This DLC made all the right decissions to justify its existence. It feels like the missing half of the main Outer Wilds plot. Accepting the eventual death of everything and living to your fullest feels a bit half baked when every character was awfully stoic and seemed ready for that eventual end; not to mention the pristine honesty the Nomai and Hearthian records are composed.

This DLC provides that other, pessimistic half we needed to elevate the message. The consequences of fearing the future all too much, how individuals are twisted by their longing to a long past era, and how said longing can be weaponised to turn them into lifeless husks of what they were; and the sad reality of selective archival to make civilizations seem better than what they are. The fact that an individual stood tall against these odds and gave more importance to truth and acceptance feels more rewarding than the optimistic Hearthians and Nomai eras.

It makes me gain appretiation for the Outer Wilds base universe, its equally stoic and tragic tone and how powerful the message hits now that we see what could've been of the universe if handled by a civilization closer to our own.