Outer Wilds review

Exceptional

by Arteeten

We don't get too many games that really master exactly what they are trying to achieve. Outer Wilds is one of the few that sets out with a goal and achieves it. The game is not huge but within that scope they craft a solar systems with multiple branching mysteries across all planets. There is so much to explore and so many mysteries to uncover. I don't know that there is anything quite like the feeling of putting clues together and figuring out what is going on and this game offers it multiple times. The world is beautiful and spooky at the same time. It is also paired with some amazing sound design and incredible soundtrack. The game really isn't a horror game but there are parts that really give you chills like looking through some of the projection stones with it's creepy music and visuals. Dark Bramble is another place that will have players walking on eggshells. One of the best things about the gameplay is there isn't a whole lot of direction given at the start. You can go anywhere from the start and have to branch out from there, exploring where you think you should and following the clues you find. The only complaint I really have is some of the stuff can get repetitive. Not so much the main loop of the game but some of the actions of the gameplay like running out of fuel for the jetpack and overshooting a planet. These complaints pale in comparison to all the other wonders the game has to offer.

If you like exploration in games, then I highly encourage you to stop reading and/or watching reviews and play Outer Wilds.for yourself as it is best done with little to no knowledge about it. If you want just a small overview of it, read the store page and nothing more. If after reading that store page you are still unsure if you’d enjoy Outer Wilds or not, here are a few things that can hopefully help you make up your mind:

A big part of what you’ll be doing in Outer Wilds is wandering in space and on the several planets. The experience of being in space and different planets feels very genuine. Gravity changes from planet to planet, making it harder to move about in some, and easier to move in others, and while in space, there isn’t any gravity at all. You will have to adapt not only to the weight of your character when travelling to a different planet, you’ll also have to observe the weather and other aspects of the planets that shift.
 
The other thing that you’ll probably do in Outer Wilds is gaining access to different areas. In this aspect, Outer Wilds is very much like a metroidvania. Though instead of the equipment checks commonly used in metroidvanias, Outer Wilds blocks off those next areas with knowledge checks. In your usual metroidvania game, the next area is probably blocked off because you need a certain item. For example, an area is atop a cliff. You can probably infer that you need to climb this cliff to go there but you can’t go there quite yet because your character does not have the items or tools to climb yet. You might have to fight a boss to get that item that you need. Outer Wilds does the opposite of this, you are given all of the tools from the start and areas are blocked off not because you cannot get through but because you probably won’t know how to get through. If that makes any sense.
 
Lastly, the time loop. You are given a set amount of time to explore the solar system, once your time has run out. This may seem like an arbitrary decision but it is not. While it may be frustrating when you discover a new place just as your time runs out especially because you will be reading a bit in Outer Wilds, by using this time loop, the devs were able to be creative in the designs and features of the different places you’ll be visiting. Outer Wilds is a game that you really should play and experience yourself as it is one that you can really only play once. After doing so myself, I want nothing more but to play it for the first time once again.