Today’s Nintendo Indie World Showcase featured the surprise announcement ofOxenfree II: Lost Signals, the sequel to the highly-acclaimed game from Night School Studios. The firstOxenfreefollowed a group of teenagers investigating the mysterious radio signals on an island, and players will be able to return to the world ofOxenfreelater this year.
The firstOxenfreehad an interactive story that was shaped by player’s choices, with dialogue so well-written that the game was nominated for Best Narrative at the 2016 Game Awards. While little was revealed by the teaser,Oxenfree II: Lost Signalswill feature a new cast of characters that are also involved with the mystery of the strange radio signals. This is probably the best choice for a sequel, since the original game had multiple endings, and building a direct sequel would make only some of the players’ choices canon, which could change a bit about what madeOxenfreeso special.
Fans ofOxenfreehave been hoping for a sequel since the first game was released in 2016, but Night School Studio has been busy with other projects, such as the hell-adventureAfterpartyand aMr. Robotspin-off game. Night School’s unique way of building worlds and telling complex, yet interactive stories makesOxenfree II: Lost Signalsalready one of the most exciting indie games to look forward to this year.
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Fans of indie games will also be glad to know Annapurna, the publisher behindFlorenceandWhat Remains of Edith Finch, also announced two new titles in the showcase.Last Stopis a supernatural adventure game that has players exploring three intertwined stories, coming this July. The teaser forHindsightshows a unique visual style that players will be able to get their hands on later this year.
Another title that should be on the radar of gamers who love a good story isRoad 96, which will offer a procedurally generated narrative inspired by ‘90s road-trip movies. While procedurally-generated gameplay elements are already pretty common in the industry, applying randomization to the narrative is something new. The project was previously announced during the Game Awards 2020, but the Nintendo Indie Showcase confirmedRoad 96will be released later this year.
You cancheck out the full Nintendo Indie World Showcase now, which also gives us a new look at the retro-styleTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Timeand reveals the classicFez, one of the first big titles of the current indie wave, will finally be available on the Nintendo Switch. As forOxenfree II: Lost Signals, the sequel is currently scheduled for a 2021 release.
Watch the trailer forOxenfree II: Lost Signalsbelow:
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