A first-person space exploration game that has been one of the highlights of my year. I’ll share what it’s about, how to play, and what I love about it.
The Basics
From the developer: “Outer Wilds is a first-person space exploration game where you uncover the mysteries of a solar system stuck in an endless time loop. Blast off into a fully physically simulated cosmos and seamlessly journey from one planet to the next as you search for the answers hidden in the unknown.”
| Game Genre: Adventure – Exploration Point Of View: 3D 1st person Available On: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Developer: Mobius Digital Publisher: Annapurna Interactive ESRB Rating: E10+ |
Story
Story Genre: Sci-Fi
Lore: Standalone (not part of a series)
Moods and Themes: Adventurous, Bittersweet, Small Fish in a Big Pond, Awe and Wonder, Social Connection despite Distance
The primary focus of Outer Wilds is exploration. You play as an unnamed explorer from the Hearthian race, setting off on your first space launch from your village on Timber Hearth. As a member of the Space Program, you are eager to discover more about the Nomai: an ancient race of aliens known only by the advanced technology and ruins left behind throughout the solar system. Your newly begun journey is cut short when the sun goes supernova and you find yourself back on Timber Hearth 22 minutes in the past.
After the initial shock of “What just happened?”, you set off to solve the mystery of this time loop. How is this possible? Am I the only one experiencing this? What can I do about it? In each 22 minute loop you delve deeper and deeper into this riddle, assembling the answer from bits and pieces of information found on each of the planets.
You might worry it would feel lonely in a game where you jet around the vast largeness of space by yourself, but Outer Wilds builds a sense of social connection without words or physical closeness. Using a Signal Scope you can listen to the music of your fellow Hearthian astronauts from across the galaxy, leading you to unique worlds and mysterious locations.
Equipped with a newly invented Nomai translator, you have the privilege of being the first Hearthian to decipher writing left behind in the ancient ruins that survived their creators. The Nomai writing itself is a brilliant reimagining of our own language, alien in its physical form but familiar in its similarity to the way we use threads on social media. The Nomai writing is where the story lives, providing you context for the galaxy’s mysteries.
Mechanics
The game is played from the first-person perspective. You manipulate the Hearthian using standard dual-axis controls: one axis controls positional movement and the other axis controls camera view. Flying your ship and jetpack is slightly more complicated with the addition of a third axis of positional movement. When you start the game on Timber Hearth you have the opportunity to practice in a tutorial area before heading to “real” space.
There are three mechanics specific to Outer Wilds, each critical to progression at different points:
- Scout Pod – Launch a remote pod that can take pictures and provide lighting
- Signal Scope – Pick up on quantum signals, music from other Hearthian travelers, and distress beacons.
- Nomai translation – Translates Nomai writing into your native language; if your character is not moving when the text translates then time will stop, allowing you to read at your own pace without worrying about using up any of the 22 minute time loop
Though there is no combat, there are various hazards you must overcome to avoid dying prematurely before the time loop resets. Fly too close to the sun and you’ll find yourself unable to escape its gravity. Fail to securely land your ship and you’ll find it floating halfway across the solar system when you try to return. Forget to put your spacesuit on before jumping out of your ship and you’ll suffocate from lack of oxygen. The latter example I embarrassingly brought upon myself more than once, but you get the point. You can die from not navigating smartly.
Time Commitment:
- Story: ~15 hours
- Minimum session time: ~25 minutes (including game load and shutdown)
- Pausable: Yes
I found the time commitment reasonable and well worth the quality of the story. The game only saves when the time loop resets, so at minimum you will need to play a 22 minute session to save your progress. Though it’s possible to see everything in the game in one playthrough, there are certain trophies and endings you can achieve by starting a New Game.
Skills and mindset required:
- Physical: Flying your spaceship and jetpack requires physical skill with the controls. However there is no combat except against time and physics.
- Problem solving: There are a few time and logic puzzles you must solve to reach new areas to explore.
- Patience: Planets change according to in-game time, so you will need a bit of patience to progress through certain time-based puzzles.
- Self-direction: There are no specific instructions telling you what to do next. You will need to determine your own path using hints and the knowledge you’ve discovered from exploring.
- Fearless spirit: Fear of the dark abyss is a primal instinct, and in this game you must fight against such instinct in order to progress.
Closing Thoughts
Traveling the solar system in search of answers…. uncovering the mysteries of a progenitor race…experiencing quantum events that bend our understanding of reality…
None of these concepts are unique within the science fiction genre, but Outer Wilds does a fantastic job putting them together in a novel way that is both insightful and impactful. Days after finishing it I find myself pondering the many timeless themes behind it, but to avoid spoiling it I’ll save my thoughts for a Spoiler-Friendly review (coming soon).
Overall if you’re looking for a strong story in a sci-fi setting where you must solve narrative puzzles by compiling bits and pieces of information, then I highly recommend this game for you. This is NOT for you if you’re looking for a competitive / combative experience or if you’re looking for a low-key game to multitask on.
My Thought on start (first space launch): “This is SO cool!”
My Thought when the game ended: “Wow!…. Just wow…” *Sat in awed silence for 10 minutes*
Let’s chat!
What are your thoughts on the game? Have you played it yet? Let’s chat about it!
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