- [Daemon] Discovery is a difficult sensation
to legitimately simulate in a video game.
Countless worlds smother us with lore,
giving us the opportunity to understand them better.
But that's usually optional, so it often feels superficial.
Outerwilds, a space exploration sim
laced with puzzles and a mystery story,
sidesteps that problem by putting the storytelling
that normally litters the background of most games
front and center.
By turning lore into a puzzle and a means for progress,
it makes learning about these worlds feel vital.
As an anthropologist caught in a Majora's Mask-style
time loop, you must study an ancient race
that once lived in your solar system
to figure out how to move time forward.
Solving your problem means untangling an interplanetary web
of alien texts and technology
spread across the solar system's five planets
and other key places.
The simple premise gives way to the interesting story,
or stories, really, you uncover in your travels.
The aliens, like Metroid's Chozo or Mass Effect's Protheans,
seem unknowable at first glance,
but become relatable as you learn more about them.
Exploration is the centerpiece of Outer Wilds.
Revealing the whole story is daunting,
but once you set out on your expedition,
things start to fall into place.
You do not find gear, and there are no clear-cut missions
spelled out for you to perform.
You simply travel to new places, find alien ruins,
and read as much as you can.
Each piece of information you find
gives you more information,
pointing you towards another clue.
(ethereal pad)
This is where the time loop mechanic really shines.
By breaking things down into 22-minute adventures
before each reset,
Outer Wilds forces you to explore each world piece by piece.
Not only does that make a big task feel attainable,
it gives you the freedom to breathe and take in the sights.
You do get a few pointers.
For instance, important details are highlighted
and stored in a log on your ship,
but it's on you to put the pieces together.
This can make it difficult to track your progress,
as it isn't always clear what clues you need
to reach the next key moment.
The ambiguity gives way to big rewards though.
Figuring out how each world works,
solving a puzzle or discovering a secret entrance,
feels like a genuine eureka moment.
Each of the five planets you search
serves up a unique look and feel,
as well as a mechanic concept that create natural puzzles
out of getting from point A to point B.
From the emerald seas of Giant's Deep,
whose sky-high whirlpools can pull islands into orbit,
to Brittle Hollow,
a dying planet with a black hole at its core,
each place feels unique and meticulously crafted.
The time loop also plays an important role
in traveling the world and solving puzzles.
Certain areas only become accessible at specific moments,
so visiting the same place at different points
can yield different results.
Stumbling into the right place at the right time
leads to some of the best discoveries.
Each planet has the capacity to truly surprise you,
even after you thought you figured everything out.
The ability to make discoveries in any order
has its drawbacks though.
No one is going to tell you if you're missing something,
which can make things complicated and frustrating.
If you find facts out of order,
or approach a ruins from the wrong direction,
certain tasks may seem impossible.
It's usually easy to look around and find what you missed,
but other times, especially in late-game locations,
where entrances are obscured,
it's impossible to tell where to even begin.
It's hard to hold the frustrations
raised by those obtuse puzzles against Outer Wilds though.
Given how you have to process lore
and apply it to the world to make progress,
we'll likely see players sharing knowledge online,
as they did with games like Fez and The Witness.
There's something really fun about sharing stories,
and in particular, hearing tales of discoveries
you haven't made yet.
Outer Wilds's tricky exploration and puzzle solving
is definitely an acquired taste.
Its specific brand of active storytelling differs wildly
from highly-guided open worlds that many of us think of
when discussing non-linear gameplay.
Though it can be confounding
when events don't unfold as intended,
the feeling of discovering something new about the story,
or following the facts to something unexpected,
far outweighs those hiccups.
For more on Outer Wilds,
introduce yourself with our 10-minute gameplay walkthrough.
Plus, check out our reviews of other space-faring games
like Observation.
And for everything else, keep it right here at IGN.