Even so, I enjoyed learning about these characters and seeing them grow through my actions.” As much as I loved parts of the overall experience, others let me down. Night School Studio clearly wasn’t afraid to experiment and try some different and interesting things with presentation in regards to a narrative-based, choice-driven game. In our review for the original Oxenfree, Kimberley Wallace said, “I constantly wanted to see where it was going and where my choices would lead. It contains the really interesting New Game + mode that was added to all. It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time the two companies have worked together several years ago, Night School and Telltale were working on a Stranger Things game for Netflix, but that game was never released. Oxenfree’s beautiful, haunting story begs to be replayed, but pacing issues limit its appeal. Krankel went on to assure fans that Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is still in the works. Of course, it’s a surreal honor to be the first games studio to join Netflix! Not only do we get to keep doing what we do, how we like to do it, but we get a front-row seat on the biggest entertainment platform in the world.” It felt like both teams came to this conclusion instinctively. Our explorations in narrative gameplay and Netflix’s track record of supporting diverse storytellers was such a natural pairing. Follow the crew on Twitter: Alex Stadnik (Studnik76), Alex Van Aken (itsVanAken), Brian Shea (BrianPShea), and Wesley LeBlanc (LeBlancWes) The Game Informer Show is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews.
Netflix gives film, TV, and now game makers an unprecedented canvas to create and deliver excellent entertainment to millions of people. In an official blog post, Night School Studio’s founder and creative director Sean Krankel said, “Night School wants to stretch our narrative and design aspirations across distinctive, original games with heart. However, this is the first time Netflix has outright acquired a game studio. Netflix has been working to break into the gaming industry for some time. 10/10 CGMagazine Oxenfree might just be a big next step for adventure games. This is surprising but not a complete shock. Reviews Oxenfree takes the best parts of supernatural 1980's teenage horror films and combines it with believable characters, beautiful set pieces, and a haunting VHS synth-pop soundtrack to create a masterpiece. But after seven years of working as an independent studio, the developer is being acquired by streaming giant Netflix. Night School Studio is the team behind the beloved adventures games Oxenfree and Afterparty.