108 reviews liked by allie


idgaf what any of yall say PC version was ahead of its time

Over the entire span of 2022, I have been playing Outer Wilds in small bites, only now to finally come back to it after a long hiatus and finally beat it and uh... yeah. It's kind of a masterpiece.

I mean it. This is one of those games where you hear nothing but the most high praise surrounding it. A lot of times, that can damage the experience for newcomers. After all, high expectations and excitement can lead to high disappointment. But this is, sincerely, one of those games where I was not let down at all.

I could tell you in multiple paragraphs how this game is one of the most immersive experiences I've ever had in gaming, or how exploration is immensely satisfying, or how the game's freedom allows for everyone to have their own personal journey through this game and so on and so forth... but much better people have explained those things in detail alongside just the whole game's design and philosophies.

But let me say this, and I think this is truly the crux of why this game is such a masterpiece to me. Every time you play a game, the most you can hope for is that it has that one "moment." That point in your playthrough that you'll look back on even after you're done and say, "that was a great game." A whole heap of games can never craft that moment, and to achieve it even once is a sign of skill and vision.

Outer Wilds, however, is a game filled to the brim with those defined moments and they're all the more impactful, and emotional, because it's all there for you to find as soon you take off on your ship. It's a self-driven experience where every step and observation is a moment that is as equally crafted on the game's part as it is by yourself.

Essays could be written on what makes this game work, but it's the heart, the feeling, of Outer Wilds that makes it such an unforgettable, nigh almost flawless, experience.

The final frontier

Many people wish they could forget the game to enjoy it once again, but I don't believe the game's appeal dissapears after just one time. The travelers will still be there.

I was this close of dropping it in more than one occasion, due to some obtuse as hell puzzles and conditions. I'm glad I didn't, because now my future second playthrough will be more manageable, more focused on the stuff that hit me: the connection, through music or tangled languages in walls.

The physics are omnipresent, space is insurmountable and worlds hold strange secrets. Whenever you may be lost, you can always tune to any planet and listen to someone. You'll talk to them, listen to a banjo 10k miles away from you, and you'll know you're not alone.

Y'ever play a game where time flies and you play it for a dozen hours and it feels like minutes? This is the opposite of that and for reasons I can't articulate that's a good thing.

Outer wilds invites you to look directly into the uncertainty of the future and to embrace it with open arms. Through that leap, you'll find that you're met with a warm hug.



What if life goes to waste? Is nothing worth it? Will anyone remember me in the future at all? Outer Wilds is unrivalled in beauty, heart and growth, asking of you to re-evaluate what you think happens after death. Through the clever archeological framing of the end of the world, the future seems less like a fading cry for help, and more a warm and loving goodbye. That to me; is Outer Wilds. An outstanding love for the world, the past, the present and the future. A sweet serenade and a kiss goodnight as the world shuts its eyes and fades away. It is the collection of every human lifetime focused into a faint "Hi, I existed here. Remember me, if you will!".

The first time you hear the music of the universe in Outer wilds will stick with you for a lifetime. And the last time, I am certain will stick with me and my own through generations. I would have not had it any other way than to have met with Outer Wilds in such a difficult and trying time in my life. As the 20 hours of play and story left me a happier, and braver person, I implore that you try Outer Wilds for yourself, as words alone cannot convey the importance of experiencing this world on your own. Musically, visually, and thematically, Outer Wilds rivals the greatest of the great, and is haunting, heartbreaking and tear-jerkingly joyous in electrical fanfare as you dance on the ridge of the apocalypse.

An answer I'd accept for "what is the best Nintendo game of the 2010s," of which I think the only real competition is Breath of the Wild, and I'd probably take Pocket Card Jockey over BOTW at this point. See, I love solitaire. A lot. And not only is this game an absolutely fantastic version of solitaire, it also contains some of the best writing that's ever been in a Nintendo game of deeply absurd stories. Direly undersung. One day they'll put that iOS one on the Switch and I'll scream to death, come back to life, and play the shit out of it, much like my homie the Pocket Card Jockey does.

I remember playing this as a demo disc that came with an old Compaq tower and loving it. Imagine my surprise to find out that not only does it have several more maps, but also holds up as a slim, but pretty delightful arcade racer.

I don’t know if it is my nostalgia, but Moto just has a vibe. From the tracks to the music to the way the engines rev, it has a pretty distinct identity. And a fun one at that, spanning both the street and dirt races.

One of the dirt races is across the top of the Great Wall of China. Enough said.

A game that is as stressful as it is charming, Pikmin captures a feeling of struggling for survival in a hostile world in such a unique, simple, and rewarding fashion. You'll fail a lot at first, learning what the pikmin are good at, what they're bad at, and how to overcome new difficulties while balancing the time limit and planning out your routes in advance. Once you finally have a grasp on things, you'll encounter new challenges, overlapping puzzles, and even more dangerous hazards. In time you'll conquer these as well, and if you've learned quickly enough, you may just reach the ending alive!

And immediately play it all over again.

Pikmin really is at its best when you're competing with yourself, trying to get the most parts in the least amount of days, laughing in the face of what once seemed insurmountable. Yet even when you feel like the king of the world, that melancholic tone and the tense nature of the time limit is never missing.

Man do I love Pikmin. I love it so so so much. It’s just Pikmin man. They are such funny little dudes! I want to die when they die because I caused them to die. I love Pikmin.