For best results, only read this first paragraph. This game is amazing, and the less you know, the better. If you enjoy mystery games where you discover things as you go, and you’re decent at video game controls such as flying a spaceship, you will LOVE this game. Go play it, and feel free to come back and read this review after. Any spoilers will make the game worse. Don’t even read the description on Steam. Just play it.
Okay, if you’re still reading, I assume you’re not yet convinced. Or perhaps you’ve already played the game and are curious what I thought of it. Let’s get into it.
Outer Wilds
Welcome to the Space Program! You’re the newest recruit of Outer Wilds Ventures, a fledgling space program searching for answers in a strange, constantly evolving solar system.
What lurks in the heart of the ominous Dark Bramble? Who built the alien ruins on the Moon? Can the endless time loop be stopped? Answers await you in the most dangerous reaches of space.
About the game
You wake up staring up at the sky and need to go grab some launch codes for takeoff. On your way back to your ship, some weird statue looks at you… but oh well, let’s go to space! You can go anywhere – maybe go meet up with some other astronauts, explore one of the many mysteries that have been mentioned to you, or accidentally crash into the sun… as I did on my first run.
Oops! I died. These controls are quite tricky to get to grips with. I guess I’ll have to restart…
The game wakes me up in the same place, staring up at the same planet in the sky. But hang on… I’ve already got the launch codes. Let’s try going to space again…
I headed to Giant’s Deep, chatted to Gabbro, explored a bit… and then somehow I died again. I don’t even know what I did, but I’m back at the start of the game, staring up at the sky.
Am I… am I in a time loop? I freaking LOVE time loops.
Sadly, this factor had actually been spoilered for me, as the recommendation was “do you want to play in a game like Groundhog Day”, which is why I said at the top to just go play it immediately. But don’t worry – that’s not the only amazing mystery you will uncover throughout the game.
What I loved
Like most mystery games, the plot is the heart of the game. Even though you can only fully enjoy the game once, there is so much detail, nuance and mystery packed into the game.
The story is outstanding. The mystery comes out in small chunks, and there is no real exposition drop – you piece together what you need to do, and how to accomplish it, by considering legitimate in-world clues. Some are very tricky, and the brain wave needed to figure out what to do is incredibly satisfying. It can get pretty sad when you realise the truth about the universe, and it is conveyed in a very heartfelt way.
Unlike many games where the setting is just fluff, here it is integral to the game. You cannot complete the game without unravelling the mystery, and you cannot unravel the mystery without learning about the history of your solar system, including the Nomai race who dominated before your species had crawled out of the pond.
The setting itself is very cute. You’re from a four-eyed alien race who seem to have managed spaceflight with not much more than wood and string. You find your fellow explorers by tracking down the tune from their musical instruments.
Also cute is that the game universe is shrunk down to a comical degree. It means that time spent flying between planets is short enough to stay engaging, however the idea that you can circumnavigate the planet in about 30 seconds or get to the outer reaches of the solar system in a few minutes is quite wacky.
Despite the “little universe” vibe, there is a huge amount to explore. There are six planets to explore, plus additional moons, asteroids and stations, and each one has depths – sometimes quite literally. You may need to take a break from one planet when you get frustrated by an obstacle, but if you do there are tons of alternatives to go to and get absorbed in.
Each of the planets feels incredibly distinct from the others, and there are some truly fantastic surprises in store. In particular, Brittle Hollow. When you discover what lies within this planet, and the scope of what you’re exploring… let’s just say it’s quite the moment of realisation.
The tutorial is optional and worked into the game – you can practice your spacesuit controls in the zero-G cave, and try out your signalscope through a game of hide and seek with local kids.
There is an excellent DLC, Echoes of the Eye, which is pretty large in terms of content, however I’d recommend exploring it as part of your initial playthrough instead of leaving it to the end, as the setting for it can get a bit repetitive and you may want to take a break and do a different type of exploration for a while. I particularly like that it provides the answer to a question that wasn’t fully resolved in the original game.
Finally, something that was a particular bonus for us was that each loop is 22 minutes long (for a specific reason you’ll discover eventually). This was awesome because our baby daughter was having naps around 45 minutes long, which meant we could easily do one loop per nap, and usually a second if we were quick about booting the game up when she went down! And the mystery gave us something non-baby to talk about!
What I didn’t like
I played the game with Tim, and I couldn’t have played it without him. The reason – the controls were very tricky to get the hang of. I am not a particularly strong video game player and my hand-eye coordination isn’t the best. Most of the mystery games I play have very simple controls, so for me it was a shame that such a fantastic mystery was gated behind such tricky controls. However, if you’re good at those sorts of games, this won’t be an issue for you at all. In fact, Tim said that the space flight elements were very enjoyable for him.
The difficulty of the controls definitely makes death more common. Since death doesn’t end the game, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, if you’ve put effort into getting somewhere in particular, being booted back to the beginning can be somewhat frustrating.
The ending of the game is interesting, however it is quite long and I think it could have been done differently and shorter to greater effect.
The DLC is a significant tonal shift to the main game, with a lot more horror and jump-scare elements. The mystery and the story is just as intriguing, but it was another reason I was glad Tim was playing the game with me – I could leave him to it during the particularly scary bits!
Summary
Despite the challenges I had with the game controls, I am so glad I persuaded Tim into playing it with me. Like all of this genre, I am disappointed I will get to play it for the first time only once.
If you enjoy mysteries, time loops and fun sci-fi worlds, you will LOVE exploring this one.