(edit: vague spoilers for outer wilds + dlc!)
If I had a nickle for every time an exploration-based game partially inspired by the failure of skyward sword involved uncovering the ruins of an ancient civilization of goat-like creatures with three eyes, included time travel as both a major story and gameplay element, had a blue aesthetic for an advanced ancient civilization, and then had a follow-up with a new, previously unknown ancient civilization that has a green aesthetic, I’d have two nickles.
PLAY OUTER WILDS
Okay but like whats the game about? What do you do?
I CAN’T TELL YOU JUST PLAY IT BRO.
But like, how do I know if it’s even the type of game I will li-
JUST PLAAAAAAAYYYYY IIITTTTTTTT
Ive seen so many posts by people who trashed the game after not even getting to the start of the time loop, calling it a bad walking sim with nothing to do.
Modern games have programmed people to be incurious and intellectually lazy
I disagree but I’m too intellectually lazy to bother with a well thought out response
I agree that a lot of modern games hold the hand too much, but I found Outer Wilds to be the opposite for me, too obtuse and open to get a grip on the gameplay loop. If you dig that, more power to you, for me it was too much.
I know games get compared to puzzles often, but Outer Wilds for me was experienced like completing an actual jigsaw puzzle. At first the pieces were a scattered mess on the table. Before I could make any appreciable progress, I had to pause and flip over each piece right side up and take in the whole picture. This is initially when I bounced off it too.
But when I came back with fresh eyes, I picked a corner to focus on and the pieces started to fit together. Once you get some footing, like a real jigsaw, it starts to snowball as the bigger picture takes shape.
I tried outer wilds on gamepass. I went in blind knowing absolutely nothing. At first I thought the graphics made it look like a generic unity indie game. I didn’t like how the jumping worked. I was so close to closing the game but I figured “I haven’t even gotten past the tutorial. I should at least give it a try.”
Oh man. The second you complete the tutorial and you are set free to play I had the best “oh holy shit” moment I’ve had in years. It’s still not everyone’s cup of tea but I absolutely loved it. I hope they make a second.
I gave it the honest try myself and just didn’t have fun. I went to a couple different planets, died in some weird gravity reversing situation a couple times, died to the loop a few times, etc. It was neat but wasn’t for me. I can see how people would get really into it though.
Same. I tried once, bounced off because I just hated how the ship flew. Gave it another honest shot recently, found a couple of the explorers but really wasn’t enjoying it. Ended up watching the rest in a Let’s Play. Honestly not a bad way to experience it if the gameplay is just not vibing with you.
It’s surprising because “ancient progenitor civilization” is one of my favourite tropes in media, but this one really just did not do it for me.