review
2023 june 5
one of the most inspiring & well put-together games i have ever played. outer wilds is a humorous, lovingly made story about being human, connecting with others, finding peace in the face of loss, & moving on.
i can't overstate how beautiful the messaging of the game is ... the story is so special, & it is enhanced entirely by being a video game & having you push & struggle your way through it. every gameplay element ties in with narrative elements in such a succinct way: the music, the art direction, the controls & mechanics, the characters, the story progression ... everything exists to provide both an interesting & engaging experience, while setting its tone & furthering its themes with every step of your journey.
i feel i can't talk details, because discovery plays such a critical role in the workflow. but i will say, so many moments in this game landed so perfectly for me -- cinematic escapes, hilariously-timed event triggers, pitiful grapples with physics that led to remarkable discoveries ... there are a hundred different ways to experience this game, & they are somehow all amazing. the impact of having "aha!" moments after bumbling around in space always hit so hard, it felt amazing everytime i put 2 & 2 together ... especially when it came to the end.
it is rare for stories to stick the landing when it comes to their endings, but my god, did the end of this game stick. i haven't stopped thinking about it since i beat it years ago. everything culminates in such a ... beautiful way!! i just don't know how else to describe this game! it's beautiful! it brings me to tears! i have watched many people LP this & i am brought to tears again & again, seeing people experience this for the first time & be propelled through the glorious momentum of its endgame.
it's like, i just don't know what to say. i could gush & babble forever. i'll never be able to say enough or properly articulate this game's effect on my life. nothing has touched me as deeply as this wonderful project did; it has reminded me to be hopeful, to realize i'm not alone, to appreciate the beauty of the world, & to remember that the struggles of this life will be worth the joy in the next.
i will always feel this way towards outer wilds, & i will always be grateful to its crew for creating such a genuine, warm adventure. even if you don't have the same reaction that i did, i truly feel this is a game everyone should experience.
so, do i recommend this?
YES, holy shit, yes. i've never had a more meaningful experience with a piece of media in my life. play it! watch someone else play it!! give it an honest shot!!! there is nothing else like this out there!
DLC review: echoes of the eye
2023 aug 26
★★★★★ (5)
when i saw the news about the coming of an outer wilds DLC, i had the same thought many of us did: how could you possibly add on to something that's already so perfect, so distinctly finished? outer wilds was complete; there were no lasting questions that needed answering. but man ... does this DLC deliver. MD's remarkable crew somehow managed to create a flawlessly succinct companion piece to the base game through echoes of the eye; again: mechanically, artistically, thematically, this DLC is a powerhouse in video game storytelling, just like its predecessor, & it exists all at the same time both perfectly within its own world, yet deeply, intrinsically tied to the greater world of the base game. and that's maybe the most important part of this DLC, to me -- how it ties into the pre-established world of outer wilds. the end of the DLC feels almost more significant than the end of the entire game, just from the sheer amount of knowledge & emotion that it hits you with, & how it retroactively colors the base game because of that. as always, this game insists on presenting its bleak story through such a warm, loving lense, but the DLC ... it's a-whole-nother beast. this may be within spoiler territory, but: the DLC tells such a personal, powerful, dramatic story about a people you never knew existed, who did everything they could to hide away & be forgotten until the very end ... but whose influence changed the tragectory of the lives of every creature in your solar system, & even the lives of those beyond it. it's cruel & kind & beautiful. i may like the DLC more than the base game. in fact, i know i do. but it's only this good, because its foundation is good. outer wilds was a perfectly contained gameplay experience, but echoes of the eye exceeded every expectation i had & more. it adds so much color to an already colorful world; it heightens the tragedy & beauty of the base game substantially while existing as its own perfectly contained experience, made all the more perfect by the greater context of the solar system it lives in. and of course, i should mention that the altered gameflow of the DLC is also fantastic. to be as vague as possible, i will say this: pay attention to what you're doing, why you're doing it, & how it differs from progression in outer wilds proper. there is purposeful, thematic significance in these changes. ... you know, these outer wilds reviews are frustrating to write, because i am desperate to reveal as little as possible while also trying to convey why this game works so well. as mentioned in the base game's review: discovery is the key here. this is a mystery-exploration game, & so much so one, that if you boot up a clean copy & know what to do, you can beat the game in 20 minutes, easy. the story it tells holds up regardless of if you know all the mysteries ( this is why i am ravenous for other people's playthroughs! ), but piecing things together yourself, unearthing discoveries, it's all part of the fun. i don't want to take that fun away from anyone ... but i am desperate to get other people to play this. such contemplative experiences aren't for everyone -- i understand this. if you are looking for nonstop action, for hyperrealistic graphics, for blood & guts & such, neither outer wilds nor its DLC will have what you're looking for. but the majesty of its story, & the feeling of success it gives its players when they can piece it all together, is nothing short of spectacular; i would hate for this game to be unfailry dismissed because on a surface level, it's not what certain crowds are looking for. give my friend outer wilds & its DLC a good chance. i would not be this passionate about this, if this was not something i truly believed to be a one-of-a-kind adventure.
so, do i recommend this?
yes. you already knew that though. ;^)
extras
taking a look at the outer wilds alpha
coming soon ...
extras
further discussion
i would like to touch on some specific parts of this game that i loved, particularly how its themes are presented. outer wilds does a great job at setting itself up through precise set pieces, world building, and general asset use, which all tie together to pack a beautiful punch at the end. however ... to do this, i'll have to talk details. so you know what that means ...
please, if you haven't finished the game + DLC, don't read ahead.
this is a mystery game, and as i mentioned above, discovery is part of its enjoyment. i highly encourage you to experience this yourself, as it is one of my favorite things i've done in a long time.the beginning & the end
the music of timber hearth
all the music in outer wilds is great. each track is both lovely to listen to & enhances the tone tenfold, wherever you go: the frightening ambience of dark bramble, the melancholy of the nomai ruins, the wonder of space flight & exploration ... but there is one track that feels especially noteworthy to me: the music of timber hearth, your home. i'm not a music guy -- so excuse the minimal scope of my analysis here -- but timber hearth's theme captures everything about the game to me, so perfectly. it's pleasant & humble, a guitar strumming away at an easy to get into beat, one that inspires adventure, but isn't overdramatic; it evokes the feeling of sunrise, of heading out on a hike somewhere you've never been, to see & experience new things. and indeed, that's just what you & your hearthian avatar do, as you hear it for the first time: you get up at the break of dawn, & you start exploring. it's a great melody to start your game off with. ... but it's not just about the start of your adventure. take a listen to the embedded song. pay attention to the way it ends. does it feel like it's ending too soon? or on a bittersweet note, somehow ... ? like all it needed was just a few more bars, & it would be done? i didn't think much about this when i first started playing. but as i neared the end of my journey, this cliffnote ending seemed to resonate differently with me, & i realized something: timber hearth's theme reflects the greater themes of the game, starting with the ideas you've learned about the futility of your quest to save the universe. as you play the game, you think you'll be able to solve this cataclysmic disaster, & everything will go back to normal; you can go home & share all you've learned with your friends & family, you can save them, you can carry on as normal ... but in the end, you can't. you'll never go back to normal, & you'll never be able save everyone. but in this way, it also reflects the softer side of things: that in the end, things just have to end. no matter what. and it's okay. timber hearth's theme is beautiful, & it is complete -- though it may feel as if there is more to be said, it has said all it needs to, & now, it's time to move on to something else. something new. the dissatisfaction of this song evokes such poignant aching in me. the scope of the game's tragedy is massive: it's cosmic, literally; yet this tragedy is somehow presented in its entirety as a microscopic form of itself here, on timber hearth. and it's more personal, being tied to your home turf. it's more gutwrenching as well ... but it's also wonderful. and that's what outer wilds is all about, really. the gutwrenching, wonderful tragedy of life. the ever moving flow of time. and the ability to learn how to say goodbye.
contrast & equilibrium
the nomai & the strangers
wip ...
