kisui is Reviewing Outer Wilds
This review might contains spoiler. The game is really great when going in blind so I'll try to minimize the spoiler but before we start. If you like open-world exploration, I really recommend this game.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/753640/Outer_Wilds/
And back to start. So hello again. Just a few days ago, I finished Outer Wilds and I came in blind only knowing the basic premise from the Steam Page blurb. A mystery adventure of a solar system trapped in time loop. As the rating was really high and I was interested in the premise, I bought it when it was on sale.
After starting the game, I realized it was a chill 3d slight-platformer adventure game, at least that was what was shown in the "tutorial". After playing for 1 hour, the real game began. Mystery element started to appear and you are free to go anywhere in the world to solve it. The relaxing element starts to decline and the thrill element starts to rise. While the core of the game is exploring and finding written clues, it does have somewhat action element. What interesting is that I found the game is truly open world without any explicit objectives. You are not forced to solve the mystery nor guided on how to solve it. The game executes exploration so well, you are naturally incentivized to explore each corner of the solar system even though there are no X or ! on your mini map.
Without further spoilers, I believe this game is one of the best game ever made that has a permanent place in my heart. It has really great bangs for bucks (especially on discount, around 20 hours gameplay for IDR 80,000/ USD 5). I would really recommend this game to all kind of gamers except the one expecting to play action heavy games or the one who expects a heavily relaxing game.
If you are still undecided, go read ahead.
Heavier Gameplay Spoiler Below
As for the basic lore and world-building, you are a member of spacefaring society and are about to go on your first space voyage. The solar system is your playground, and you can go to anywhere you want without a specific mission. The world was full of different planets with different kind of biomes and all over the place were artifacts and writings from a highly technological advanced alien race that has been long gone. As you progress a bit more, you would find that an alien artifact is causing you to be stuck on a time loop. After a few more loops, you would finally catch on what you should do. Find what happened with the alien race and what caused the time loop. Or of course, you can just explore at your own will.
For the gameplay, as you go further, you will realize that you don't have anything that can help you interact or modify the environment. Unlike most game that has things like guns to shoot enemies, or maybe shovel to break ground or walls. All your tools are limited to 2 types: maneuverability and sensors. You will spend 90% of the game in your jetpack suits trying to reach places and using your trusty little scout which is a launch-able camera. Other times, you will use your your spaceship to travel large distance and a frequency scanner to detect hidden things. While the game have platforming, the game has no enemies nor ways to modify the environment. That said, the execution of the main premise was so well, you would feel like explorer/archaeologist!
Elaborating further on the gameplay, like any other space sci-fi games, this game has its "space" physics. Low/High/Zero Gravity movement. Planets without oxygen. Planets with different weather. But what makes this game really brilliant is the implementation of their astrophysics, quantum physics, and "sci-fi" physics. One of the main highlights is the 3d spaceship physics. When you pilot your spaceship, unlike your usual game, you cannot just press accelerate and turn the wheel toward a planet you want. You actually needs to calculate 3d speed, match the orbiting speed of the planet, and even manages planet gravity that can mess your plan (Don't worry, it's not hard as it sounds, though it can be stressful sometimes). The game really executes this well, the piloting is really fun and even makes you feel like you are real life astronaut!
The game also bring real world concept and implement it in a simplified but realistic way. Planetary objects has their own orbits and might crash into each others. Ice melts when orbiting closer to the sun, eclipses happen all the time when the planets and moons aligns. The game even brings quantum physics concept (albeit mix with "sci-fi") in a fun manner. What's more? The game use these physical law as the base of their puzzles! Throughout the game, you would find the basic physics are implemented in majorly different ways, yet still follow the base physics. You could freely explore and find roadblocks then ponder a moment and have that EUREEKA moment where you manipulate hazards into tools that helps you access hidden areas, using nothing more than your knowledge.
Because of this implementation, the games rewards you for FAFO. But if you are not the type who likes to experiment, the game also actually explains on what to do using found text left by the ancient race. But what makes it more satisfying is that you finding out by yourself then finding the text later in another place, confirming your way as the correct way, making you feel like the smartest person in the universe! The game use knowledge as progression system and it is your character knowledge but the player knowledge, which is really smart for a time loop game.
A bit downside of the game, that some puzzles actually requires precision in timing and control, which can give player who has less reaction speed (like me) a stressful time. Then as the basic premise is time loop and the progress resets each loop, sometimes (or a lot of times) you need to do the same thing over and over again until you reach an end of a path. As you spend time in the game, the game really lures you to find more clues and complete missing information, but since you need to the stressful thing, the chill factor decrease almost to 0 from mid game to end game. Especially if you want to reach the ending, you really need to rush, really rush which can be stressful for some people (including me). That said, the game was greatly made that there's nothing you need to repeat once you find the information. If you have the knowledge, you can even start a new game and finish a game in 1 single 22 minute loop (There's even an achievement for that!)
Outside the gameplay, the game has cartoonish graphic which is beautifully executed. The planets are fun and good looking in their own ways, the npc can be a bit bland but well made enough and the space and the universe are really beautiful. But if you are looking for highly accurate you can see the hair follicles 3d render, you won't find it here.
For the music and sound, it is pretty basic, most of the time you will hear nothing accept ambiance sounds though they are also well executed and perfectly fits the environment. There are like 3 full background music of the game and all of them are greatly executed, especially on the timing, enhancing your experience in the thrill and chill of the game.
Related to the gameplay, since the base is exploring and unlocking knowledge, the game really needs strong worldbuilding and writing. And Outer Wilds does shine in that area. All the writing are consistent with the world building and each pieces of them reveal interesting backstory and more lore while also giving you solutions to the mystery or even puzzles. As the game reaches the end, you would end up loving the world as you are the one who uncover the whole truth of the world.
Outer Wilds really executes open world space exploration really wells. It makes you experience each and every quirkiness of the world and it does so in a very satisfying manner. By the end of the game, you feel a lingering attachment as you wrapped up your time in the universe after experiencing all it had to offer, giving you a soft bittersweet yet cathartic closure.