Outer Wilds is one of those special games that will likely remain that way for a long time. It's not just about the technical feat of basically building a seamless miniature solar system that runs in real time, but also the amount of work, thought and talent being put into making it filled with interesting things to discover. All of the planets have their own unique challenges to deal with during exploration, and there's also deeper secrets to dig up, involving multiple events in the far past, which now only remains in echoes, ruins and decay.
The game starts in a very grounded way, as you're exploring your village and being allowed to get to know your friends and acquaintances, learn the background of your player character, and train your practical skills through well-disguised tutorials. It also plants the seeds of curiosity, as strange events occur, culminating with your first time loop. The game already throws so many hooks at you at this point, and no matter what, there should be at least one thing that makes you want to explore and learn everything the game has to offer.
Most of the game is about exploring the system, platforming all over the place, solving all the puzzles/obstacles you meet along the way. Each of the planets will present their own set of problems to solve, and it's quite often that you'll have to explore another planet in order to learn new info that will help you solve said problems. This is where the game truly shines, as the game is designed in such a way that rewards your curiosity with meaningful experience. Sometimes you have to progress the hard way, sometimes you just stumble on to the solution accidentally. But all of it will only happen if you're curious enough to explore and try to make something happen, and at some point you will make progress, and that's a satisfying feeling. Obviously not all of the planets are equal, and I definitely have my favorites, but overall it still hits a high bar of quality.
That leads into the puzzle design, and I have to say, it's quite incredible. It's not necessarily about being hard to figure out, but it's more so that they manage to make you feel very smart for figuring them out. I think a big part of that is because all of the game's systems are consistent and sensible, and their mechanisms are also communicated quite well, whether through text logs or simply the act of trial and error. They're also well integrated with each of the planet's environment design, and thus they never felt like elaborate artificial puzzles, but rather a real part of the planet that you'll have to tame. My favorite puzzles has got to be anything related to the in game quantum objects, especially the part where you get to learn their basic properties for the first time.
Another great part of the environment designs is the atmosphere. Dark caves feel suffocating and hostile. The vastness of black space gets more eerie the longer you allow your eyes to process it. Campfire with friends feel like the last pockets of safety and warmth. It truly makes the most out of its art style and soundtrack. I'm pretty sure I will have nightmares about Dark Brambles.
I would also like to highlight the UI, especially during ship flight. I simply adore the simplicity of it all, there's never a point where I am bombarded with info, and all of the info is being communicated in a elegant manner. I particularly like the planet lock-on UI, and the three dimensional vector thrust pointers.
It's not to say that I don't have any complaints. I never enjoyed having to avoid the ghost matter, I wish they would just design the levels differently instead of having this exist. Same goes for the fishes in Dark Brambles, both of these are just annoying difficulty spikes that isn't as interesting as the system's other threats (sand drowning, cactus spikes, general platforming/flight mistakes), although I do enjoy the story implications of the ghost matter. I also don't like exploring Dark Brambles (the aforementioned fishes, and the repetitive nature of it) and Giant's Deep (constantly being thrown into space gets pretty annoying, the last big puzzle isn't as satisfying as I hope) as much as the other locations.
There's a big overarching mystery that you'll slowly figure out along the way, and while I never truly got to latch onto any part of it in a personal or emotional manner, I do like a theme of it. I guess the continued pursuit of knowledge in the face of imminent end feels romantic to me. The knowledge is, most of all, for yourself. It's like holding to your loved ones, basking in their warmth, taking in their emotions. Your present is fulfilled with all the stimulus you desire, and the future shrinks to far less possibilities, even if it's only for a short time.
The game starts in a very grounded way, as you're exploring your village and being allowed to get to know your friends and acquaintances, learn the background of your player character, and train your practical skills through well-disguised tutorials. It also plants the seeds of curiosity, as strange events occur, culminating with your first time loop. The game already throws so many hooks at you at this point, and no matter what, there should be at least one thing that makes you want to explore and learn everything the game has to offer.
Most of the game is about exploring the system, platforming all over the place, solving all the puzzles/obstacles you meet along the way. Each of the planets will present their own set of problems to solve, and it's quite often that you'll have to explore another planet in order to learn new info that will help you solve said problems. This is where the game truly shines, as the game is designed in such a way that rewards your curiosity with meaningful experience. Sometimes you have to progress the hard way, sometimes you just stumble on to the solution accidentally. But all of it will only happen if you're curious enough to explore and try to make something happen, and at some point you will make progress, and that's a satisfying feeling. Obviously not all of the planets are equal, and I definitely have my favorites, but overall it still hits a high bar of quality.
That leads into the puzzle design, and I have to say, it's quite incredible. It's not necessarily about being hard to figure out, but it's more so that they manage to make you feel very smart for figuring them out. I think a big part of that is because all of the game's systems are consistent and sensible, and their mechanisms are also communicated quite well, whether through text logs or simply the act of trial and error. They're also well integrated with each of the planet's environment design, and thus they never felt like elaborate artificial puzzles, but rather a real part of the planet that you'll have to tame. My favorite puzzles has got to be anything related to the in game quantum objects, especially the part where you get to learn their basic properties for the first time.
Another great part of the environment designs is the atmosphere. Dark caves feel suffocating and hostile. The vastness of black space gets more eerie the longer you allow your eyes to process it. Campfire with friends feel like the last pockets of safety and warmth. It truly makes the most out of its art style and soundtrack. I'm pretty sure I will have nightmares about Dark Brambles.
I would also like to highlight the UI, especially during ship flight. I simply adore the simplicity of it all, there's never a point where I am bombarded with info, and all of the info is being communicated in a elegant manner. I particularly like the planet lock-on UI, and the three dimensional vector thrust pointers.
It's not to say that I don't have any complaints. I never enjoyed having to avoid the ghost matter, I wish they would just design the levels differently instead of having this exist. Same goes for the fishes in Dark Brambles, both of these are just annoying difficulty spikes that isn't as interesting as the system's other threats (sand drowning, cactus spikes, general platforming/flight mistakes), although I do enjoy the story implications of the ghost matter. I also don't like exploring Dark Brambles (the aforementioned fishes, and the repetitive nature of it) and Giant's Deep (constantly being thrown into space gets pretty annoying, the last big puzzle isn't as satisfying as I hope) as much as the other locations.
There's a big overarching mystery that you'll slowly figure out along the way, and while I never truly got to latch onto any part of it in a personal or emotional manner, I do like a theme of it. I guess the continued pursuit of knowledge in the face of imminent end feels romantic to me. The knowledge is, most of all, for yourself. It's like holding to your loved ones, basking in their warmth, taking in their emotions. Your present is fulfilled with all the stimulus you desire, and the future shrinks to far less possibilities, even if it's only for a short time.
cowboyjosh
1 year ago