I’ve never been a fan of people telling me that I should head into a game blind. I’ve
always taken it as an admission that the game in question has a secret, and that the secret
is the only worthwhile thing about the game. To say more would be to open up a conversation
about spoiler culture and how I think most people miss the point of enjoying a book,
game, or movie, but I needed to say something like this for Outer Wilds. Outer Wilds encourages
a blind playthrough. It does hold secrets, but not in the traditional sense. You know
how with every new game there’s a feeling out period? You get used to the controls,
how the mechanics work, and what the world you’re inhabiting actually is? And you know
how most games share their language with other games, so if you’ve played a lot of games,
it doesn’t take you too long to get accustomed? That’s what’s known as game literacy.
Outer Wilds does things a little differently. You play an alien on an alien planet in an
alien solar system. Constants like mass, acceleration, gravity, thermodynamics, these all seem to
be what I’m used to (at least so far), but the technology, and how the world itself works,
it’s completely, well, alien. What this means is that there is a greater sense of discovery
just by playing the game. It also means that I have set myself a challenge with this video.
I don’t want to spoil the discovery of how this universe is put together, but I do want
to sell you on the game. It’s going to be a balancing act.
I spent a lot of time chilling to the relaxing music in the town (which serves as a tutorial)
as I learned how the spaceship’s propulsion works, how the spacesuit works in zero gravity,
and how the scout, translator, and signalscope work. The planets are small. This means a
quick day and night cycle, as well as quick travel between them. At least in your spacecraft.
The first time I died, I found myself adrift from my ship in the cold blackness, and before
I knew it, the gravity of the sun had sucked me into its orbit. Fwoosh. Ah yes, I should
mention that due to the narrative, the player finds themselves replaying the same time frame
over and over again. If you take too long, the world resets, and if you die the world
resets. All your knowledge remains. It gives the game a Majora’s Mask vibe on a much
quicker scale. I was constantly surprised by each new planet and what dangers and strangeness
lied there. Coming to terms with each new discovery and what it means moving forward
can take some time. Luckily, you’re never without direction. There’s a rumour section
on the map screen. Upon each reset, you can follow the rumour chains and make decisions
about where you want to explore and what you want to accomplish next. I certainly look
forward to seeing if the joy of discovery associated with just how bizarre this solar
system is can persist for the game’s entirety.
So, should you play Outer Wilds? Well, do you like the thrill of discovery? Do you like
space exploration, or the idea of being trapped in a time loop? Despite the time restrictions
the game has a rather laid back atmosphere because if anything goes wrong, you can just
try again. Those looking for a slower paced game will appreciate this. On the other hand,
if you’d like more action and combat in your games, or don’t like the idea of having
to learn how everything in this universe works, you might want to look elsewhere.
As always, I would love to hear what you think of Outer Wilds and this video down in the
comments. If you liked the video, why not buy me a coffee? There’s a link in the description.
If you’d like to help me out in other ways, please give the video a like, share it on
your favourite social media sites, or subscribe if you haven’t already. Until next time,
I hope you’re all having, a wonderful day.