A Narrative Critique of Oxenfree

[@DukeofWhales]

Sorry, this ended up taking a lot longer than I expected! Dragonborn is up next and then I’ll probably move on to Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. Thanks for watching everyone!

[@yngchivo1738]

Its good

[@kacperstrach9687]

brother there has to be some way to speed up these videos coming up.

[@KiomonDuck]

I love both the games. It's worth it👍

[@cpnrackham]

@@kacperstrach9687 not if he wants to jeopardise his quality. And this is quality. So it’s worth the wait.

[@lordedmundblackadder9321]

@DukeofWhales are you ever planning to do Morrowind? I’d really love to see your take on it. No pressure though.

[@isabellegalletly1814]

I love these videos because they're the only "narrative critiques" that actually *critique* the narrative instead of being an extended plot summary

[@user-uv2cp1qd1j]

All those tongue in cheek "a short retrospective" videos that are like 12 hours long. All they do is recount the plot in excruciating detail, then give surface level opinions

[@fatboyvladimir1555]

I can't stand when analysis channels just show a clip of the story and then rephrase what we just heard into an overraught explanation

[@cydude5856]

I am very surprised, but also very glad that you covered this game. I absolutely love Oxenfree. To me the story about Alex, a girl stuck in a loop of grief just hit so hard and I'm glad someone dedicated some of their time to talk about this awesome game.

[@wineoneone]

Oh awesome a new DoW video is a perfect excuse to rewatch all the DoW analyses

[@aLonelyCow92]

I started watching your stuff even since someone dropped your Skyrim video into Private Session's discord but I never expected to see such a thorough discussion of one of my favorite video game experiences from you. Only halfway through so far, I just didn't want to forget to comment, this made my entire day better.

[@MatchaLatteEnjoyer5000]

I remember watching/seeing Oxenfree right when it came out and i think i didn't really understand it. It was stuck in the back of my mind like yours. It was similar to other indie games at the time for me, like Night in The Woods and Fran Bow, where I liked it but couldn't tell you why. Only when I come back to these type of games with a more older and analytical take I feel like I appreciate more. I need that second loop even if its the same game. I love your content it's also great to hear people's analysis because I cannot make coherent literary analysis because I have ping pong for a brain :)

[@davissummer7897]

Babe wake up Duke of Whales posted

[@RockStar9O91]

oxenfree and darkwood in the same day crazy 11hours of content to watch

[@WaifuDaki]

Oxenfree was one of those surprise bangers I got from Games with Gold back in the day.

[@StarsAndSticks]

Hell yeah, welcome back. One of my favorite rising star channels. I absolutely adored Oxenfree so I'm happy you covered this.

[@RobinSpellbinder04]

Was just rewatching your Skyrim video, what a treat this is!

[@saschaberger3212]

Played it once in one sitting and was impressed. Forgot it existed ever since lol. I should play the second one I think

[@cokeMONSTERps3]

😂 the video just ending abruptly kinda jumpscared me lol. I enjoyed this critique. I never would have played this. Given the lack of an ending, I have an idea that the author is not going to be able to pull all of this stuff together in 2 but am looking forward to you covering it. The 1st loop is quite entertaining just in it's little narrative bubble. You calling that a coming of age story and what comes after as a more adult story is pretty apt. I see it that way too.

[@autocorrectisdone]

Absolutely wonderful game my man, I gotta say you don't fire often, but you never miss

[@GoneZombie]

Yeah that brownie should take around 30-60 minutes to kick in. Sometimes it can be weirdly fast, but weirdly fast is still like 15 minutes.

[@grone1778]

I’m a simple man. I see DukeOfWhales upload, I click

[@lucasjames7524]

Wow, this was an excellent video! I wish that your channel had more subscribers than it does. This was a tremendous Sunday morning experience. I don't play games and I never heard of this game, but it's interesting all the same. There's a quality hyperreality to games, and your analysis is wonderful.

[@H3rmon861]

I wish you would’ve played OXENFREE 2 because I think it ties really well with the more adults themes that are still beneath the surface here. I love OXENFREE 1 but the second hits a lot harder now

[@GatoBellini]

I always thought that by tuning into the cave anomaly for the very first time, Alex fell not into a single loop in the physical world, but into a jumbled mess of infinite parallel loops on the imaginary plane of existence. The game didn't show much of the world around the island and the "Where are they now?" segments always showed obvious conclusions and weren't too descriptive, as if Alex hadn't actually experienced the life after leaving the island. Michael's resurrection coming at practically zero cost also bothered me quite a bit. Also, in what you call "the good ending", the parking lot felt like the last place an anomalous transmission from another Alex could reach. So to me, the individual playthroughs always felt like a collection of vignettes the Sunken stitched together from their and Alex's memories. If that were the truth, it would mean that from the very beginning, there were no alternative realities, no winning and no real ending, because it was all part of a big vision that would infinitely overlap and repeat itself,. But my reading feels conspiratorial, while yours is reasonable, doesn't seem to create any glaring contradictions and is a bit more hopeful, so I like it. After you skillfully picked apart AC and ACII, I was really looking forward to this critique. Thank you for the video :)

[@DarkDevastat0r]

The venn diagram of games you cover and games I enjoy is just one circle.

[@captainpepsi353]

These are always a treat to listen to

[@20starcombomaker]

I'm confident that the story is mainly about transitioning into adulthood as previously mentioned. As also referenced, the sunken a "child-like" for a reason. They represent the no letting go. Growing up comes with loss in some shape or form, but loss nonetheless. The first Alex refused to let anything go, therefore is stuck with the sunken. She eventually learns and therefore warns her past herself, essentially letting go of, well.. herself. Essentially splitting herself between the part of her (or us) that wants to stay in the bliss of childhood from the adult that presses on. The reason why you go insane over time is because time marches on no matter what, to stalwartly refuse to grow up so to speak would overtime make one not be able to comprehend the reality, and therefore would have to put one in Essentially a loop to can only progress forward so far before reseting and going back.

[@gummidusa1076]

I audibly gasped when I saw this ! I love Oxenfree, so excited

[@eliott.b76]

Would you rather have unlimited bacon, but no more games Or games, unlimited games- but no games

[@cpnrackham]

The chosen one has returned!

[@svarthofde2492]

Where are the Grey Knights when you need them?

[@ORANOID]

Great video! About the story of the game: I liked the game when I played it, but more of the first two thirds. It's probably just a me thing, but I like something grounded or mysterious more. So, I went 100% with a game before it showed the ghosts are real and all of that. Even if it's not that straightforward. I like the Firewatch or Night in the woods approach (would be stocked to a see a video on it, btw)

[@Mauricekaip]

I’d love to find some way to help you produce these faster

[@DespereauxHarvey]

Shoutout to the puget sound

[@ceanyflamingo5127]

I jokd oxenfree as one of my favorite games. So haooy to see someone talking about it

[@jaredsimpson4701]

Have never played this game, will likely not do so in the future, but you dropped a video, therefore, I watch. Simple.

[@Fehorder]

Thanks for the content ❤

[@goblinkinggaming4916]

Yes!! Boredom delayed for several hours!

[@ИванКруглов-э4щ]

Now I sort ofwish you made a narrative critique of Night in the woods - a superficially simmilar game I feel like I chose over Oxenfree years ago

[@clemdelaclem]

I kinda hate oxenfree, I found it really shallow on my first play-through but I'm open to having my mind changed

[@five666666]

Patreon when king?

[@rotamsin]

so how come this uploaded while i was going through ya videos, huh? fuckin spyin on me...

[@williamrueckert-gardner3293]

YES so excited to dig into thi

[@TemporarySec]

If you ever make a patreon I am there for it

[@qebsonblade118]

Thanks🎉❤

[@projectJUNO]

ahh damn was hoping for brotherhood

[@Proxy1199]

Fuck yeah my guy

[@clownratt]

As someone who is also getting older I can confirm corollas are the most boring and best cars out there

[@afowler13]

brb gonna replay the game and report back lol

[@azzor4134]

you have to be very passionate to work on a video of this lenght for 3 months, when your video is about a game no one has heard of.

[@Notmyabt]

balls

[@matheusfigueiredo7]

Only 2 views, man has fell down…

[@sophiel7690]

2:27:00 oh thank god lol i’m glad someone else picked up on the romantic subtext there when i was a wee baby lesbian i was CONVINCED that anna and maggie were in a relationship. i mean i still believe it! i haven’t played the second game but i wonder if it’s expanded on more-it’s one of the most heartbreaking aspects of the original story to me