen King movie " in the tall grass"
I also liked the ending at the gas station where you choose to not go to the Island. I really hope the second game has more puzzles, and interactive things! I loved this game, but I just want a variety of puzzles to complete!
Just finished I really enjoyed this hope theres a sequel!!
Cool channel, nice theory.. subbed.
+Canebrake thanks dude! I appreciate the support :)
Wow when I first played this game years ago I was satisfied at the first ending I got (everything stays the same and ren and nona date).
I remember being bored and just wanting to complete the game for satisfaction. This was on xbox games with gold I remember so I didnt really think much of it. But saying that I dont really play games for long without a purpose and there was something about this game that bought me in, I've literally left so many games after the first hour but I kept this one going. There was that creepy feel and I didnt get half the story with the ghosts and all that. I felt like I was playing a maze game and I needed to get off the island. Everything was so weird about this game and when I got off I was sooo happy and relieved. I got decent endings (not that I knew there were other endings till this point). I see the percentages at the end. Then I check the achievements.
I see the achievements and there are the typical game ones and then there were ones with different endings and it messed me up. I chose the ending! The game started on the boat again and I thought fair enough, I can do it all again but I decided to end this game on a high instead (which is why I randomly searched it up again). Now seeing this, im definitely gonna try pkay this game in the future and try 100 percent it!
Well I rlly enjoy this video, thanks to give a new perspective about the game, I rlly apprectiate
The acting was so good, it’s really sad that no matter how happy the ending,
Alex will always be on that island trying to let go of her brother
I wouldn't call Ren "innocent" since he was the one who told Alex to bring the radio *specifically* for the reason of "supernatural things happen here with it" for shits and giggles
This game was so great! I saved all 5 ppl the first time though I was totally overwhelmed by the fast choosing of answers XD and I was fine with the ending, didn't need to replay it, but the end of it made me like... Nooooooooooo T. T
You deserve a medal for explaining that very detailed game with multiple endings , and one outcome that can satisfy everyone. I just wanted to know if Michael was still alive and if Jonas was her friend or brother. Anyways thank you for explaining that to me. I wasn’t going to be satisfied if she was just gonna stay stuck. Also why was it the purpose to get Jonas and Nona together?
I played oxenfree before watching this video, it's such a beautiful and emotionally packed story of a game.